Green lodging — efficiency pays off
By Green Lodging News
Approximately 80 people, including exhibitors and speakers, attended the first day of the West Coast Green Lodging Conference at the Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe Hotel & Ski Resort. Conference activities included a keynote presentation by Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News, as well as presentations by the following: Randy Gaines, vice president of engineering for Hilton Worldwide; David Hansen, chief engineer, Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe—Hotel & Ski Resort; and Gary Golla, LEED AP, Sera Architects, Inc.
In his presentation, “The ‘Green’ State of the Lodging Industry,” Hasek elaborated on the 10 trends he sees driving the growth of green lodging. These trends include: concern about climate change, rising operational costs, government regulation, chain mandates and policies, consumer demand, increasing interest in certification, corporate and government travel demand (green meetings), industry peer pressure and the drive for marketing advantage, innovations (new products, materials, technologies, and design and building techniques), and leaders inspired to reduce waste, conserve resources and push the envelope when it comes to green building design and operations—all while remaining focused on the bottom line.
“Proof of the lodging industry’s commitment to do its part to address climate change is the many systems rolled out to measure environmental impact,” Hasek said, citing Hilton Worldwide’s LightStay program and the InterContinental Hotels Group’s Green Engage.