Green hotel practices are becoming the norm these days.
This is great. In fact, I was recently at a hotel in Northwest Washington and had a “Go Green” card on my bed. It explained that in an effort to institute green hotel practices and in the name of conservation, I could decline certain housekeeping services. Some of their green hotel practices included not changing the sheets every day if the guest put the “Go Green” card on the bed, asking the guests to use less water, and not washing towels that guests have hung up. I think all of these things are very good green hotel practices.
I was left wanting more, however, when I visited their fitness center.
It tells a different story. When I first entered the room, I saw water bottles and clean white towels along with two treadmills and a large television. I thought to myself, wouldn’t it be cool if this gym was branded Green Microgym and had some SportsArt electricity-generating equipment? By generating electricity on the SportsArt equipment, the guests could maybe earn credits that would be redeemable at other facilities within the hotel. Maybe the television could be set up to some personal training via Facetime. In addition, maybe the lighting would be more responsive, turning off when no one was in the room. This is taking green hotel practices one step further.
These are just some simple practices that could make a big impact for going green and allow guests to go green in more ways than just cutting down on housekeeping needs.
What ideas do you have to take it one step further?
Image courtesy of smarnad at FreeDigitalPhotos.net