Smart Landscape Watering Systems Reduce Hotel Water Costs while Maintaining a Beautiful and Healthy Landscape

Summer is here and most green hotels have geared up to make sure their lawn and landscape stays green and beautiful for the enjoyment of guests and improved occupancy rates. As you start switching on those irrigation systems, now is a good time to think about controlling utility costs and being environmentally friendly.

Over watering of lawns and landscapes is the most common cause of water waste. It not only runs up the utility bills, but also can cause other problems including:

• Plant diseases such as root rot
• Run-off from your lawn and landscape, which may contribute to the pollution of streams and lakes (because lawn care chemicals go along with it)
• More frequent mowing and pruning from rapid plant growth
• Excessive “green waste,” which has become a costly waste disposal problem for cities and counties

How can a hotel use water efficiently with an irrigation system?

Recent innovative technologies can now help green hotel operators reduce wasted water and decrease utility expenses. A weather based watering technology, SmartLine, has proven to be an economical choice for green hotels of any size.

How Does it Work?

Stated simply, it’s like a thermostat for the landscape.  The Weathermatic SmartLine System replaces the existing sprinkler timers that operate like the old egg timer.  The SmartLine System uses weather readings from a small, on-property weather station to automatically calculate precise run times for the plants in each zone. It uses the sprinkler precipitation rates, soil type, and slope to apply water in run and soak cycles at a rate the soil can accept.  This technology also eliminates the need to have lawn maintenance crews manually adjusting controllers to match the ever-changing weather conditions.

Real Dollar and Water Savings

With over 200,000 installations in 80 countries, SmartLine water savings range from 20 to over 60% and wasteful irrigation runoff is virtually eliminated.  This high efficiency system results in a return on investment of typically 12 months or less.

You Only Know What You Measure

Another helpful feature is the SmartLine Water Management Service that includes access to monthly reporting detailing site-specific water savings and performance compared to water usage goals considering the actual weather conditions. This could come in very handy not only as a monitoring device, but to verify the entire irrigation system is working properly.

For more information, visit EcoGreenHotel Store or email us at [email protected]

About EcoGreenHotel

EcoGreenHotel LLC is a privately held company, dedicated to help lodging facilities address the broad spectrum of sustainability issues. The company provides information, tools, checklists, current news and trends to the hospitality through its website, www.EcoGreenHotel.com. In 2009, the company launched an online marketplace for green products and services at www.EcoGreenHotelStore.com. In addition to the online offerings, EcoGreenHotel provides customized consulting services in the areas of energy efficiency and certifications (LEED, Green Seal and Energy Star), tailored to the needs of the hospitality industry. For those properties that have reached certified levels of sustainability, EcoGreenHotel assists with marketing services to position the properties within the growing “green” space and enhance revenue. For further information email [email protected] or call 888.229.0213.

###

It seems as if you can’t turn around anymore without running into something “green.”  Nowhere is that more true than in lodging.  Green hotels – or at least, those calling themselves green – are sprouting up everywhere, and travelers are becoming increasingly more aware of what to look for and how to judge whether or not a green hotel actually is… well, green!

You want your guests to know without a doubt that there’s no green-washing happening at your green hotel.  I’ve put together a green hotel checklist so you can see how your property stacks up.  Does your property have:

Staff Buy-In and Ongoing Education: In a truly green hotel, everyone – from the front desk staff to the owner and everyone in between – fully understands, supports, practices and can communicate the property’s environmental policies.

A Working (and funded!) Energy Strategy: Today’s green hotels go beyond just changing a few light bulbs and implementing a linen reuse policy.  They analyze their energy efficiency – including conducting Energy Star benchmarking –  and then seek out and apply for incentives, rebates and loans that allow them to make meaningful changes in their consumption.

Green Purchasing Plan: From locally-grown organic produce for its banquet salads to environmentally sensitive cleaning products and furnishings, green hotels know where and how to source the most cost-effective earth-friendly products.

Green Hotel Certification: A green hotel designation from a certifying body that does on-site audits assures your guests that your property has met rigorous environmental standards.

Specialized Marketing: Green hotels recognize that expertly targeted internet marketing is vital to their ongoing success in an increasingly competitive industry.

So how does your property stack up?  I know it seems daunting to meet all those requirements, to track down trustworthy, LEED-Accredited Professional advisors, find rebates and incentives, train everybody, and still manage to run a lodging facility… who has time for that?

That’s why I created EcoGreenHotel to be a one-stop shop.  We have trainers, engineers, financial advisors, purchasing and marketing specialists, thousands of quality green products and a certification program to meet the needs of every type and size of lodging facility at all stages in the green hotel process. We are LEED-Accredited Professionals specializing in energy efficiency.  We can help your property achieve all of the above in the most cost-effective way possible, and we can start today.

About EcoGreenHotel

EcoGreenHotel is a company dedicated to helping lodging facilities address energy and environmental solutions. Sustainability services are strategically designed to help hotels identify incentives, rebates, and grants to allocate toward energy efficient solutions to decrease energy costs and achieve the Triple Bottom Line. EcoGreenHotel also offers Energy Star Benchmarking and Energy Efficiency Analysis. For further information visit www.EcoGreenHotel.com or call 888.229.0213.

A new report by the non-profit research organization Center for Responsible Travel (formerly Travel Center on Ecotourism and Sustainable Development) found that responsible tourism has withstood the global recession better than the tourism industry as a whole. Perhaps that’s one reason many hotels are eagerly embracing Earth Day (though we’d like to think that a growing commitment to sustainable practices plays a role).

Celebrate April 22^nd – and help raise awareness about environmental concerns with your green hotel guests and community – by hosting one of the following top ten ideas.

Start a Community Garden

With just a little bit of space, raw material, and effort, a community garden within your green hotel’s landscape serves many purposes. It can get guests and the community actively involved in an eco-related activity; produce fresh fruits and vegetables for your restaurant/kitchen or beautiful flowers for scenery. It also helps bring the community closer together at your hotel! It will definitely leave an impression.

Serve Sustainable Food

If you have a restaurant at your green hotel, allow your Chefs to serve sustainable entrees. When the bill comes, diners can donate $1 to a non-profit charitable eco-friendly organization like the National Geographic Society.

“Go Green, Save Green” Package

Offer guests a custom green stay package, which can include room discount, favorable hybrid parking spot, and percent off on organic products and services at your gift shop, spa, restaurant, or bar.

Change the Lights

Being a “green” hotel starts with the basics. Make sure all the lights in the hotel are eco-friendly to help conserve energy. Compact fluorescent light bulbs, halogen light bulbs and LEDs are all good choices.

Earth Day Green Project

Enlist your guests and employees to take part in a community restoration, clean-up or any other environmentally friendly project (even if it’s simply planting trees). Afterwards, they can take advantage of discounts at your bar, restaurant, or on eco-minded spa services.

Replace Disposables

May of the items hotel guests and employees use every day can be improved to be reusable and reduce waste. Replace your drinking cups with these compostable World Art hot & cold cups, or how about a refillable water bottle, for starters.

Join a Resource Pledge

Make a pact (or policy) with your employees, guests and others, locally or on a national scale, to help conserve resources. Involve your guests by inviting them to participate in a “Take a short shower” program (give out branded shower timers that guest can take home and use) or “Turn all lights off during daylight hours” or simply purchase recycled paper only from now on; etc.

Attend a Rally

Sheer force of numbers helps to raise awareness about environmental issues. Show your community and guests your commitment to being a green hotel. Be a face in the crowd at a local rally to help tip the scale in favor of eco-friendliness. You can enlist employees and guests to attend. Gather for pre-rally fun and shuttle everyone to the event! Your hotel’s good stewardship will definitely recognized.

Hybrid Parking & Bike Rentals

Offer complimentary, special spot, parking for hybrid vehicles and offer free or discounted bike rentals to guests to explore your city. Don’t forget the bike rack!

Hold a “Green” Wine & Food Event

Celebrate the day with local wineries, restaurants, farms and locally sourced products. You can offer a special Sustainable Wine & Food lunch or dinner to your guests and community or go all out and have a festival right at your green hotel. Either way, you’ll definitely make the local newspaper (make sure you let them know in advance).

About EcoGreenHotel

EcoGreenHotel is dedicated to helping lodging facilities address environmental issues and achieve the Triple Bottom Line. EcoGreenHotel.com is also a great resource for tools, checklists, current news and trends, as well as a marketplace for green products and services at EcoGreenHotelStore.com. EcoGreenHotel also offers green marketing services for existing green hotels.

For more information visit at : http://www.ecogreenhotel.com

###

Eco-Efficiency, also generally termed “green,” is based on the concept of creating more goods and services while using fewer resources and creating less waste and pollution. In other words, it means doing more with less. So what does this have to do with your bottom line? It helps hotels provide better service while using fewer resources. Thereby, reducing the materials and energy intensity of goods and services lowers the hotel’s ecological impact AND improves the bottom line. It’s a key driver for overall business performance.

Triple bottom line, sometimes called the TBL or 3P approach – People, Planet and Profits, requires thinking in three dimensions, not one.  It takes into account ecological and societal performance in addition to financial.

Today, quantifiable environmental impacts include consumption of finite resources, energy usage, water quality and availability, and pollution emitted. Social impacts include community health, employee and guest safety, education quality and diversity.

Why should you consider adapting such an approach?

For one, diverse businesses are learning the benefits of corporate sustainability. Take for example well-known companies such as Starbucks, Wal-Mart, Staples, Bank of America, GE, Home Depot, Anheuser-Busch, Honda, and Dell. It’s simple, factoring these impacts into their overall balance sheets will make these companies more successful because it delivers greater efficiency, makes them more competitive and sparks innovation – all drivers of profitability.

Need even more reasons? A study by A.T. Kearney, Inc, found that in 16 of the 18 industries studied, companies committed to sustainability outperformed industry averages by 15% over the six months from May through November 2008.

“Our study indicates that the market rewards specific companies,” said Dr. Daniel Mahler, author of the study. “We find common characteristics among the leading companies that show that sustainability goes far beyond the narrow definition of being environmentally friendly.”

At the end of the day, in plain English, eco-efficiency equals cost savings that translates directly to the bottom line. Intuitively, doesn’t it just make sense?

Ways to Become Eco-Efficient?

Transforming your hotel to be “green” doesn’t have to be at the expense of financial objectives – rather sustainable businesses are becoming more efficient, more innovative, more connected, more profitable, and more competitive.

However, just like all things, businesses go through phases. The best would be to consult a professional who understands the hospitality industry and sustainable solutions. It’s very easy to find solutions, but does it make sense for your hotel – that is the key factor.

To start, the following points should be incorporated into your hotel’s business strategy – as many are already forced to do given the dizzying energy costs. Let’s try to be proactive by:

• Reducing energy usage
• Enhancing recycling possibilities and options of all materials used
• Utilizing new technology to reduce energy and water consumption
• Recycling more and reducing toxic chemical use
• Maximizing use of renewable and recycled resources
• Purchasing environmentally friendly products, especially for housekeeping

You should also benchmark your hotel to determine your current situation. I have noticed many hotels striving for an Energy Star Certification and, on the flip side, guests seeking hotels that demonstrate green initiatives through certification. This program allows hotels to quantify and track energy and water usage and savings over time.

Wouldn’t you love to cut your energy bills 5-20% immediately? Next phase is to analyze your current situation and identify areas that yield tremendous savings in a short period of time. Our team at EcoGreenHotel offers an entire energy-efficiency package that does just that and more.

Bottom line of eco-efficiency is: completely integrate it into your business strategy – before natural resource prices sky-rocket. I believe the triple bottom line thinking and sustainability are unavoidable.

Media Contact:
Scott Parisi
EcoGreenHotel.com
[email protected]
(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 [email protected]
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 [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Scott Parisi
EcoGreenHotel.com
[email protected]
(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.
###

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:
Scott Parisi
EcoGreenHotel.com
[email protected]
(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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Media Contact:

Scott Parisi

EcoGreenHotel.com

[email protected]

(888)229-0213 Ext.801

Intelity’s ICE – the world’s most advanced in-room virtual concierge and back end monitoring system!

Want to offer your guests an impressive and easy way to check out, access valet and room service, and make spa or restaurant reservations, all from a sleek touch screen installed in their guest rooms?

Would you like to be able to track and measure all of your hotel’s activities, modify prices at a moment’s notice, earn some advertising revenue and send real time, property-wide messages to guests and staff – all with the push of a button?

Meet the Interactive Customer Experience Solution, also known as ICE. ICE was developed by Intelity, an interactive hospitality technology company based in Orlando, Florida. Since its launch in late 2008, the system has garnered a lot of attention for its cutting edge tech and ease of use. ICE’s components are provided by Dell, Adobe, Microsoft and standard open-source providers, making it possible for in-house IT staff to handle the system.

In addition to the cool touch screen, guests can access the multi-lingual system from their PDA or laptop. A virtual concierge guides them through a menu of choices. Real time weather, flight and attraction information can also be accessed. Non-invasive advertising can be incorporated, as well as video messages from the company president, general manager, owners, brides and grooms, meeting planners… the options are endless!

ICE provides real time interfacing between property management, food and beverage, valet, event planning, spa or golf – you can link it all. The system routes guest and service requests to appropriate staff through a handheld device, tracks response time and completion and creates graphs and charts for analysis.

For more information about Intelity’s ICE, visit www.intelityice.com or contact Shawn Dagon, Director of Business Development at Intelity, at 407-965-2205 or 407-267-8711.

Do you know about a green hotel product that deserves kudos, too? Send a message to [email protected] and tell us about it. We may feature it in a future edition of our newsletter or on our web site, www.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 to Scott Parisi at sparisi@EcoGreenHotel.co[email protected].

###