FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Diana Henry 413-736-6414
Lathrop House B&B COMPLETES AH&LA GREEN GUIDELINES CHALLENGE FOR HOTELS
Hoteliers Challenged to Use Association Guidelines to Benchmark Eco-friendly Operations and ROI
Springfield, MA, October 15, 2009 —Lathrop House B&B successfully completed the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) Green Guidelines Challenge, in which more than 200 hotels across the country tracked and, in many cases, improved their green business operations via AH&LA’s 11 Minimum Green Guidelines, released in November 2008 by the association’s Green Task Force.
With the aid of a tracking tool provided by AH&LA, Lathrop House B&B communicated its results via an online Green Guidelines Challenge survey, as well as shared the hotel’s success stories and best practices. The challenge asked hotels to measure occupancy statistics, monetary and energy expenditures, and return on investment (ROI) from specific green practices, and Lathrop House B&B excelled.
Based on existing environmental certification programs, including Green Seal, Green Globe, Green Key, and LEED, along with various state certification programs, the 11 Minimum Green Guidelines define ways to give hotel owners and operators opportunities to reduce operating costs and environmental impacts through reduced utility consumption, recycling programs, employee training, and supply chain management. The guidelines also allow hotels to improve their fiscal performance by tracking ROI against their general statistics.
Lathrop House B&B received a certificate of completion in recognition of the B&B ’s efforts. The Lathrop House B&B is continuing to maximize its green efforts by examining the additional 58 guidelines AH&LA has put forth and integrating new policies and practices into its operations.
“By completing the challenge, Lathrop House B&B can be identified as an eco-friendly establishment, based on these important industry guidelines,” said owner Diana Henry “We’re proud of our accomplishments and look forward to finding better ways to serve our guests – and the planet.” www.lathrophousebandb.com Email: dmh@dianamarahenry.com
# # #
Serving the hospitality industry for nearly a century, AH&LA is the sole national association representing all sectors and stakeholders in the lodging industry, including individual hotel property members, hotel companies, student and faculty members, and industry suppliers. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AH&LA provides members with national advocacy on Capitol Hill, public relations and image management, education, research and information, and other value-added services to provide bottom-line savings and ensure a positive business climate for the lodging industry. Partner state associations provide local representation and additional cost-saving benefits to members.
Comic relief: watch one guest's amusing video on saving the planet....