Green Initiatives: Cost, Achieving ROI Challenge Hotels

June 10, 2008

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The American Hotel & Lodging Association’s Green Assessment Survey results reveal the top 10 green initiatives hotels are enacting, the top 10 green programs hotels can improve upon, motivations and challenges for implementing green lodging practices, and quantifiable measurements of green action being taken around the nation.

The biggest challenges or barriers hoteliers face in implementing green lodging practices:
1. Having enough capital to invest
2. Achieving ROI
3. Ability to find vendors/suppliers offering the products they need
4. Having enough time
5. Limited knowledge/resources
6. Garnering support from government or local organizations
7. Possibility of negative guest reactions

The biggest motivations for implementing green lodging practices:
1. Environmental benefits and building guest loyalty (tie)
2. Financial savings
3. Increasing market share
4. New revenue opportunities
5. Marketing and public relations coverage
6. Preempting government regulations

The top 10 green things hotels are doing well:
1. Offering linen reuse program
2. Recycling paper
3. Using compact fluorescents in guestrooms
4. Using compact fluorescents in public spaces
5. Offering towel reuse program
6. Training maintenance staff on conservation and energy procedures
7. Recycling cardboard
8. Water conserving retrofits for showers
9. Recycling program in administrative areas
10. Tracking energy and water consumption on a monthly basis

The top 10 green things hotels can improve on:
1. Having occupancy sensor controls for the thermostat in guestrooms
2. Recycling food waste
3. Using indoor paints that are low or zero VOC (volatile organic compounds) or Green
Seal Certified
4. Using T8 lamps in corridors
5. Giving preferential treatment to vendors/suppliers who offer recycled products
6. Using daily cleaning chemicals that have a MSDS health rating of “1” or less and/or
Green Seal Certified
7. T8 lamps in back of house
8. Tracking generation of solid waste on a monthly basis
9. Recycling program in guest rooms
10. Recycling program in recreational areas

Green Assessment Survey results were compiled based on 217 responses from AH&LA member hotels.

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