It's not Easy being Green

I read the following item on a daily recycling e-mail.

Survey: Hotel guests abandon green practices
July 11 -- Most frequent travelers say they leave their green habits at home when they stay at hotels.
A new survey commissioned by Element Hotels, a brand owned by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc., indicates that 59 percent of frequent travelers are not as environmentally conscious while on the road. Some 63 percent say they are more likely to leave a light on when they leave a hotel room than when they leave home, the survey indicated.
The new hotel operation, which will open in 2008, said it will take a new approach to "sustainable hoteling" including having recycling containers and low-flow bathroom fixtures in hotel rooms.

I offer that it's not just the patrons forgetting to save the planet.

How many of you have travelled in the summer, checked into a hotel or motel, and found that the air conditioner is set to a frosty 60 degrees? Not only is that a waste of energy, you have to huddle under the blanket all night, and maybe by the time you wake up, the room might have warmed to a reasonable temperature.

Some establishments I have visited require the housekeeping staff to "leave the light on for you", even if they finish cleaning the room by 10 a.m. and you don't check in until 6 p.m. Here's a hint: natural daylight is free, so open the drapes.

Some hotels/motels have a placard in the bathroom, stating that they will wash the towels only if you leave them on the floor. If they're hanging on the rack or shower curtain, you want to reuse them. This is intended to conserve water. Regardless of this notice, my towels have been replaced daily. Hint #2: Train your staff and enforce your policies.

Every time she travels and stays in a motel for more than one night at a time, my mother makes her own bed then puts a sign on it, asking the housekeeper not to bother changing the sheets. That method does seem to work.

One hotel chain (with various brand names) puts a copy of U.S.A. Today outside guest room doors. When I stay at one of their franchises, I always speak to the front desk clerk and tell them I don't want a paper. The day clerk will leave a note for the night staff, or I'll speak to the night staff myself. Invariably, the paper shows up, and I have to carry it with me the rest of my trip, or until I find a place where I know it will be recycled.

The problem with hotel chains is that they require their staves to conform to a standard, or they consider themselves a quality brand with lots of little perks they think their patrons want. That's when individual requests (like not receiving a newspaper) are ignored because any deviation from the standard is considered a failure. It will be interesting to see if Element/Starwood is successful with "sustainable hoteling".