“Going Green” is a movement that has expanded dramatically in the hotel industry and has gone past just switching to florescent bulbs or implanting a linen reuse program. Today, some hotels are going above and beyond in order to be called “the greenest” hotel.
One of the highest standards these hotels can receive is U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification which is not only the toughest but also the rarest - only 64 hotels are certified in the USA. In order to receive this certification the hotel needs to cover all environmental friendly areas such as energy savings, water efficiency, CO2 emissions reduction, and stewardship of resources.
The Motel 6 Texas Motor Speedway in Northlake, Texas is the very first economy class hotel to receive to LEED certification, which demonstrates going green does not need to cost more! This Motel 6 has everything from thermal solar power units to drought-resistant native plants for their landscape. They even built the motel with local materials and only certified sustainable wood was used in construction! All of this and the room rate is still only $40.00 per night!
The New Wisconsin Hotel teamed up with Pineapple Hospitality and together they are working towards obtaining the highest LEED gold certification. This boutique-hotel just open last spring and is continuing to push towards more eco-friendly advances in order to reduce their carbon footprint. The hotel uses green amenities such as 100% biodegradable key cards and Tommy Bahama refillable bath dispensers, which eliminates the need for little bottles. Another eco-initiative is the use of only healthy and sustainable cleaning products. All rooms have recycling bins and all bills are printed on recycled paper.
These hotels are paving the way for future eco-friendly hotels- proving saving the environment is not only important for generations to come but it can be easy!
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