More hotels are going green, and not just to save water or money

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“With California in the worst drought in state history, some hotels have gone beyond simply installing low-flow shower heads and urging guests to reuse towels,” reports the LA Times.

The goal is not just to save water or money. It’s about creating an eco-friendly image to appeal to environmentally minded guests.


In the hotel industry, being green sometimes means ripping out the greenery.

The Intercontinental Los Angeles Century City Hotel is removing draping ivy plants from the balconies of all 361 rooms, replacing them with drought-tolerant succulents.

The Courtyard by Marriott in Torrance tore out 900 square feet of turf and flower beds, swapping them for native California grass to help cut water use by 15%.

With California in the worst drought in state history, some hotels have gone beyond simply installing low-flow shower heads and urging guests to reuse towels. The goal is not just to save water or money. It's about creating an eco-friendly image to appeal to environmentally minded guests.

"It's not a huge savings," Steve Choe, general manager of the Intercontinental, said about dumping the ivy planters. "I think it's about sending the right message."

Nearly 60% of travelers say they plan to make eco-friendly choices when booking hotels, with half saying they would pay extra to stay at an environmentally friendly hotel, according to a 2012 survey by the travel website TripAdvisor.

An Earth-friendly image is also important because many corporate travel managers insist that their workers stay at hotels that do their part to improve

The percentage of companies with travel booking policies that either require or recommend that a hotel adopt "sustainability" measures has jumped to 19% in the U.S., up from 11% in 2011, according to a new study by the Global Business Travel Assn., the trade group for the world's business travel managers.

"The best thing hotels can do is say 'look at what we are doing'" to help the environment, said Patricia Griffin, founder of the Green Hotels Assn., a Houston-based group that promotes green policies for hotels.

No government agency keeps track of how many hotels have adopted water-saving measures. Still, Griffin and other water experts say low-flow shower heads and other in-room measures are common in hotels because local utilities and government agencies offer rebates for water-saving equipment.

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The Intercontinental Los Angeles Century City Hotel is removing draping ivy plants from the balconies of all 361 rooms, replacing them with drought-tolerant succulents. “It’s not a huge savings,” Steve Choe, the hotel's general manager, said about dumping the ivy. “I... (Bob Chamberlin / Los Angele

Bathrooms are the biggest drain, accounting for about 30% of hotel water use, followed by landscaping and laundry, each with 16%, and kitchens with 14%, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Typical water-saving measures can reduce operating costs at hotels by as much 11%, the EPA estimates.

For even greater water savings — and to promote an eco-friendly image — some hotels are getting creative.

The Bacara Resort & Spa in Santa Barbara drained its decorative fountains and planted succulents and agave plants in a large fountain near the entrance.

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-f...114-story.html


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