PR Friend Press Releases

Media Contact:
Scott Parisi
EcoGreenHotel.com
sparisi@EcoGreenHotel.com
(888)229-0213 Ext.801

ROBBINSVILLE, N.J. – EcoGreenHotel, Inc announced today the official launch of it’s new online store www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com. EcoGreenHotel Store is a one-stop marketplace of over 1000 products and services for the green hospitality industry.

For the first time, the hospitality industry now has a reliable marketplace for their green supply needs. Through EcoGreenHotel Store, properties can purchase everything from environmentally sensitive amenities, earth-friendly cleaning supplies and sustainable furniture to biodegradable key cards and marketing services designed specifically for the green hotel industry.

Scott Parisi, President of EcoGreenHotel, states, “Over and over again, environmentally conscious hotel professionals have told us they wished they could simplify things and purchase their green supplies from one location…and so we set out to create the most comprehensive online source for environmentally friendly hospitality goods and services in the industry.”

EcoGreenHotel Store is a green marketplace that:

    Provides one-stop shopping
    Enables easy access to quality green products and services from numerous vendors
    Offers comparable and competitive pricing
    Offers environmentally preferable products that are not “greenwashing”
    Allows hotels to minimize costs associated with labor and time-intensive effort required for researching, identifying, testing and acquiring
    Allows hotels to reach guests who are concerned about their environmental impact
    Offers additional product search support for hotels seeking “hard-to-find” green alternatives and product reviews
    Contributes to the goal of “People, Planet, and Profits”

For the past year, Parisi has collaborated with veteran specialty suppliers including Pineapple Hospitality, DeBlauw Purchasing, T2 Site Amenities, and Ecotek to assemble cost-effective eco hotel products available on the web.  His vision for the store is simple:

“We want the EcoGreenHotel Store to be the go-to source for quality, affordable eco hotel products and services.”

A few benefits of Environmentally Preferable Purchasing (EPP):

    Reduce waste and utility costs
    Attract environmentally conscious customers
    Possible new revenue streams
    Improve image: brand and goodwill
    Responsive to employee and guests health and wellness needs
    Economically responsible hospitality supply buying
    Increase stakeholder value
    Minimize environmental footprint

The EcoGreenHotel Store’s virtual shelves are stocked with products and services from dozens of companies, including:

    Azul Conservation Products, home of cool tools designed to preserve precious water resources.
    Hanger Network, creator of the EcoHanger, the ultimate sustainable multi-tasker.
    Swisssol-USA Creative Body Care, maker of incredible natural body care products and dispenser systems.
    Hospitality v-Marketing, the place to go for multi-media content, photography, videography and graphic design for eco hotels.
    Luxur-Eco, wholesaler of lavish environmentally-conscious items for the hotel bed and bath.

EcoGreenHotel has partnered with Ray Burgur, President of Pineapple Hospitality, which is a superior distribution and marketing company dedicated to providing innovative products and services to the lodging industry. Pineapple is currently the largest supplier of eco amenities, cleaning products, and other merchandise being offered on the site.
“Pineapple has played a major role in identifying relationships with additional suppliers that will be offering products on the site,” Parisi said.  “And for advance planning and sourcing of FF&E (furniture, fixtures, and equipment) for renovations, PIP’s (product improvement plans) mandated by brands, and supplies for new-build hotels, services provided by DeBlauw will assist hotels of any size .So the EcoGreenHotel Store’s offerings cover the entire scope of the industry.”
EcoGreenHotelStore.com brings all of those products together in one place, making it easy for hotel owners and managers to make the right choices as we move toward a more sustainable AND more profitable future for the hospitality industry.
Parisi continues to seek sustainable products to add to the merchandise lineup at the EcoGreenHotel Store.  Potential vendors are asked to contact him immediately at sparisi@EcoGreenHotel.com.
About EcoGreenHotel
A valuable resource for hoteliers, EcoGreenHotel is dedicated to helping lodging facilities address environmental issues and implement environmentally sound initiatives.  The company’s online presence at www.EcoGreenHotel.com and www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com offers a marketplace for green products and services and provides a one-stop venue for green hospitality industry news, basic environmental overviews and other tools like green hotel checklists, project ideas, book lists, and valuable links designed to promote a more sustainable hospitality industry.

EcoGreenHotel’s consulting services guide owners, operators and developers through the journey of developing and/or maintaining a sustainable operation or project.

For more information about EcoGreenHotel, please visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com or send an email to info@EcoGreenHotel.com.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Scott Parisi

EcoGreenHotel.com

sparisi@EcoGreenHotel.com

(888)229-0213 Ext.801

Been feeling a little blue about your eco hotel’s green initiative lately?  Been wondering if all the hard work is worth it, or if you’re just spinning your wheels for nothing?  Thinking about giving up because no one else seems to care about sustainable hospitality as much as you do?

Pull up a chair, my friend.  Have I got some news for you!

A recently released report by those studious folks over at J.D. Power and Associates contained a big shot in the arm for eco hoteliers.  The 2009 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study showed, among other things, that green hotels made great strides in awareness, guest satisfaction and participation in sustainable programs since the previous reporting period in 2008.

For their report, J.D. Power surveyed over 66,000 guests who stayed in North American hotels between May of 2008 and June of 2009.  Here are some notable findings about green lodging taken directly from the release:

• Guest awareness of their hotel’s green programs increased significantly in 2009. Sixty-six percent of guests said they were aware of their hotel’s conservation efforts, up from 57 percent last year.  Good job getting the word out!

• A high percentage of guests took part in their hotel’s sustainability efforts. Among those guests who were aware of the green program, 72 percent said they participated in their hotel’s conservation programs during their stay, meaning they recycled or participated in the property’s linen reuse program, for example.  Way to go… you and your staff are doing a terrific job of rallying the troops!

• Awareness of green programs had a strong impact on overall guest satisfaction. On average, satisfaction is more than 160 points higher among guests who report being aware of their hotel’s green programs, compared with guests who are unaware of them.  Awesome!  You and your team have proven that implementing a green initiative doesn’t mean that the guest experience has to suffer… in fact, it’s just the opposite!

In a nutshell, this study shows that green hospitality has finally taken a firm hold in the industry, and that overall it is being done well.  Your eco hotel’s efforts are starting to reap dividends, not only for the environment but also for your property’s bottom line.

So stop feeling blue.  Send this document to your green team members today, and share this good green news!

Has your hotel received good guest feedback about your eco hotel’s green initiative?  Tell us about it at info@EcoGreenHotel.com and we may feature it on our website or in our newsletter!

EcoGreenHotel.com offers a marketplace for green hotel products and services and provides a one- stop venue for green hotel news, basic environmental overviews and other tools like green hotel checklists, project ideas, book lists, and valuable links designed to promote a more sustainable hospitality industry.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Scott Parisi
EcoGreenHotel.com
sparisi@EcoGreenHotel.com
(888)229-0213 Ext.801

Looking to find the best eco-sensitive Italian Riviera tour – one that combines great cuisine, awesome wine, nature hikes, cultural activities and meaningful volunteer opportunities?   Or perhaps you’re curious about which airlines have the best carbon-offset programs, or which hotel chain has LEED-certified facilities in your chosen destination city?

You don’t have to spend countless frustrating hours surfing the Internet… look no further than TerraCurve.com!

At EcoGreenHotel, we’re always on the lookout for potential partners that share our passion for green hospitality and a sustainable planet – partners that truly add value to the industry and the world.  This month, we’re delighted to welcome one such outstanding new partner to the EcoGreenHotel family: TerraCurve.com and its president and founder, Joe Ascanio.

TerraCurve’s mission is to help eco-conscious travelers “choose products, services and destinations worldwide that are better for the planet and its people.”  The company accomplishes this mission by providing unbiased reporting and online research tools that allow people to make informed eco-travel choices.

“EcoGreenHotel believes that TerraCurve is the most credible source providing news, information and tools geared to consumers that are seeking sustainable travel options,” said EcoGreenHotel President Scott Parisi.  “TerraCurve supports EcoGreenHotel in providing a forum for us to share news geared toward hotel owners, operators and developers, and in the coming months you will see a true partnership and shared presence between both of us, to make sure we are supporting sustainable travel in a joint manner.”

TerraCurve’s Ascanio echoed that sentiment.  He believes that the new partnership is a boon for both the traveling public and the industry.

“EcoGreenHotel’s mission offers an incredible strength to the green hospitality industry; a mission that is perfectly in line with that of TerraCurve’s promotion of a more responsible and ‘greener’ approach to both leisure and business travel worldwide by showcasing the best ideas, businesses, places, people and events in the responsible travel marketplace,” he said.  “As TerraCurve.com continues to grow and become more widely used – not only as an online magazine but also as a community of like-minded travelers – a partnership with EcoGreenHotel validates both entities as true and complete resources for ‘eco travel’ information. EcoGreenHotel’s commitment to sustainable and socially responsible travel should serve as a role model to the industry.”

TerraCurve is taking full advantage of social media to keep its users abreast of the latest developments in sustainable travel.  TerraCurve fans can stay up-to-the-minute by accessing the company’s Facebook and Twitter pages, and by subscribing to its RSS feed.

EcoGreenHotel is thrilled to join with Joe Ascanio and TerraCurve to bring the latest eco travel news and information to responsible travelers and the industry that serves them.
EcoGreenHotel.com offers a marketplace for green hotel products and services and provides a one- stop venue for green hospitality industry news, basic environmental overviews and other tools like green hotel checklists, project ideas, book lists, and valuable links designed to promote a more sustainable hospitality industry.
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Scott Parisi
EcoGreenHotel.com
sparisi@EcoGreenHotel.com
(888)229-0213 Ext.801

A few weeks ago in a blog post, I sang the praises of Florida’s outstanding Green Lodging program (FGLP). Established in 2004 by Florida’s Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), FGLP’s small but dedicated staff has helped hundreds of properties statewide implement meaningful green initiatives, and has made their program a model for the country.

That’s why I was so saddened to learn that due to drastic budget cuts, the FGLP as we know it will cease to exist on July 1st. According to a recent article in the Orlando Business Journal, the program’s budget of $337,000 was slashed to $63,000, and three of its four staff positions were eliminated.

You read that correctly – one employee and $63,000 to support the current stable of over 500 designated green properties, in addition to handling hundreds more that have filed their applications and are on the waiting list for FGLP approval.

Beginning July 1, initial site visits to determine compliance with program standards will become a thing of the past. Annual recertification will fall by the wayside, too, as will easily accessible expert advice from live DEP staff.

Instead, there will be occasional webinars, an online application process that will allow a property to assert that it has implemented its green initiative – and be approved – sight unseen, and a watered down renewal process.

FGLP’s official web site optimistically calls the changes “program improvements” and attempts to calm fears that the model project will become nothing more than a rubber stamping mechanism that allows undeserving properties to falsely bill themselves as environmentally responsible. In part, the web site states:

Maintaining environmental excellence in the program is of utmost importance to DEP. While the program will now be administered primarily online, it will not be a self-certification program.

I did not add the bold print in the statement above; DEP did. Publicly declaring that the FGLP will not be a self-certification program sounds brave and decisive, but unfortunately it also sounds like wishful thinking.

The stakes are extremely high for hoteliers in Florida, where approximately half of all the state’s visitors (many of whom are eco-conscious travelers) stay in lodging facilities, and where the Governor has mandated that all state-related conferences and meetings be held in certified green lodges whenever possible.

Yes, there’s big money to be made from earning FGLP’s green certification. Since the program has been so skillfully administered thus far, green certification truly meant something in Florida. The properties that earned it had every reason to be proud, and the ones on the waiting list knew they’d have to tow the line to get certified.

There is now a realistic fear that green lodging designation in Florida will be as easy to come by as a bad sunburn.

I understand that times are hard. Every line item in every state’s budget is on the chopping block, so the gutting of FGLP is not a huge surprise. But it is a huge disappointment, and I sincerely hope that Florida will find a way to restore the program to its previous funding levels – and high standards – post-haste.

Has your city’s or state’s green lodging program also taken a funding hit? Tell us about it at info@ecogreenhotel.com.

About EcoGreenHotel
A valuable resource for green hotels, EcoGreenHotel is dedicated to helping lodging facilities address environmental issues and implement environmentally sound initiatives. The company’s online presence at www.EcoGreenHotel.com offers a marketplace for green hotel products and services and provides a one- stop venue for green hospitality industry news, basic environmental overviews and other tools like green hotel checklists, project ideas, book lists, and valuable links designed to promote a more sustainable hospitality industry.

EcoGreenHotel’s green hotel consulting services guide owners, operators and developers through the journey of developing and/or maintaining a sustainable operation or project.

For more information about EcoGreenHotel, please visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com or send an email me Scott Parisi at sparisi@EcoGreenHotel.com.