| |
|
 |
You are here:
Home
 June 2009 The Green Report: Even pets go green at Loews |
|
|
The Green Report: Even pets go green at Loews
MONTREAL/QUEBEC—As part of their commitment to the environment, Loews Hôtel Vogue and Loews Hôtel Le Concorde encourage even the furriest guests to do their part in promoting responsible, sustainable consumption (literally). The new Loews “Grrreen Dog” package features a specially created “Dog Gone Green” room service meal, a veterinarian-approved healthy dinner that includes locally grown ingredients from neighbourhood farms, a 100 per cent organic cotton bandana made by Go Doggie Go Green, and a Zogoflex Huck, an environmentally friendly dog toy by West Paw Design. Available through September 5, 2009, the “Grrreen Dog” package rate starts at $224 per night for Loews Hôtel Vogue in Montreal and $199 for Loews Hôtel Le Concorde in Quebec City.
Canadian hotels are getting on the bandwagon when it comes to energy conservation and environment-friendly measures.
The Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key Eco-rating program is one indicator of the pervasiveness of the green ethic. Right now there are more than 1,100 participating properties, representing approximately 57 per cent of all guestrooms in Canada.
The program is a graduated rating system designed to recognize hotels, motels and resorts that are committed to improving their environmental performance. Based on the results of a comprehensive environmental audit of their day-to-day operations, hotels are awarded a one to five Green Key rating.
“The numbers of participating hotels shows an exponential growth in the program,” says Tony Pollard, HAC president. “It reflects the 92 per cent of travellers that, according to an April 2008 Deloitte consumer survey, are looking to stay at environmentally friendly hotels.”
Travellers can find the most up-to-date list of participating properties on the program website, www.greenkeyglobal.com, as well as in a number of provincial and municipal accommodation guides.
Another indicator is the prevalence of announcements regarding LEED-certified buildings. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) is a system that rates buildings for their sustainable practices.
A year ago, Starwood announced that its newest brand, Element, will require all hotels brand-wide—including the one being built in Toronto—to pursue LEED certification.
The Manga-owned Hilton Garden Inn & Conference Toronto Airport is now up and running, and has applied to be a LEED-certified hotel.
Last month, InterContinental Hotels Group broke ground on the Holiday Inn Express and Suites Saint-Hyacinthe, the first hotel in Quebec built to meet the LEED criteria.
And Irwin Prince of Realstar hospitality says the new Studio 6 prototype has the potential for LEED certification.
This month CLN looks at just a few of the stories highlighting Canadian hotels’ efforts to go green. These range from the multitude of initiatives of the Fairmont hotel chain, to the creative efforts of smaller operators, such as Peter Elmhirst of Elmhirst Resort near Peterborough, ON who uses a variety of renewable materials to heat his property, and the Quality Inn Parry Sound, ON which uses solar tubes to heat their hotel and restaurant.
And then there’s the approach taken by the Ontario Restaurant Hotel & Motel Association, which has a pilot project in Windsor, Ontario, a community that’s been devastated by the effects of economic downturn on the car industry. Quite apart from being the right thing to do, they stress that going green can save hoteliers money.
Read more:
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
