Pineapple Hospitality and New Wisconsin Hotel Form a Green Union

When the new 60-room boutique-style Wisconsin Union Hotel opened this past spring, it did so with a commitment to reducing its impact on the environment.  The hotel features countless green amenities and eco-initiatives, many of them courtesy of Pineapple Hospitality.

As the premiere distributor of green products and marketing programs for the hospitality industry, Pineapple Hospitality used its experience and expertise to help the Wisconsin Union Hotel choose products good for both the environment and the bottom line.

 “The Wisconsin Union Hotel is taking on many measures to reduce our carbon footprint,” says Jessica Johnson, Hotel Manager. “The hotel features the latest technology to save energy, conserve water, and recycle disposable products. It’s an ongoing program. We’re doing everything we can to make sure we are eco-friendly and we’ll continue to push forward as technology advances.” 

Johnson says they have been very conscious of their environmental choices during all phases of planning and construction for the new hotel, located in the heart of the University of Wisconsin - Madison, inside the new LEED Gold certified Union South building. “The campus as a whole is taking new approaches to being green, and everything we’re doing right here fits in perfectly with those efforts,” says Johnson.

The hotel itself is also pursuing LEED Gold certification and chose Pineapple Hospitality to supply it with biodegradable key cards and Tommy Bahama brand refillable bath dispensers to help it fulfill its environmental initiatives and earn LEED points in a cost-effective manner.

“It’s been wonderful working with the people at the Wisconsin Union Hotel who are truly committed to doing what’s right for the earth, and providing fantastic products and services for their guests,” says Ray Burger, President of Pineapple Hospitality. “Together we’ve been able to find solutions like the Tommy Bahama branded amenity dispensers and green earth key cards that align perfectly with the hotel’s luxury boutique atmosphere, while leaving a smaller carbon footprint than traditional hotel products.” 

All shipments from Pineapple Hospitality to the Wisconsin Union Hotel are certified carbon neutral through UPS. 

Tommy Bahama

Tommy Bahama amenities were created specifically for hotel guests using gentle formulas and natural ingredients. The Exotic Coral fragrance brings a clean, fresh aroma to give hotel guests a relaxed, pampered feeling helping to enhance your guest’s entire experience while staying at your property.

Available in gallon sizes, the Tommy Bahama amenities are designed for use with Tommy Bahama dispensers. These beautiful, practical, convenient dispensers are a cost-effective solution that eliminates the waste that comes with individually packaged bathroom care products.

Each guestroom bathroom at the Wisconsin Union Hotel features a 3-chamber Tommy Bahama dispenser with its Exotic Coral shampoo, conditioner and body wash.

“There are a lot of different green or ‘all-natural’ amenity hotel products out on the market right now. We were just going to choose one of those that we liked, but it was Ray from Pineapple who made the recommendation of the Tommy Bahama products to us,” says Johnson. “They have worked out really great. It’s not only a quality product that our guests love, but the dispensers give us a step up toward our LEED certification.”

Burger mentions that the gallon amenities and dispensers also provide additional benefits. The larger sizes make it easier to ship and store the products, and hotels don’t have to throw away and waste hundreds of tiny amenity bottles each day.

“Tommy Bahama is a high quality brand known for luxury and relaxation, and a perfect fit for a boutique hotel like the Wisconsin Union,” says Burger.

Green Earth Key Cards

The Green Earth Key Cards and Folders given to guests at the Wisconsin Union Hotel are another eco-friendly solution from Pineapple Hospitality. Made of one of two eco-friendly materials — bioPVC or renew – these 100% biodegradable key cards are the perfect alternative to the traditional plastic hotel room keys. The Green Earth Key Packets/Folders and Key Sleeves are made from recycled paper and soy based inks.

Green Earth Cards offer:

• Appearance and performance identical to ordinary keycards
• 100% customizable designs with excellent print quality
• Made from recycled material
• Front surface coated with white soy-based ink
• Accommodates exacting design requirements

“We’ve had no issues at all with the quality – they work just like any other key card and hold up to the rigorous use from hotel guests,” says Johnson. “And there’s the carbon footprint logo right on the front that lets guests know from the moment they check in that we’ve made every effort to make their stay an environmentally responsible one.”

The cards can be erased and recoded for multiple uses when returned by guests, or if they are thrown away, they will break down and leave no lasting impact on the earth.

Eco-Initiatives

The Wisconsin Union Hotel features many luxury amenities expected by today’s busy travelers, such as Wi-Fi, complimentary parking, large screen televisions, fitness center, and extended stay rooms with kitchenette and living quarters.

“Guests have told us they love what we are doing to help the environment,” says Johnson. “We understand that travelers have many choices in lodging, but we also know that many guests are also ware of the impact their travel has on the environment. We’re looking for solutions that allow our guests to relax and enjoy the luxury we have to provide, while also reducing our carbon footprint. We’ve been able to do that with the help of Pineapple Hospitality.”

“Pineapple has so many different products and great information about everything from light bulbs, batteries, and even furnishings. We’re definitely going to keep using products like their Green Earth Key Cards and the Tommy Bahama amenity dispensers. Plus, we’re constantly looking for new ideas to implement.”

Along with those products, the Wisconsin Union Hotel has also rolled out other eco-friendly initiatives including:

• All guestroom furniture (headboards, bedside tables, TV console) sourced from regional manufacturer, Dubois Wood Products, located less than 500 miles from the hotel
• Guest room key card energy control
• Individual thermostat control
• Energy efficient lighting
• Water efficient fixtures
• Towel and linen reuse program
• In-room recycling bins
• Hotel-wide recycling program
• Healthy high performance cleaning program using sustainable cleaning products
• All hotel in-room materials and bills are printed on recycled post-consumer copy paper

The Wisconsin Union Hotel is also 100% non-smoking.

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^®, ecossential elements, Sonoma Soap Co. , Earth Perfect, Earth Simple, Save Your World, 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.

FreshStay^® is a registered trademark of Pineapple Hospitality, Inc.
Breathe Easy, Sleep Great™ is a trademark of Pineapple Hospitality, Inc.


Logos, product and company names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.

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