Luxury Hotels and Resorts Act to Save the Environment with Eco-Friendly Hospitality (United States)
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Luxury Hotels and Resorts Act to Save the Environment with Eco-Friendly Hospitality (United States)
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Category: North America & West Indies / Carribean islands - United States - Industry economy
- Trends / Expert's advice
This is a press release selected by our editorial committee and published online for free on 2008-04-18
FOR EARTH DAY COVERAGE
According to the International
Ecotourism Society, more than two-thirds of U.S. travelers consider "active
protection of the environment, including support of local communities," to
be part of a hotel's responsibility, while 70% would pay a premium to stay
at a hotel with "a responsible environmental attitude." With such consumer
passions as their guide, luxury hotels and resorts are going green with
programs and amenities that help protect the globe.
Here are examples of what the hospitality industry is doing to reduce
their impact.
Hyatt Key West Resort and Spa has just become the FIRST "Green
Certified" resort in Key West by the Florida Green Lodging Program, and has
received "1 Palm" status. To achieve this designation, Hyatt Key West
represents best management practices of water conservation, energy
efficiency, and clean air. They also formed a "Green Team" and operate in
compliance with all applicable environmental laws and regulations. The
hotel's new Jala Spa, part of their resort-wide redesign, was a major
aspect in the hotel's certification; designed with all-natural products,
the Spa donates $5 to the Reef Relief Organization with each Signature
"Jala Blue" treatment purchased.
Badrutt's Palace Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland, is reducing its
carbon dioxide emissions by 1,000 tons per year thanks to an innovative
heat pump system. The ecologically sensitive heat pump is a cooperative
effort between Badrutt's Palace Hotel and Zurich's "EWZ" power station.
Water from Lake St. Moritz serves as the heat source for the hotel's heat
pump system as well as that of a neighboring school, but the heat pump has
no negative effect on the lake's flora and fauna. With the new
energy-efficient heat pump, Badrutt's Palace Hotel saves 400,000 liters of
heating oil per season -- a reduction of 80% annually over the previous
heating system.
South Africa intends to hold the greenest World Cup ever, and to set a
precedent for future events in terms of low-environmental impact and a
positive social and economic legacy. This is the aim of Green Goal 2010, a
joint business plan of the Western Cape Government and the City of Cape
Town. Green Goal 2010 will involve assuring that the World Cup's impact on
the environment is minimized, permanent infrastructure for the event leaves
a positive legacy, and offsetting occurs through suitable carbon-savings
projects around the country.
In a city that is growing exponentially, The Grand Hyatt Dubai is
committed to growing responsibly. The hotel has converted its diesel
oil-fired water heating system to an eco-friendly solar paneled system to
reduce its own carbon emissions. The solar panels produce up to one
kilowatt of energy per hour and the plant as a whole will produce 800 to
1,000 kilowatts of energy per hour. The entire project is projected to pay
for itself in three years. In addition to installing the panels, the hotel
has made a concerted effort to minimize water usage and has already cut
their consumption by 120,000 gallons a day.
Jumby Bay, A Rosewood Resort, a private island off the coast of Antigua
is taking strides to becoming a completely eco-friendly private island.
With no cars, Jumby Bay's guests navigate the lush landscape on colorful
Calloi Bicycles. Jumby Bay is also home to the Hawksbill Turtle
Preservation Program, the longest-running privately funded project of this
kind, focused on the scientific study of the survival and recovery of
Hawksbill Turtles. In addition to the island's renowned preservation
program, including solar water heating systems and water purifying for
plant irrigation, Jumby Bay has a redesigned power station to minimize fuel
consumption, and the recycling of bottles, cans, and golf cart batteries.
Can Mongolia, Bhutan and Tibet benefit from an ecologically based and
sustainable approach to tourism? Nomadic Expeditions thinks so. The
pioneering purveyor of authentic cultural travel goes out of its way to
minimize the impact on the environment it explores, to promote awareness of
conservation and sustainable tourism, and to provide ongoing training for
guides and drivers so that trip participants can receive the latest
environmental information. Through arrangements with local farmers, Nomadic
Expeditions' Three Camel Lodge in the Gobi Desert
(http://www.threecamellodge.com) was forged through a cooperative agreement
with local authorities for sustainable development and conservation. The
property utilizes renewable energy resources, including solar and wind
power. http://www.nomadicexpeditions.com
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