The 40-40-40 Club

April 22, 2010 - Forty years ago, on April 22, 1970, the United States first celebrated Earth Day. While seeds of environmental awareness had been growing, this event for the first time brought together groups that had been fighting against deforestation, oil spills, polluting factories, toxic dumps, pesticides, and the extinction of wildlife; speaking in one voice to raise awareness of the importance of protecting our precious planet.

Coincidentally, 40 years ago also marked Ray Burger’s first foray into the lodging and hospitality industry. When he was 15, his parents owned the State Hotel, The Seville Hotel and leased/operated the Missouri Hotel in Springfield, Mo. Burger cut his teeth in the industry pulling shifts as a desk clerk and elevator operator, and even mopped the floors at the State Hotel on Saturday mornings.

“In the early 1970s, we didn’t think a whole lot about the impact that our hotels had on the environment,” says Burger, President of Pineapple Hospitality, the Premier Provider of Green Products & Marketing Programs for Hospitality. “Most of the hotels back then already had been open nearly 40 years, and were operating with plenty of deferred maintenance.  The rates at the State Hotel were $2.50 a night for a single and $4 for a double. It wasn’t exactly what you’d consider luxury.”

“The First Earth Day, 40 years ago, was during my sophomore year in high school,” Burger adds.
“I remember it was a pretty big deal and we learned how to tie-dye in chemistry class. I’m still not exactly sure what that has to do with chemistry or Earth Day, but I became pretty good at tie dying
T-shirts on the kitchen stove.

“But I do know that green practices and products today touch almost every aspect of our work and personal lives,” Burger adds. “Today, Earth Day is celebrated throughout the world and recognized by billions of people.

Burger didn’t know it at the time, but his growth in lodging would be closely tied (pun intended) to the environment. He became an expert in all things green and eventually founded Pineapple Hospitality, FreshStay.com and EcoRooms & EcoSuites. And now Burger is adding a 4^th leg (in his 40^th year) to his green business stool.

In celebration of 40 years of Earth Day and 40 years in the hospitality industry, it’s fitting that today Burger announces the launch of Pineapple Hospitality’s GreenerHotels.com.

Going live this summer, GreenerHotels.com will feature the Greenest Hotels in The World as charter members. In the United States, hotels will have to be Certified and Audited by at least one of the following entities to be included:

U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) — LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certified (www.usgbc.org);

Green Seal; (www.greenseal.org)

Green Globe (www.greenglobe.com);

Green Key (www.greenkeyglobal.com);

Green Leaf (www.greenleaf.auduboninternational.org); and

EcoRooms & EcoSuites (www.ecorooms.com). 

In other parts of the world, GreenerHotels.com will use the most-credible certification programs available to assure travelers of the green credentials of each property listed on the Web site.  

GreenerHotels.com Listings

Every member of GreenerHotels.com has a reputation and record of environmental distinction. Burger or the auditors for EcoRooms & EcoSuites have personally visited more than 25 of the properties and can vouch for their excellence. The hotels were chosen, not only for their adherence to certification guidelines, but for their record of innovation, and for pushing the entire hospitality industry toward a greener future.

The GreenerHotels.com properties cover the U.S. from Coast to Coast. . Guests interested in sustainable travel will be able to search out the greenest hotels all in one place, and book directly from the Web site.

The 40 charter members of GreenerHotels.com include:

California

1. Gaia Napa Valley – American Canyon, CA
2. The Ambrose – Santa Monica, CA
3. Orchard Garden Hotel – San Francisco, CA
4. Gaia Anderson – Anderson, CA
5. Hotel Triton – San Francisco, CA
6. Radisson Los Angeles Airport Hotel – Los Angeles, CA
7. The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa – Sonoma, CA
8. The Bardessono – Yountville, CA
9. The Westin Bonaventure Hotel and Suites – Los Angeles, CA

Connecticut

10.   The Saybrook Point Inn & Spa

Florida

11.  Sandpearl Resort – Clearwater Beach, FL

Mississippi

12. Embassy Suites Jackson – North/Ridgeland, MS

Georgia

13. Crowne Plaza Ravinia – Atlanta, GA

Illinois

14. Hampton Inn & Suites Chicago Southland – Matteson, IL

15. Intercontinental Hotel Chicago

16. Hotel Monaco Chicago

Tennessee

17.  The Hutton Hotel – Nashville, TN

Maine

18. Inn by the Sea – Cape Elizabeth, ME

Massachusetts

19. Seaport Hotel – Boston, MA

20. Lenox Hotel – Boston, MA

21. Comfort Inn & Suites Boston Airport – Revere, MA

22. Element Lexington – Lexington, MA

23. Nine Zero Hotel – Boston

Missouri

24. The Q Hotel – Kansas City, MO

Nevada

25. The Palazzo - Las Vegas

26. ARIA Resort’s Hotel Tower – Las Vegas

27. Vdara Hotel – Las Vegas

New York

28. Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort – Lake Placid, NY

North Carolina

29. Proximity Hotel – Greensboro, NC

Oregon

30. Courtyard by Marriott Portland CityCenter - Portland, OR

31. The Nines - Portland, OR

32. Hilton Portland & Executive Tower

33. Portland Marriott City Center

Texas

34. Habitat Suites – Austin, TX

Virginia

35. Skyland Resort – Luray, VA

36. The National Conference Center – Lansdowne, VA

Washington 

37. Hilton Vancouver Conf Center & Hotel – Vancouver, WA

38. Hyatt at Olive 8 – Seattle, WA

Washington, D.C.

39. The Willard – InterContinental Hotel

Wyoming

40.  Hotel Terra – Teton Village, WY

40 Steps to a Greener Hotel

Each of the hotels listed in GreenerHotels.com started with a simple premise of seeing what they could do to be more environmentally conscious and cater to the socially responsible traveler. Here are 40 ways that your hotel can go green too.

1. Programmable and digital control of your HVAC systems: Use electronic thermostats in guestrooms with pre-set settings to minimize energy consumption.

2. Key Card Energy Management System turn off lights when guests are not in room.

3. A linen and towel reuse program is a must.

4. Consider either Organic Cotton Linens or Linens made with Tencel Plus.  

5. Ozone laundry systems reduce the detergent and chemicals used by the wash.

6. Advance Laundry Solutions also has new drying technology that reduces energy consumption by up to 90%, yet requires no vent and extends textile life. 

7. In-room recycling.

8. Recycling containers in all public areas.

9. Use compact florescent light (CFL) bulbs and energy-saving lighting fixtures.

10. Install motion sensor-activated lights in areas that are infrequently used. 

11. Use natural light as much as possible in common areas, restaurants and meeting rooms. Consider changing window coverings or installing skylights to improve to reduce artificial lighting.

12. “Green roofs” create energy savings by acting as super insulators, keeping buildings warm in the winter and cool in the summer. They also serve as a storm water management systems, catching pollutants as they drain off the roofs. 

13. If not plants, how about installing solar panels on your roof? 

14. Improve window and door seals. You will save on heating and cooling costs, reduce noise levels and decrease dust circulation. 

15. Improve air quality by circulating outside air into guestrooms.

16. Identify something that is being discarded and find re-use for that item — such as reusing old tablecloths to make napkins.

17. Turn off all lighting/equipment/computers when not in use.

18. Make guest registration paperless.

19. Scan and email instead of fax.

20. When you do need to print, use recycled paper, soy-based inks and print double-sided.

21. Biodegradable 100% recycled room keys.

22. Use biodegradable and all-natural bathroom amenities, such as soaps, lotions, shampoos and conditioners.

23. Use bathroom amenity dispensers rather than individually packaged amenities.

24. Buy amenities, food and cleaning products in bulk to reduce waste and transportation costs.

25. 1.6 gallon per flush toilets installed in all rooms and guest areas.

26. Low-flow faucet aerators installed throughout the building and in all guestrooms.

27. Use of environmentally friendly (low VOC) paints.

28. Check with your pest management company to ensure use of integrated pest management (IPM) products and policies that are environmentally friendly and reduce the use of chemicals.

29. Use groundcover and drought-resistant plants to reduce amount of mow-able grass on your properties.

30. Go Smoke-Free!

31. Serve meals buffet style to reduce packaging and waste.

32. Use electric buffet warmers rather than canned fuels.

33. Serve water by each guest’s request rather than pre-pouring.

34. Stop using plastic water bottles.

35. Offer guests bicycles for short trips instead of driving.

36. Consider hybrid or electric vehicles for your fleet.

37. Used recycled rubber for the cardio room floor, or recycled tiles for pool floors.

38. Upcycle or recycle items you no longer need or use for their original purpose – such as in-room furnishings.

39. Give leftover food and/or amenities to charities.

40. Plant a garden and harvest organically-grown vegetables for your restaurant.

By the way, did we mention that Burger has the experience, and proven green hotel products and marketing programs to help you accomplish all 40 of these goals in 2010 — while $aving significant money? Visit www.pineapplehospitality.net or call Burger today at 636-922-2285 for more information and guidance.

About Pineapple Hospitality
Headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri, Pineapple Hospitality™ brings fresh ideas to hospitality guests’ doors and owner/operators’ bottom lines — including FreshStay^® (www.freshstay.com), EcoRooms & EcoSuites (www.EcoRooms.com) Environmentally Sensitive Amenities™, EO^®, Earth Perfect, Earth Simple, ecossential elements, Save Your World, Sonoma Soap Co.,  Pharmacopia,  and greenSPA™ amenities, AVIVA and WAVE dispensers, Energy Efficient Lighting and Controls, Custom Linen & Towel Re-Use Programs, Green Earth Key Cards, Sleeves and Folders, Energy Management Systems and Controls, High Performance  showerheads, , Zero Odor, and dozens of other products and programs. For more information, please visit www.pineapplehospitality.net, or call us at 636-922-2285.

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