JULY 2015

JOSH WYATTCHIEF STRATEGIC OFFICERGENERATOR HOSTELS

LODGING MAGAZINE @LODGINGMAGAZINE

SMARTSTRATEGIESFOR SAVINGWATER ANDENERGY

MASTERINGMILITARYMARKETS{PAGE 23}

EXPERIENCESELLING THE

HOW SMART DESIGNS AND LIVELY SOCIAL SCENES ATTRACT THE NEXT GENERATION

3RULES OFRENOVATION HIGH-IMPACTUPGRADESFOR YOURHOTEL

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›››››››››››REFRESHING ADVICE

RULE NO. 3A Sustainable Approach to Design Will Save You Money

From water-conserving fi xtures to e� cient LED lighting, sustainability initiatives not only allow hotels to be more environmentally responsible but also have the potential to dramatically cut costs. That’s why going green is a major focal

point for many of the owners currently tackling renovations. According to AH&LA’s 2014 Lodging Survey, 16 percent of respondents planned to incorporate LEED in structural ren-ovations over the next 12 months, up from 13 percent in 2012.

Taking the fi rst steps toward becoming a sustainable hotel and cutting costs doesn’t have to entail an enormous investment or inconvenient downtime. In 2009, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide set an aggressive goal of 30 percent reduction in energy consumption and 20 percent reduction in water consumption by 2020. In 2013, Star-

wood added a goal to reduce carbon emissions by 30 percent in the same timeframe. With more

than 1,200 properties worldwide under 10 brands, Starwood and its franchi-

sees had a lot on their plates. But by taking a triple-bottom-line approach to sustainability, the company has made signifi cant progress toward its “30/20 by 20” target, says Andrea Pinabell, vice president of sustain-

ability at Starwood. Using 2008 data as a baseline, Starwood has cut energy

by 12.1 percent, carbon emissions by 16.07 percent, and water usage by 17.26 percent per

built hotel room thus far through the end of 2014. “Sustainability is not making one big change—it is a lot

of small e� orts put together,” Pinabell explains. “In every-thing that we do, we look at the environmental impact, the community impact, as well as the fi nancial impact. We look for changes that will reduce our energy and water consumption, decrease our waste production, but also provide value to our ownership.”

Ongoing foundational initiatives consist of small, no-or low-cost changes—such as installing LED lighting and low-fl ow fi xtures—that have a return on investment of about a year or less. These foundational initiatives are projected to save $1 billion throughout the system in fewer than 10 years. Bigger capital investments involve large-scale renovations, such as mechanical equipment and irrigation improvements, as well as adopting renewable

energy sources, like solar. To o� set some of the costs of these big-ticket items, Starwood leverages business part-nerships that will incentivize owners.

The 873-room Westin New York at Times Square is among the properties in the Starwood system reaping the benefi ts of sustainable renovations. In 2011, the Westin became the fi rst hotel in the state of New York to receive a silver certifi cation from Green Seal, a nonprofi t environmental standard development and certifi cation organization. In June, the hotel completed a three-year, multi-phase, $33 million renovation that tackled all aspects of the property. Energy conservation enhancements included installation of two energy e� cient chillers, four heating boilers, and a temperature monitoring system. Movement-activated lighting and LED lightbulbs have cut electricity costs, while low-fl ow toilets and faucet aerators have reduced water consumption. The 6,000 LED lights that were installed throughout the course of the project translate into an overall reduction of energy consumption by more than 30 percent. Once four more separate LED lighting projects are complete, it will result in an addition-al $250,000 in savings in less than a year.

Starwood may be cuttings costs and carbon emissions with foundational changes, but Berkshire East Mountain Resort in Charlemont, Mass., is seeing big results in hav-ing an on-site solar farm and wind turbine. The rotating solar panels, which track the sun throughout the day, were installed in 2012, allowing the ski resort to run entirely o� renewable energy. By making this move, the resort was able to lock in a price for electricity and avoid rising costs.

“Not only is it extremely logical, from a business standpoint, to have renewable wind and solar, but it has also helped develop great customer relationships,” explains Resort Manager Jon Schaefer. “It’s certainly boosted our business.”

Westin New York at Times Square