New Green Hotel Bookings Site launches
John Glen DiGuiseppe, Founder/CEO of Investors Hospitality Management (IHM), has just announced the launch of new green hotel booking website GreenHotelBookings.com.
Throughout the travel industry, the hospitality sector has increasingly become far more aware of not only its own responsibility to the environment as well as surrounding individual communities, but to the desires for travelers to be able to choose “greener” options in their travels. Hotels, inns, B&B’s and more have taken to adopting programs such as the utilization of eco-friendly products and supplues, robust recycling programs, energy efficiency, water re-use, and much more.
Meanwhile, certification programs sprout up on a weekly basis; some are government funded (both state and federal agencies), while others are private organizations, aiming to become the next “standard” in green travel. There are many green hotel certification standards with varying levels of compliance.
However, this next standard has yet to be adopted, so consumers have had no place to go that easily displayed all the hotels that met at least one of these qualifications. Greenhotelbookings.com, a new website by John Glen DiGuiseppe, Founder/CEO of Investors Hospitality Management (IHM), is an “attempt to help both the hotel operators and the consumer by providing a place where they can both find what they are looking for.”
Property managers can locate information about certification and be listed on GHB. On the other hand, consumers can search for qualified properties that meet their particular requirements.
GreenHotelBookings.com recommends that hotels pursue certification from outside agencies, however, has established it’s own three tier program to categorize properties that are using eco-friendly products and procedures in their operation. The tiers provide a measure that property owners can use to identify their current level and examine the requirements for other levels they may want to achieve.
Green Hotel Level I:
- Use of eco-friendly cleaning products, including General Purpose, Bathroom, Glass and Carpet Cleaning
- Must use at least one ENERGY STAR appliance
Green Hotel Level II:
- Meet Level I Requirements
- Use of eco-friendly paper products - Consumable Paper Products shall be made from recycled fibers
- Linen and Towel Reuse Program – Property shall implement and execute a well designed Linen and Towel Re-use program for all Guest Rooms
Green Hotel Level III:
- Meet Level I Requirements
- Meet Level 2 Requirements
- Recycling Program – Property shall establish and maintain recycling programs for the common areas, administrative areas, and Guest rooms. The Guest Room Receptacle must be clearly identified for Glass, Paper, Aluminum, & Plastic.
- Lighting – All Guest Room Lighting shall be Energy Efficient. No incandescent lighting is acceptable in Floor, Desk, Table or Nightstand lamps. Bathroom lighting shall be either Linear Fluorescent, Compact Fluorescent or a combination of each type
- High Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures – Property shall use the following: 2.2 GPM Faucets with 1.5 GPM or less aerators, the shower heads shall be 2.5 GPM or less , and the toilet shall be 1.6 GPF or less.
“This is not a referral program nor a fee-based system but a free, actual verifiable green hotels booking engine, which, through its affiliation with bookings.com, Expedia, Orbitz, etc., provides reservations services in more than 18 languages for domestic and international visitors in quest of supporting sustainable hospitality in worldwide hotels and luxury estates,” DiGuiseppe says. “IHM conceived, developed and trademarked www.greenhotelbookings.com as a dual-focused site which both provides varied certification levels of green hotels, offering consulting to assist venues with methods to acquire higher sustainability accreditation, while simultaneously providing a free international booking system.”
“Over 50 percent of travelers book their travel online,” says Sean Kane, director of operations for IHM. Noting that many smaller hotels do not realize the significant percentage of this business opportunity, IHM has carved yet another niche into its portfolio of hospitality services to capture market share from Asian and European travelers in response to the economy’s current forecast.
“Through IHM’s service, hotels can strategize and/or adjust rates for distressed inventory within a 24/48 hour time period to maximize occupancy and sell rooms,” Kane says.
New Green Hotel Bookings Site launches : TerraCurve.com - Responsible travel news, places, people and events.
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