10 Unique Ways Hotels Are Getting Greener

July 9, 2019

We’ve reported a lot recently on green convention centers, from LEED status to sustainability efforts in 2019. However, let’s not forget hotels, which are also doing their part to make meetings and conferences more eco-friendly. Take a look at some of the latest initiatives from hotels across North America and beyond.

The Setai, Miami Beach in Florida has partnered with Danish water company Iskilde to introduce completely compostable plant-based water bottles for guests. The hotel is the first in the U.S. to pioneer this product.Atlantis

 

Demonstrating its commitment to protecting the natural forest around its grounds, Chewton Glen Hotel & Spa in the U.K. has launched a new project to help increase the population of owls at the hotel by building new owl nesting boxes.

Down in the Bahamas, Atlantis, Paradise Island has become a leader in water and wildlife protection. Through its extensive Blue Project Foundation, it funds coral reef research and restoration, as well as marine mammal rehabilitation and releases. Groups can easily incorporate sustainability initiatives through BPF while meeting at the resort.

You might not think of happy hour as a means to promote sustainability, but Freehand Hotels (located in Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York) have found a way to do exactly that. In each of the four properties, the Broken Shaker bar incorporates a zero-waste cocktail concept by using compostable straws, biodegradable garnishes and environmentally safe materials for packaging.

At Hotel Drisco in San Francisco, housekeeping staff employes an ultragreen technique for cleaning guest rooms that uses water instead of chemicals. It sounds strange, but it really works: The Lotus Pro Cleaning System converts plain tap water into an all-natural, commercial-grade cleaner that’s infused with ozone. 

1 Hotel

1 Hotel South Beach in Florida is driving home eco-friendly ethos by having Tesla S Electric cars as its house vehicles, which are available for complimentary use by guests within a 3-mile radius of the property. Guest rooms here also feature unique hemp blend-filled mattresses topped with hypoallergenic organic linens.

Think casinos can’t be sustainable? Think again. Harrah’s Resort Southern California was the first Southern California casino to go solar, and it went big: It has more than 4,000 solar panels across 5.5 acres. It uses solar energy to heat its large pool and guest room showers, and the panels have saved roughly $300,000 in energy costs annually, too.

The Palms Hotel & Spa in Miami employs many green programs, including hosting quarterly beach cleanups, and even has an in-house Green Team. In addition, even the chairs you use for meetings here are sustainable: More than 65 percent of the furniture at the property has been made from recycled or rapidly renewable materials, or was locally produced. 

In Nashville, The Hermitage Hotel has a long-standing partnership with Land Trust For Tennessee and makes regular donations to the organization, which supports land conservation and historic preservation. In addition, the hotel has its own garden on the Land Trust’s Glen Leven Farm, where it grows vegetables and fruits for use in seasonal dishes at the hotel’s Capitol Grille restaurant.

Puntacana

Puntacana Resort & Club in the Dominican Republic is dedicated to sustainability, and one way it demonstrates this is through operating Ojos Indigenas Ecological Reserve. Groups can tour and volunteer in this protected 1,500-acre area of lowland subtropical forest, which includes a bird-watching tower for the preservation of the endangered Ridgway’s Hawk.

 

What other unusual ways have you seen hotels implementing green programs? Share with us on Twitter, @tsnn_com_us.

 

 

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Partner Voices
Less than six months ago, Lisa Messina joined the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) as the first-ever chief sales officer after leading the sales team at Caesars Entertainment. A 12-year Las Vegas resident, Messina is a graduate of Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and serves on MPI International’s board of directors. TSNN had a chance to catch up with this dynamic leader and talk to her about her vision for the new role, current shifts in the trade show industry, creating more diversity and equity within the organization, and advice to future female leaders. Lisa Messina, Chief Sales Officer, LVCVA With Las Vegas becoming The Greatest Arena on EarthTM, what are some of the things you’re most excited about in your role? Our team was at The Big Game’s handoff ceremony earlier this month, and I couldn’t help but think, “We’re going to crush it next year!”  These high-profile events and venues not only drive excitement, but also provide unmatched opportunities for event planners. Allegiant Stadium hosts events from 10 to 65,000 people and offers on-field experiences. Formula 1 Grand Prix will take place in Las Vegas in November, after the year-one F1 race, the four-story paddock building will be available for buyouts and will also offer daily ride-along experiences that will be available for groups. And, of course, the MSG Sphere officially announced that it will open in September, ahead of schedule, with a U2 residency. It’s going to be the most technologically advanced venue as far as lighting, sound, feel, and even scent, and it will be available for buyouts and next-level sponsorships inside and outside. There’s no ceiling to what you can do when you’re doing events in Las Vegas.  Allegiant Stadium As the trade show and convention business returns to the pre-pandemic levels, what shifts are you noticing and how do you think they will impact the industry going forward? Our trade show organizers are very focused on driving customer experience. Most of our organizers are reporting stronger exhibitor numbers and increased numbers of new exhibitors, with trade shows proving to be almost or above 2019 levels. Now our organizers are really doubling down on driving attendance and focusing on the data to provide that individualized, customized experience to help attendees meet their goals and get the best value. Some companies continue to be cautiously optimistic with their organizational spend when it comes to sending attendees, but I think it will continue to improve. As the U.S. Travel Association makes more progress on the U.S. visa situation, we also expect a growing influx of international attendees. What are some innovative ways the LVCVA helps trade show and convention organizers deliver the most value for their events? We focus on customer experience in the same way that trade show organizers are thinking about it. We got rave reviews with the West Hall Expansion of the Las Vegas Convention Center (LVCC), so over the next two years, we will be renovating the North and the Central halls, which will include not just the same look and feel, but also the digital experiences that can be leveraged for branding and sponsorship opportunities.  Vegas Loop, the underground transportation system designed by The Boring Company, is also a way we have enhanced the customer experience. Vegas Loop at the LVCC has transported more than 900,000 convention attendees across the campus since its 2021 launch. Last summer, Resorts World and The Boring Company opened the first resort stop at the Resorts World Las Vegas , with plans to expand throughout the resort corridor, including downtown Las Vegas, Allegiant Stadium and Harry Reid International Airport. The LVCVA also purchased the Las Vegas Monorail in 2020, the 3.9-mile-long elevated transportation system that connects eight resorts directly to the convention center campus. This is the only rail system in the world that integrates fares directly into show badges and registration. For trade show organizers, these transportation options mean saving time, money and effort when it comes to moving groups from the hotels to LVCC and around the city. Also, the more we can focus on building the infrastructure around the convention center, the more it supports the customer experience and ultimately supports our trade show organizers. Scheduled to debut in Q4, Fontainebleau Las Vegas will offer 3,700 hotel rooms and 550,000 square feet of meeting and convention space next to LVCC.  What are some of the plans for advancing DEI (diversity, equity and inclusion) within your organization? We’re currently partnering with instead of working with a leading consulting firm, to lay the foundation and create a solid DEI plan and be the leader when it comes to DEI initiatives. The heart of that journey with the consulting firm is also talking to our customers about their strategic approaches to DEI and driving innovation in this space.  What are your favorite ways to recharge? My husband and I have an RV and we’re outdoorsy people. So, while we have over 150,000 world-class hotel rooms and renowned restaurants right outside our doorstep, one of my favorite things to do is get out to Red Rock Canyon, the Valley of Fire, and Lake Mead. Five of the top national parks are within a three-hour drive from Las Vegas, so there’s a lot you can do. We love balancing the energy of Las Vegas with nature, and we’re noticing that a lot of attendees add activities off the Strip when they come here.  Valley of Fire What advice would you give to women following leadership paths in destination marketing? I think it’s about being laser-focused on what you want to accomplish; building a team around you that lifts you and helps you achieve your goals; and being humble and realizing that you do it as a group. No one gets this done alone. Thankfully, there are a lot of women in leadership in this organization, in our customers’ organizations, and in this city that we can be really proud of. We’re a formidable force that is making things happen.   This interview has been edited and condensed. This article is exclusively sponsored by the Las Vegas Convention & Visitors Authority. For more information, visit HERE.