Electric company energy efficiency programs are familiar to many hotel executives. These can include incentives to purchase energy-efficient equipment and build energy-efficient facilities. The benefits extend to both your company and the electric utility industry. A closer look at some individual electric company incentive programs, and a glimpse at what the future may hold, will give you a better understanding of how to save energy and money in today's, and tomorrow's, energy markets. READ MORE

The extraordinary events that have rippled through the nation's electric power industry during the past few years have touched businesses and consumers alike. Electricity competition. Regional reliability concerns. Enron. In the hotel industry, perhaps the most visible impact has been the energy surcharge that many hotels placed on customer bills. Questions about the cost of power, and in some locations, even its availability, were two issues that caused turmoil for hotel guests and managers alike. Understanding where we are now, and what to expect down the road, will help hotel executives prepare an energy strategy to improve their profitability in the future. READ MORE

As a hotel executive, the last thing you may want to think about is whether your hotel is considered "green." You are worried about filling your rooms, satisfying your guests, and perhaps getting the big business of government and companies. But being designated as "green" can actually help you do all of these things: it can increase your room-nights, enhance your guests' satisfaction, and boost your business with big customers. This series will show you how. We begin by examining what it means for a hotel to be "green." The word is, of course, shorthand for being environmentally responsible (or sustainable) so as to minimize environmental impacts in purchasing, operations, and plant management. READ MORE

A diet low in refined carbohydrates is actually not new to many cultures. In fact, in some places in the world, the lifestyle has been around for centuries. Asian cuisines revel in the use of fresh vegetables and fruits. Very little white flour or bread is used. And even though rice is a staple, the most popular form used is brown rice, a source of the good, complex carbohydrates that nutritionist tell us are healthy. Mediterranean cultures also emphasize cuisine based on seasonal, fresh fruits and vegetables, and the great seafood that is so abundant in the region. I was reminded of this fact as my team and I were researching the cuisines of the Mediterranean countries - Spain, Italy and France - in preparation for a new concept for our menu in The Terrace, the Hilton Short Hills' more casual dining venue. READ MORE

An issue of interest to the nation's hotel industry-chains as well as independents-is appearing on ballots in a number of city elections this year: Who should be the electricity provider-the existing electric utility or a newly created city department? Iowa is one state where a number of local ballot initiatives are asking residents if their city should municipalize, or more accurately, takeover the role of electricity provider. California is another. And in recent years the question has come up in Florida, Nevada, and New York and elsewhere. The bait is typically lower prices and greater reliability. But government takeovers can't guarantee either. To make improvements here, we must look beyond local control issues and address the national issues that are affecting the country's electricity system. And this can only be accomplished through comprehensive national energy legislation. READ MORE