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Hello Everyone!
With the fires raging in California, lights being turned
off in large cities, and with Al Gore receiving the Nobel
Peace Prize, it has made us sit back and think more
about the environment. With that in mind, we are
dedicating this newsletter to "going green" and we
hope that it provides you with some inspiration. We
encourage your feedback and other green tips that we
can pass along to others!
Have a lovely green day from all of us at
Quantum Hospitality Group
| Green Lodging Program |
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While searching the web for interesting resources for
going green, we came upon a program developed by
the Florida Department of Environmental Protection. It
is called "The Florida Green Lodging Program". This
program was developed to encourage the lodging
industry to conserve and protect Florida's natural
resources. However, a program like this can be
incorporated everywhere. We have
attached a link to their website as it demonstrates
how you can strive to be "green" in all aspects of Inn
operations. This is a great resource!
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| TripAdvisor Green Survey |
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TripAdvisor recently surveyed 1,000
members to get their feedback on "Green Travel".
Here is a summary of their findings:
Nearly 40% of travelers surveyed said they
are
concerned about the environment.
38% of those surveyed said they have
stayed at an environmentally-friendly lodging
facility
9% of respondents specifically search for
environmentally-
conscious lodging.
78% of travelers surveyed said they
choose not to have their sheets and towels changed,
when given the option.
34% of travelers surveyed would pay
more to stay at an environmentally-friendly lodging
facility.
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| Green Weekend Getaway |
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How can we market a "Green Weekend"? We had
some fun here. The Green Weekend could start with
a package that includes a bottle of organic wine,
followed with a candle light dinner for two (no
overhead lights now!). Included on the menu would
be creations from the kitchen featuring locally grown,
organic products. Upon return to their room, guests
would find a special turndown service with amenities
which are green friendly in biodegradable packaging.
After a restful evening, the guests would awake the
next day and of course, enjoy organic eggs at their
finest! Later in the morning they would have green
activities available to them, including hiking, biking,
cross-country skiing, nature walks, and kayaking
(weather permitting, of course!). After a morning of
activities, they would then return to the Inn for a
relaxing hot stone massage with organic oils. This is
a niche marketing opportunity that is sure to have you
and your guests seeing green!
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| Green Advice from a Fellow Innkeeper |
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We always welcome advice from current Innkeepers
regarding Innkeeping. We received the following
advice from Pam Matthews, the Innkeeper of the
Montgomery Inn Bed & Breakfast located in
Versailles,
Kentucky. Thanks for sharing Pam!
We have 10 suites at the Montgomery--we're
finding it
to be a challenge as first time innkeepers, although a
welcome one. But now that we're here we have
strategically set out to change as many light bulbs to
the energy efficient coil style as possible. Oh, stop
cringing, we still use the pretty ones where it counts,
but when they are destined to be left on 24/7 and
covered by a shade, we found that our average suite
has 15-17 bulbs, and that each bulb is supposed to
save around $50, not to mention they last much
longer and have virtually ended our having to drop
everything when a bulb goes out to go and change it.
We changed over 150 lightbulbs in the first 3 weeks of
business, so just the inconvenience was enough to
make us "change our ways". The monetary savings
was evident on the next electric bill. $50 x 300
lightbulbs (we use them in the common areas, too) is
$15,000 over the next 5 years (life of bulb). Yes,
indeed, we saw a $250/reduction in just one month's
electric bill. Plus, it's good for the environment. I
thought about baking cookies and pretty bedding, I
didn't think about lightbulbs.
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| Ecological Products for the Inn |
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Pineapple
Hospitality offers a variety of environmentally
friendly products including
amenities. We
especially like the key cards that limit the energy used
when guests are not in their rooms. They remind us
of products used in Europe!
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Newsletter written by Rebecca Levitan and Kim
Averill-Demeny
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The Inn Goes Green |
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We are seeing this trend everywhere, and now it's
time to take it to the Inn. Is "Going Green" for you
and your Inn? The first thing that we think of when we
think of making the Inn green is giving guests the
option to not have their towels changed. In reality it
goes much
further than this. We are talking about organic locally
grown food,
biodegradable cleaning products, marketing to
guests
who want to be green, enjoying nature, recycling,
energy efficient light bulbs, and so much more. We
started our investigation and were surprised by the
facts that we discovered.
The hospitality industry spends approximately $3.7
billion
each year on energy, much of it going to waste, as
stated by the American Hotel and Lodging Association
(AHLA). According to data from GreenTreks Network,
Inc., a distributor of environmental education, compact
fluorescent bulbs use 75 percent less energy and last
10 times longer than incandescent bulbs. Not
replacing towels and linens each day saves 13.5
gallons of water daily. These facts in themselves are
amazing! Let's think green!
If you have any Green tips you would like to share with
us, please comment on our blog. We look forward to
your comments!
Comment on our blog...
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