GROWTH OF ECOTEL HOTEL IN ALL OVER THE WORLD

“Research Project is submitted in partial fulfillment for the Degree

course of Hotel & Tourism Management Studies”

SHASHANK R. KADAM

(AFFILIATED TO MUMBAI UNIVERSITY)

BHARATI VIDYAPEETH’S
COLLEGE OF HOTEL & TOURISM MANAGEMENT STUDIES
Sector-8, CBD, Belapur,
Navi Mumbai – 400 614.

2008-09

1
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

My self Shashank R. Kadam a student of Bharati Vidyapeeth’s College

of Hotel & Tourism Management Studies would like to thank and
express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who have helped me in
completing my research on the topic “Growth Of Ecotel Hotel In All
Over The World”.

For providing me with such an opportunity firstly I will like to thank the
Mumbai University and our College Bharati Vidyapeeth’s college of
Hotel & Tourism Management Studies, Belapur.

I will also like to thank Ms.Lata Patil, Principal of our college for
permitting me to complete my research. I will also like to thank my
technical guide Mr.Maxim John has guided me throughout my research
work.
Thank you,

2
 CERTIFICATE

This is to certify that SHASHANK RAMESH KADAM a student of

Bharati Vidyapeeth’s Collage of Hotel & Tourism Management Studies
,C.B.D.Belapur,Navi Mumbai has submitted a project titled “Growth Of Ecotel
Hotel In All Over The World”. under guidance and supervision of Mr.Maxim
John in connection with his Degree in Hotel & Tourism Management.

Name with the seal of the Signature of the

Technical Guide Technical Guide

Date :-

Time :-

3
 INDEX
Chapter Contents Page
No. No.
1 Introduction
2 Objectives
3 Review of Literature
4 Methodology
5 Results & Discussion
6 Summary & Conclusion
7 Recommendations & Limitations
8 Appendix
9 Bibliography

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 CHAPTER-1
INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION

Starting around the second half of the 20th

century, business, as a whole, had exerted great
5
efforts to reduce their environmental footprint. In
early years, it was the industry that produced large
amount of pollutants. Consequently, it was subject to
heavy environmental pressure from the public. Now,
at least in developed countries, environmental
Impacts have been well controlled in industries. The
service sector which has a long history of fast
growing has become an important industry in
western countries as well as many developing
countries. Compared to manufacturing, service is
conceived as clean. But since the manufacturing is
getting cleaner or less polluting, it is the fast
growing service sectors’ environmental impacts turn
to get more public and research interest. From the
perspective of the service organization owners,
environmental management and green marketing are
the way to create and keep competition advantages.
A hotel is an important part of the service sector.

A hotel stands for comfort and a high stand of

living. This could mean a high per capita
consumption of energy, water and other resource, as
well as creating a large amount of waste and
pollution due to the necessity of having a high
standard of hygiene and a high turnover of guests.

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 Ecotel is a new concept in hospitality that claims to
work for environment protection and preservation. All
eco-certified hotels must pass a detailed inspection and
satisfy stringent criteria designed by environmental
experts. The ecotel certification process requires
undercover inspections and staff interviews.

The ECOTEL Certification program is not just

for Hotels that want to effect increased cost-saving
benefits for themselves, but also for Hotels that want to
give something worthwhile back to the environment by
providing a benevolent helping hand to the community
on the whole. These benefits might be multi hued ,but
will ultimately lead to an improved inter-community
relationship while providing a healthy and safe future for
the world. The ECOTEL Certification is given to hotels,
which show a heightened level of environmental
responsibility.

A hotel primes for an ECOTEL certification by

creating and implementing a meticulous environmental
program according to the ECOTEL globes. Each of these
globes is unique in the sense that, in isolation it covers
one responsible aspect of the environment, and all
together in totality encompasses the environmental ethos
of our earth. The ECOTEL certification once granted
lasts for two years during whichperiod the hotel must
submit to regular inspections, to ensure the steadfast
belief and unmitigated faith in their environmental
curriculum.

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 Getting an Ecotel Certification for a hotel means
that the hotel is completely environment friendly. Each
of the hotels applying for the certification need to fulfill
certain criteria and the norms set by the authorities
before they are awarded the Five Globe Certification
Award. In an audit conducted by HVS International, the
5 key areas for ecotel certification were inspected. The
five criteria for Ecotel certification which are fulfilled by
Hotels are:

• Employee Environmental Education

• Energy Management
• Environmental Commitment
• Solid Waste Management
• Water Conservation

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 • Employee environmental education
Evaluates how involved the employees are in the efforts
of the hotel to contribute towards the environment. The
hotel should have training modules in place for
employees at all levels to familiarize them with the eco-
friendly initiatives of the hotel.

• Energy conservation
This requires the existence of a formalized framework to
actually reduce the energy consumption of the hotel. For
instance, whether the hotel has been designed and
constructed keeping in mind maximum energy
conservation. Factors like whether minimum lighting is
being used, the extent of involvement of the guests as
well as the employees etc. also make a difference to the
final score.
• Environmental commitment
The hotel/ resort/ inn must demonstrate the existence of
a formalized commitment towards the preservation and
enhancement of the natural environment. It must,
through all operations, activities and written statements,
communicate its commitment to the environment. For
e.g. the mission statement of the hotel/ resort must
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mention its environmental dedication. Additionally,
every hotel should have a green team headed by a
member of the top management ensuring that all
departments are working in consonance with the hotels
mission of environmental responsibility.

• Solid waste management

The hotel must effectively recycle and manage waste
wherever generated. Proper systems for collection,
recycling and disposal of these wastes in all departments
of the hotel are a must for the Ecotel certification.
Moreover, all employees of the hotel must undergo
training in the basic solid waste management techniques.
techniques

• Water conservation
Evaluates the effective conservation of water in all
departments of the hotel, across all levels. The extent to
which water is recycled and utilized is also considered
an important factor. Again, all employees are expected
to be well-versed with the water conservation operations
of the hotel.

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Environmental Problem Type/ Environmental
Aspects:

Hotel industry is a resource-intensive business. The

environmental problems that we face, such as excessive
and wasteful use of resources and pollution (water, solid
waste, air, noise), are in many ways related and result
from poor environmental management. These
environmental issues are complex and range from the
global issues discussed in the press and conferences, to
many local catastrophes and disasters. These pressures
are resulting in increased legislative and regulative
pressure on hotel businesses to manage their impact on
the environment.

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In addition to international and governmental pressures
for change, we see the growth of many voluntary
organizations and certification programs, and a new
generation of consumers, who emphasize “green”
choices. Although certification programs only have a
small impact at this moment, hotel businesses need to
monitor these changes and adapt to it accordingly. Hotel
businesses are subject both to the “push” of
governmental pressure, and the “pull” of market, as
increasing numbers of consumers express a preference
for green products, and certification programs act as a
marketing tool.

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 CHAPTER -2
OBJECTIVES

OBJECTIVES

1. To study the importance of Ecotel Hotel to the

world.
2. To get an idea about growth of Ecotel Hotel in world.
3. To know need of Ecotel hotels in current situation.

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4. To explore luxurious facilities and amenities provided

by Eco-tel Hotel

5. To study the actual impact of Ecotel Hotels on the

Hotel

Industry.

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 CHAPTER -3
REVIEW OF
LITERATURE

Contents
Theorotical Consideration:
A] Environmental Perspective.

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B] Benefits of Environmental Management Systeam to
Hotel Industry.
C] How Ecotel Hotels function ?
D] Hospitality Pollution Preventation.
E] Growth of Ecotel Hotel in India.
F] Hospitality Going Green Worldwide.
G] Success Stories of Ecotel Hotels.

Theorotical Consideration:

A] Environmental perspective

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 Hotel industry consumes a vast range of goods
in construction and operation. They generally use huge
amounts of energy, consume large amounts of water and
generate disproportionate amounts of waste. Hotels are
fortunate in that there are many things they can do
within existing hotel operations, often at little or no cost,
that will save them money both in the short and long
term. If a hotel that is minimising its energy and water
consumption, if it is making efficient use of resources
and reducing waste without compromising on quality or
standard of service, it will increase the competitiveness
of the business. And so along with their own
responsibility to the environment, they are well
positioned to encourage others-including their suppliers
and business partners – to do the same. So hotels can
be a formidable force for change towards sustainable
development.

The range of goods used by the Hotel Industry is

vast and covers most of the manufacturing base of an
economy from building materials to furniture and
fittings. Hotels also use full range of professional
services from advertising agents to merchant banks and
communicate via diverse media. This interdependence
with so many other businesses gives hotels a unique
opportunity to challenge business partners to help in
environmental mission and to look at how they might
change their own activities to
be more environmentally conscious.

It is vital that hotels make their customers aware of their

schemes and educate them to (seek cooperation) co-
operate with hotels in their initiatives. By spreading the
word they can influence their competitors.
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 However, caution need to be exercised in reviewing
the ‘green initiatives’ taken ‘yesterday’ are still
remaining green even ‘today’. For example: the harmful
effects of propellants used in spray cans were not known
till very recently (ozone depletion). Therefore one has to
keep abreast of the new and emerging environmental
challenges and maintains flexibility in mending the ways
of environmental protection. A number of leading hotels
in India has launched proactive programs to improve the
environmental performance of their products, processes,
services, and facilities. However, challenges faced by
these hotels include:

(1) gauging their performance against others within their

industry

(2) identifying GHG and energy efficiency improvement

opportunities.

But such initiatives have not been much publicised,

may be due to the high level of competition in this
sector. It is also found that some of the international
chain of hotels operating in India does not even have an
environmental policy in place while their counterparts in
other countries are known for their green image.
However, of late, the scenario in India is rapidly
changing for better, as the local and global
environmental pressures are
becoming increasingly evident.

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 Indian hotel industry is just beginning to realise
that energy and environmental management is the
cutting edge strategies for their business profitability. A
clear message has come across when the environmental
initiatives of Maurya Sheraton (The Welcome Group of
Hotels) have been paid off when the US President
preferred the most environment friendly Hotel in the
capital, i.e., Maurya Sheraton, during his recent visit
(March, 2000) to India. With the establishment of
International Standards for Environmental Management
i.e., EMS, ISO 14001, hotel industry world-wide is
taking advantage of implementing these standards that
are comparable across the world.

Acting together, hotels could be a formidable force

in influencing asubstantial and diverse body of people by
challenging the suppliers about the environmental
impact oftheir goods and services and by asking if there
might be alternatives. The more hotels
demandenvironmentally friendly goods, the greater the
market will be andcheaper the goods will become
toobtain which would be good news for everyone as well
as for the environment.

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B] Benefits of ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT SYSTEAM in Hotel Industry

Benefits through implementation of EMS

There were lot more other benefits Hyatt Regency,

Delhi achieved by implementing EMS, such as :

• Environmental awareness among all staff members,

contract staff, vendors & contractors

• Adopted pro active approach so that waste / pollution is

prevented or minimized at the source itself

• Inspite of having a comprehensive emergency

preparedness, EMS helped in preparing
environmental mitigation measures

• Reduced the environmental legislative and regulatory

burden

• Above all helped in establishing and maintaining the

system for continual improvement

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Initiatives and Benefits Cost saving

Installation of metal halide lamps and fittings in Tennis

Court. Rs. 115 per hr.

• Reduction in electrical load from 32 kWh to 8 kWh.

• Reduction in lamp replacement cost.

• Reduction in manpower cost for handling fused bulbs

• Improvement in distribution of light.

Installation of compact fluorescent lamp Rs. 2,00,000

per month.

• Replacement of 3000 candle lamps of 25 w in guest

floor
corridors, lobby porch & in banquet area with CFL of
5W.

• Installation of a condensing coil in hot water tank to

recover Rs.20,000 per monthheat from the condensate
mainly from Laundry andinstallation of plate type heat
exchanger to recover
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additional heat from the condensate

• Reduction in contract demand from 4118 KVA to 3000

KVA. Rs. 1,67,700 per month.

• Up gradation of capacitor panel to improve power

factor Rs.1, 50,000 per month.from 0.96 to 0.99

• Usage of treated water from effluent treatment plant for

Rs.17, 000 per monthgardening and water cascades.

• Removal of gas-pilot-burners from Kitchen. Rs.8500

per month.

• Renovation of chilled pool plant with installation of a

plate
type heat exchanger to use the chilling effect from
central air Rs. 13,000 per month conditioning plant to
avoid running of compressor from April to October.

• Installation of a heat exchanger in steam boilers-

exhaust for Rs. 90,000 per month.
heat recovery.

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Energy Management Systems
Save Hotels Money

Energy Management Systems can help hotel

owners to realize tremendous cost savings. By
controlling guest room lighting and other energy use,
managers can save 30-40% in energy costs.
One such system involves installing master switches in
the entrance of each room, which require a room key tag
to activate them. All non-essential energy demands
(heating, air conditioning, lighting, radio and television)
are linked to the master switch.

When guests leave the room and remove their key

tag from the master switch, all non-essential energy
demands are immediately switched off. Essential
appliances such as refrigerators, alarm clocks, and power
points for recharging mobile phones and shavers remain
on.
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C] How Ecotel Hotel Functions ?

Recycling.

Recycling is probably the most visible sign to your

guests that your facility is green, and it can be one of the
most difficult services to arrange. However, you must
strive to at least provide
the opportunity for guests to recycle cans, bottles, etc.
In certain areas of the state, a comprehensive recycling
program is simply not feasible. However, facilities
should have a written explanation available of the
recycling opportunities that they provide, and staff
should be able to address this with guests.
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Green Events Package.
The facility must offer a “green” or “environmentally-
friendly” package for conferences, meetings, and other
events. At a minimum, you must have be able to provide
recycling
At such events and be willing to work with
“environmentally-aware” customers on other techniques
toreduce wastes. For lots of ideas on Green Events,
please see the fact-sheet on Environmentally
-Responsible Conferences, Meetings.

Linen Service
• Train house cleaners on process for optional linen
service
• Purchase water-efficient washers and dryers
• Use non-phosphate, non-toxic, and biodegradable
laundry detergents.
• Minimize the use of bleach and chlorinated
chemicals are used only where there is no less
toxic alternative, and only in minimal amounts.

Recycling
• Glass
• Aluminum Cans
• Steel Cans
• Composting of excess food
• Grease Recycling
• Plastic
• Office Paper
• Toner cartridges
• Newspaper
• Cardboard
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 • Packing Supplies

Rooms
• Bulk Soap Dispensers instead of individual soaps
• Fill up shampoo bottles
• Instruct housekeeping to save and reuse unopened
items

Food & Conference Facilities

• Eliminate the use of Styrofoam
• Use Dishware and Glassware & Minimize use of
Disposables
• Disposable containers made from:
• bio-based materials
• recycled content
• compostable material
• Non-bleached napkins and coffee filters
• Provide condiments and cream and sugar, etc, in
bulk
• Use of water pitchers that minimize use of single-
use bottles
• Donation of excess food from events
• Effective food inventory control to minimize
wastes
• Purchase locally grown produce and other foods
• Filtering of grease rather than recycling

Office
• Purchase recycled-content paper-towels and toilet
paper
• Encouraging suppliers to minimize packaging and
other waste materials Purchasing from vendors

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 and service providers with a commitment to the
environment
• 2-sided copies / printing
• Use electronic correspondence and forms
• Purchase recycled content paper / toilet tissue
• Using “Green” Cleaners that are dispensed in
bulk
• Installation of high-efficiency hand-dryers
• Purchase of durable equipment and furniture
• Purchase “low-VOC” carpets and fabrics

Maintenance
• Use of reused building materials or those from
sustainable sources
• Use of Latex Paint
• Reuse of paint thinners
• Proper recycling and/or disposal of thinners and
solvents (required by EPA-RCRA)
• Preventative maintenance of all appliances, HVAC
systems, plumbing, and vehicles
• Last-in/first-out inventory & effective labeling
systems
• Less toxic materials
• Minimize use of pesticides and herbicides

Water
• Tracking overall water usage and wastewater
• Preventative maintenance of drips and leaks
• Water-flow metering to discover leaks and areas of
high use
• High efficiency dishwashers
• Discouraging water-based cleanup (sweep first)
• Microfiber technology mops
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 • Low flow restrictors on faucets and showerheads
• Low flow toilets or __ Waterless urinals
• Effective landscape management plan which
utilizes drought tolerant species, metering and rain
gauges, and minimizes lawn areas.
• Rain gardens
• Green roof development
• Cisterns and drip-line irrigation
• Rain barrels
• Effective stormwater management
• Minimization of impervious areas (paving,
concrete, etc)
• Vegetative buffers around streams and ponds

Energy
• Tracking overall energy bills and set a numeric
goal to reduce
• Consider the pollution factor of your energy usage
by using a pollution calculator
• High efficiency compact fluorescent light bulbs in
all canned spotlights & in rooms
• High efficiency fluorescent ballasts and lamps
• Use of ceiling fans
• High Efficiency Heating & Air Conditioning
• Individual thermostats for each room
• Use of natural lighting
• Solar panels
• Lighting sensors
• Purchase of EnergyStar computers, appliances, etc.
• Thermal-rated windows and insulation
• Use of directional (downward-facing) lighting in
parking areas and other outdoor areas

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• Purchase of “Green Tags” or “Renewable Energy
Certificates” to offset the additional cost of
• using energy from renewable sources.
• Purchase fuel-efficient vehicles or __ Hybrids

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D] Hospitality Pollution Prevention

Housekeeping Waste Prevention

Guest rooms can generate up to 28 pounds per day of

waste, generating food, packaging, paper and other
wastes.

• Reduce newspaper waste by providing newspapers in a

central location such as the lobby or restaurant rather
than distributing them to each guest room. For more
personalized service, consider offering a door hanger
for those who want in-room delivery.

• Eliminate unwanted or under-used amenities such as

shower caps and shoe shine cloths. These items can be
offered by request.

• Replace disposable room amenities with refillable or

reusable substitutes. The savings achieved by switch-
ing can be used to upgrade to higher quality lotions
and shampoos.

• Donate to local charities and shelters. This can include

items from soap and toiletries to linens and furniture
that is no longer wanted but still usable.

• Reuse damaged or stained linens and towels. They can

be cut for aprons, used for cleaning cloths. Animal
shelters also appreciate donations of linens and towels.

• Choose durable and reusable goods. Stock guest rooms

with reusable mugs and glasses and use high-quality
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 linens and towels that will last through many
launderings.

• Do not replace soap for stay over guests. A bar of soap

should last a guest several days and if not, the guest
can open a new soap stocked in the room. Replacing
opened soaps daily is extremely wasteful.

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E] GROWTH OF ECOTEL HOTEL IN INDIA

Almost a third of India’s energy and water

usage is consumed by commercial buildings,
including hotels, thereby providing a significant
opportunity to assess and accelerate the
implementation of environmentally sustainable
practices in the country. Hotel chains pioneer
sustainability While major brands and hotel
chains in India have often been associated with
eco-friendly practices, the Orchid Mumbai, an
independent business hotel, pioneered the initiative
in the country by being established as Asia’s first
five-star “Ecotel” certified hotel in 1997.

Currently, there are five Ecotel properties operating

in India, with four more under development. Other
industry firsts include Welcomgroup hospitality
chain’s ITC Sonar Bangla, Kolkata which was the
first hotel in the world to obtain Certified Emission
Reductions (CERs), or climate credits issued by the
Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) Executive
Board for emission reductions achieved by CDM
projects and verified under the rules of the Kyoto
Protocol.

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Greening operations and construction Go-green
initiatives of Indian hoteliers span from construction
design to operational planning. Rooms facing a
shaded atrium to reduce glare, internal walls built of
materials derived from fertilizer waste, rooftop
swimming pools for heat insulation are some
construction planning initiatives. Hoteliers are also
increasingly looking at achieving operating
efficiencies through ecofriendly measures that help in
saving costs.

For example, under the Taj Earth1 initiative, India’s

largest hotel chain, Taj Hotels, is working with EC3
Global, an international environmental advisory
group to reduce its carbon emissions. Solar water
heaters, low-energy light bulbs, reuse linen, use of
renewable energy, recycled water and organic
fertilizers in the gardens are some other operational
examples. Unlike developed countries, such eco-
friendly initiatives are still largely hotelier-driven, as
Indian customers are yet to consider such concepts as
significant value drivers.

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 However, growing entry of global brands and entry
of foreign travelers is likely to propel such
international concepts in the midterm. Benefi ts and
government initiatives Not only have Indian hoteliers
looked at such concepts out of social responsibility
but they have also witnessed the commercial benefits
of such an investment in the long run. However, the
high capital investments that are necessary for such
advancements make it only economically viable for
premium hotels in India.

Studies2 indicate that premium hotels undertaking

environment management practices achieve higher
standards than the country’s industry average across
various parameters such as air quality, energy
consumption, noise pollution, solid waste disposal,
staff training on environmental issues, water
consumption, etc Currently, technological
advancements to incorporate sustainable practices
also put a significant strain on hoteliers’ finances.
Energy efficient solutions will gain importance only
if concepts like carbon trading and Energy Service
Companies (ESCOs) are made increasingly popular
in the country. Moreover, such initiatives also need to
be well supported by the state. While the government
has been slow to react on eco-friendly issues, recent
steps indicate a reversal of this trend.

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 Government initiatives such as Energy Conservation
Building Code 2007 are focused on preserving the
environment. The code, which was launched in June
2007, specified the energy performance requirements
for all commercial buildings that are to be
constructed in India. While the concept of global
greening is nearly a decade old in the country, only
recently has it picked up speed through government
initiatives and increasing awareness. Realizing the
long-term commercial benefits, Indian operators have
also welcomed the trend. Sustainable practices are
not only here to stay but are also anticipated to
further become a focus of the hospitality industry in
the near- to mid-term.

Current ECOTEL Hotels in India:

• The Orchid, Mumbai
• Uppal’s Orchid, New Delhi
• Rodas, Mumbai
• Lotus Suites, Mumbai
• The Raintree, Chennai
• Hotel Gautam, Mahabaleshwar – Developing
ECOTEL
• Hotel Laguna, Lonavala – Developing ECOTEL
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The Orchid-An Ecotel Hotel, Mumbai

Launched in 1997, The Orchid, Asia’s First

Ecotel Hotel, a leading landmark in the city of Mumbai,
has gained international importance due to its pioneering
efforts in the eco friendly sphere. The Mission Statement
of The Orchid sums up its core values in accepting
responsibility for living in close harmony with nature
and community. In continuation to this Orchid has
reinforced its commitment to eco friendly practices by
achieving the ISO- 14001 Environment Management
System certification in just twelve months of
commencing the process. When the management
decided to lead the way in reflecting the hotel’s intrinsic
values, little did they realize then that the venture would
place the hotel
at the very top. It started with the formation of the core
team headed by Management Representative.

It is not really an easy task for Orchid to strike a

balance between environmental improvement andfive
star deluxe hotel services. But Orchid’s genuine desire to
reduce adverse environmental impactswithout sacrificing
five star services can be seen by taking a glance on its
everyday operation, even
the slightest aspects.
36
• Energy saved, at the push of a button on the Bedside
Control Panel, a unique “Ecoswitch” which
automatically increases the AC’s thermostat by two
degrees in 2 hours, without affecting comfort
levels. Guests, who generally actively participate in this
venture, are then rewarded and motivated with
Certificates and a free subscription of the environment-
based magazine ‘Sanctuary’. About 16,000 guests used
the Eco-Button and saved energy.

• Packaging was reduced by 30% by our suppliers which

also brought down waste.

• For the aesthetics potted plants are used instead of cut

flowers.

• The Restaurants doesn’t use the table cloth and thus

reduce the load on laundry.

As per the Managing Director of Orchid, the ISO

14001 initiative has been the result of “The Orchid team
work, persistence and culture – we will exert vigorous
effort such that others join in Enthusiastically ”. Quality
is never an accident, but the result of hard work and
dedication, and this is what has paid rich dividends.
Today the Orchid looms high above the horizon, a leader
in its own right, culminating with the hotel bagging ISO
14001 certificate.

37
Cost Reduction – Benefit Of ISO 14001
Implementation At Hyatt Regency, Delhi

The Environmental Management System (EMS)

of Hyatt Regency, Delhi covers all environmental
aspects associated within boundary wall of the hotel
arising out of its activities, products and services.This
standard (ISO 14001) enabled the hotel to establish an
effective EMS, achieve continual improvement of
environmental performance and ensure regulatory and
related legislative compliance.

EMS allowed the hotel to address, control and

improve the short-term and long-term impacts of its
activities , products and services, thereby helping to
operate in an environmentally responsible manner,
anticipate and meet growing environmental performance
expectations. The total timeframe of EMS
implementation took fourteen months. Initial six months
went in carrying out the detailed initial environmental
review and prioritising the significant environmental
aspects, so as to act immediately in minimizing the
38
adverse environmental impacts. Hyatt Regency, Delhi is
the first hotel in the world under Hyatt International
chain to get the ISO 14001 certificate from Det Norske
Veritas (DNV),September 2001.Mainly challenges were
faced in the beginning of implementing the EMS.

Most of the core group members representing

various departments took the initiative as an additional
burden, as they felt lotof time goes in documentation and
reviewing their own day to day work under initial
environmental review.

But later the same group realised that it gave an

opportunity to see their own activities under
environmental perspective. The second major challenge
faced is the support from management.

The key, followed in achieving commitment on the

part of management was in identifying the
environmental aspects, which affected the organisation
activities, products and services.

39
F] Hospitality going green

WHAT GREEN HOTELS DO

Green Hotels are constructed using environment-friendly
materials like PPC cement (Portland Pozzalana cement),
which last long, are energy saving (almost 40 per cent)
and insulate against extremities of weather. Their
windows are thermally sealed and double-glazed
preventing heat and noise from entering the room. These
measures lower air-conditioning or room heating costs
and save electricity.
They use low energy lamps (compact fluorescent lamps)
for all lighting. For most such hotels room lights and
A/C are switched on only when we insert the key. The
40
interactive TV in the rooms of some such hotels can be
used to send/receive messages and clear bills, thereby
saving paper/ phone costs.

The hotels work with NGOs, corporate groups and

educational institutions to conduct environmental
community awareness programs.

Green Hotels preserve and recycle water. All taps

in the guest rooms, toilets, cafeteria and the kitchen
contain special devices that increase force and decrease
water outflow, saving nearly 50 per cent water. The
toilets use concealed cisterns, which consume only seven
litres of water as compared to the ordinary cistern that
flushes out almost 20! Mini tanks (3.5 litres) are used for
a quick flush. Recycled water is used for gardening and
air-conditioning. Some Green Hotels capture rainwater
into rain-harvesting wells which helps restore the water
table.
Bio-degradable kitchen, toilet and garden waste is
decomposed in decompost pits and used as manure.

41
Non-bio-degradable waste is segregated and sent to
recycling centres.

• Asia

Asian organizations actively supporting green

hotels

Hotels in Asia began to adopt green hotel practices

more proactively with the establishment of the Asia-
Pacific Hotels Environmental Initiative (HEI) in 1994 by
16 large hotel chains in
the region, including the Shangri-la Hotels & Resorts,
the Mandarin Oriental, and Okura Hotels and Resorts
Worldwide. HEI is an initiative of the United Nations
Department of Economic
and Social Affairs’ Division of Sustainable Development
that began in 1993 and was initiated by the Prince of
Wales’ International
42
Business Leaders Forum. In Southeast Asia, the
Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) has
developed the ASEAN Green Hotel standards and
honors hotels that meet the standards with
ASEAN Green Hotel recognition awards.

Independent hotels embracing green

Across Asia, many independent hotels have also

embraced green practices as one of their core strategies.
Damaí Lovina Villas in Bali,Indonesia, for example, has
effectively reduced cost by decreasing waste and energy
usage. The resort partners with a local research center
that provides the resort with environmentally safe
agricultural and household products. The resort’s
restaurant sources 80% of its ingredients from its own
organic garden and local farms.

By practicing sustainable farming, such as using

permacultur to reduce water consumption and increase
crop health, and composting in lieu of using chemical
fertilizers, the farm was able to reduce crop production
costs by 90% and increase crop production by 20%. The
resort’s recycling efforts have also eliminated the need
to sendsolid waste to a landfill seven hours away.
Another example of an independent hotel adopting green
practices is the El Nido Resort in the province of
Palawan, Philippines, which actively protects Palawan’s
giant-clam gardens and supports the reintroduction of
endangered cockatoos.

Japan
Different hotel segments in Japan go green
43
 In Japan, it’s not only the luxury hotels, such as the
Hotel New Otani, that are actively practicing eco-
friendly policies. Business hotels, such as Tokyu Hotels
Co., Ltd., and economy hotel chains,
like the Washington Hotel Corporation, are also
implementing such policies. In 2007, the Otani installed
a new air conditioning and kitchen system, through
which it targets a 14% savings in energy and a 30%
carbon emissions reduction. The project also involved
construction of a 2,800 m2 green roof, wooden water
storage tanks, a compost plant and a water recycling
plant,
which produces 1,000 tons of recycled water daily from
kitchen sewage to be utilized in gardens or staff
lavatories.
Tokyu started a program in 2001 that allows
guests to save green coins used for disposable toiletries
and donate them to nongovernmental organizations for
planting trees. Washington adopted an environmental
policy in 1997 and launched an ISO 14001-certified
hotel chain in 1998, called R&B.

China
China’s government works to promote green hotel
development

The first green hotels appeared in China in 2003

with the publication of China Hotel Association’s
standards for green hotels. As part of the greening effort,
44
the target was set to develop 10,000 green hotels by
2010. More recent developments in China’s green hotels
are overseen and regulated by the China National
Travel Administration (CNTA), which is largely an
extension of the “Green Olympics” campaign of the
Beijing Organization Committee for the Olympics
Games (BOCOG). BOCOG drafted
a list of environmental hotel requirements in 2004,
which later became the basis for the now industry-
standard green hotel
requirements launched by CNTA in 2006. In 2007, 1,500
of China’s 13,000 star-rated hotels have met CNTA
guidelines and gained either a gold or silver leaf.

However, of the 112 hotels contracted for the Beijing

Olympics, only 52 were awarded leaves after the latest
evaluation period in February 2007, largely because
meeting green standards was voluntary. To encourage
energy efficiency, especially since blackouts were not
allowed during the Olympics, in July 2007, Beijing Vice
Mayor Ding Xiangyang asked all Beijing hotel managers
to keep room temperatures above 25°C and ordered
older three-, four- and fivestar hotels to clean out their
air-conditioning systems. He also mandated that hotels
with Beijing Olympics contracts meet green standards by
the end of the year. With increasing support from the
government, Chinese companies are beginning to
develop green hotel concepts.

In May 2007, URBN Hotels & Resorts, a boutique

hotel company based in Shanghai, entered into an
agreement with Emissions Zero, a company that sells
offsets greenhouse gas emissions. URBN plans to
calculate the total amount of energy the
45
hotel consumes, including staff commutes, food and
beverage delivery, and the energy used by each guest.
URBN will then purchase credits to neutralize its
footprint by investing in local “green” energy
development and emission reduction projects. Hotel
guests can also choose to purchase carbon credits from
the program to offset their own flights.

Caribbean

The concept of “green hotels” in the Caribbean is

thought to have begun with Stanley Selengut, in 1976,
with the opening of Maho Bay Camp in St. John.
Credited by many to have coined
the phrase “ecotourism” (the idea that tourism revenue
can promote conservation), Selengut developed an
ecologically friendly 18-key tent resort (now 114 keys)
that appealed to travelers willing to shed first-world
conveniences for a more rustic experience. Maho Bay
Camp utilizes low-flush composting toilets, spring action
faucets and showers, rain water catchments and
solar-heated water to conserve natural resources and
minimize the footprint that the hotel and visitors leave
on the island. The resort’s Trash to Treasures Art Center
recycles the resort’s waste
materials into craft items.

A few hoteliers in the Caribbean have taken

advantage of an additional marketing opportunity to
create a differentiated
product through responsible development, such as
Anguilla’s 93-key CuisinArt Resort and Spa’s

46
hydroponic farm and organic gardens, which allows
travelers to reduce their carbon footprint
while enjoying luxury accommodations. Although other
luxury ecotourism resorts modeled from Maho Bay
Camp, such as 11-key Tiamo Resort in the Bahamas, 64-
key Spice Island in Grenada,
and 7-key Exotica Cottages in Dominica have continued
to be successful within a niche market, the trend has not
received significant attention from investors due to
challenges associated with structuring finance due to the
small scale of these operations as financing dollars tend
to follow the more land-intensive mixed-use resorts that
produce higher levels of profit.

Europe

Environmental concerns have been at the forefront of the

political agenda throughout the European Union (EU)
since the Kyoto agreement was first signed in 1997. The
EU goal of reducing
greenhouse gas emissions by 8% by 2012, compared to
1990 levels1 has ensured focus on the environment for
all businesses, including hotel developers and operators.

47
Latin
America

The private nature conservancy “RUES Eco Lodge

Village” in the Amazonian region of Ecuador is arguably
one of the first environmentally sensitive lodging
developments in Latin America,
having opened in the 1970s. In the past few decades,
several other lodging properties have followed RUES’
example, and yet the “green movement” remains in its
infancy. Though it is true that many urban hotels and
resorts have become more environmentally friendly
through the implementation of various initiatives (e.g.,
reuse policies for towels and linens, electronic
room keys to control electricity consumption,
nonsmoking premises), an important driver of these
programs was the product of cost-cutting measures.
More recently, however, the green
movement has taken on a new role and is best
represented by efforts at the destination level to promote
nature-based tourism in the context of environmentally
sustainable developments and eco-friendly resorts.

Middle East

Despite having more than 60% of the world’s oil

reserves and ironically deriving much of its wealth from
fossil fuels, the Middle East, and in particular, the
United Arab Emirates, have been aggressively seeking
alternative energy sources and are actively developing
sustainable mixed-use hospitality and real estate
projects. Although the movement towards sustainability
is in its infancy in the region, like many of the
developments being built in the Middle East, recently
48
unveiled projects are mega developments, integrating
advanced technology and ultra-modern design. Greatly
supported by both public and private entities, the region
is experiencing a significant movement towards
sustainable development with prevalence of preservation
and the development of alternative energy resources
surfacing in large developments and planned cities,
small luxury hotels as well as basic economy lodging.

United
States

Green practices in the US hospitality industry can be

traced back to the late 1920s when lodging companies
began recycling and reducing the use of fossil fuels.
Until the 1950s, eco-friendly practices were primarily
driven by economic factors, such as
minimizing costs and waste; in contrast, the current
environmental movement has gained momentum from
new regulations, growing environmental awareness and
media coverage.

Legislation, local initiatives, and the US Green

Building Council(USGBC) as catalysts

Perhaps the most prominent piece of legislation

passed on this subject over the past few years is the 2006
California State Law AB 32, which aims to reduce
California’s greenhouse gas emissions
by at least 30% by 2020, and to further reduce emissions
to below 80% of 1990-levels by 2050. At least 40 other
US states are also taking action to combat global
warming, including legislation
around building codes which will likely have a strong
impact on the hotel industry.
49
The future of “going green”

The future of the green hotel movement in Latin

America is not without its challenges. Leisure lodging
and tour operators continue to be at the forefront of the
movement, while governments still lag behind in
initiatives, particularly as it relates to the adoption of tax
credits for green initiatives for fear of driving away
necessary tourism investments. Costs concerns and
know-how to “go green” are an additional element of
complexity, although such costs are anticipated to
decrease in the future and may ultimately be offset by
the positive impact of utilizing the region’s rich nature
diversity as the basis to attract higher levels of tourism.
Overall, however, the green movement in the region
continues to be concentrated in niche markets catering to
leisure travelers, with a focus on the guest experience
and rather passive vernacular green technology as
opposed to the tech-heavy, urban driven green hotel
movement observed in more industrialized markets.

50
G] Success Stories

• The Ritz-Carlton in Pasadena, CA, determined

just the right amount of chemicals to use in
laundering, saving $45,000 in one year.

• Each month, the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, FL,

avoids discarding 150 pounds of worn bath towels
by converting them into cleaning rags and
dishtowels for kitchen staff. Each year, the hotel
makes about 800 aprons from used table linens.

• The Seattle Sheraton Hotel and Towers donated

2000 telephones from guest rooms to a local
housing organization, which made them available
to low-income tenants.

• At the 960-room Boston Park Plaza Hotel,

installing a dispenser system for soap, shampoo,
hair conditioner, body lotion, and mouthwash
eliminated nearly two million individual plastic

51
 containers per year and saved 20¢ per occupied
room per night.

• After the winter holiday season, Chateau

Whistler, in British Columbia, replants its live
(potted) Christmas trees on the resort’s golf course.

• The Radisson Hotel in Asheville, NC, cut laundry

costs from $1.50 to $0.75 per load by instituting a
program allowing guests to choose to not have
linens and towels changed daily. Cost savings
include hot water, labor, detergent, and linen
purchases.

• Alaska Wildland Adventures, a Green Star

Awardee, has developed a working manual for
reducing its environmental impact, called the
Greenwork Program. The 30-page document
outlines the organization’s mission and its
environmental activities while acting as an
employee manual for expected recycling,
composting, and waste prevention activities.

• The Alaska Wilderness Recreation and Tourism

Association (AWRTA) developed a program
called Dollars a Day for Conservation to help fund
conservation groups. In 2001, 35 business

52
 participants raised more than $25,000 for
conservation organizations.

• Alyeska Resort, Kenai Fjords National Park,

Major Marine Tours, and Alaska Wildland
Adventures are all participants in Denali Green
Tags’ Tour Green program specifically design to
offset carbon dioxide emissions from tourism
activities in Alaska. These organizations have
purchased Green Tags themselves and offer ways
for guests to offset their own travel emissions.

• Royal Celebrity Tours, a Green Star Awardee, in

an effort to save money and reduce emissions,
tracked the time its motor coaches spent idling
before and after implementing an idle-reduction
initiative. In sampling 13 coaches over two three-
year periods, the company found idling time had
been reduced by almost 17%.

• The Alaska Railroad Corporation, a Green Star

Awardee, has reduced train emissions dramatically
through the purchase of lower-emission
locomotives, installing Idle Time Reduction
Systems on about half of all locomotives, and
switching to Ultra Low Sulpher diesel fuel ahead
of EPA mandates, to name a few.

53
 CHAPTER-4
METHODOLOGY

54
CONTENT

• Pilot Study

• Selection of Sample

• Development Of Tools

• Collection Of Data

• Analysis Of Data

55
METHODOLOGY
This chapter deals with the methodology aspects
pertaining to study. To make this study more effective
and systematic it is divided into following sections:-

1. PILOT STUDY
In explanatory nature to identify problems clearly and
study the different variables involved and designing
the appropriate mythology. Based on information
collected from the pilot study notification can be
made in the methodology as well as in sample
collection. Keeping this in mind on a pilot study was
carried out by designing a questionnaire and testing
on small sample of selected people of catering
professionals.

2. SELECTION OF SAMPLE
Organization or area where the samples were
contacted and the lists of knowledgeable people were
obtained. Most of them were obtained at their
respective places or questionnaire were given and
collected after giving sufficient time.

56
 3. DEVELOPMENT OF TOOLS

To get accurate response the questionnaire was designed

considering the objective of the study. Therefore, the
questionnaires consist of questions, general information
and factors and questionnaire are related to the subject
matter.

4. COLLECTION OF DATA
As mentioned earlier the total sample size was 15 and
the questionnaires were distributed to the hotels
professionals. In this manner the whole data was
collected with maximum interest and co-operation.

5. ANALYSIS OF DATA
The data obtained during the field experiment were
analyze by using standard statistical methods such as
percentage response, pie chart tables etc.

57
 CHAPTER-5
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

58
THE NEED OF THE HOUR
What we need today are strict laws. It must be made
mandatory for all hotels to follow the principles of
environment friendly lodging and boarding. Practices
harming the environment should be stopped. Laws and
educative programs through mass communication
combined with a moral obligation to save the planet
Earth are the need of the hour. Hotel and tourism
ministry and each one of us need to pull our socks up
and tighten our shoe laces as the clock is ticking—every
second taking us towards destruction. All is not lost,
there is time—so act now!

59
 CHAPTER-6
SUMMERY AND CONCLUSION

60
 CONCLUSION

• While, as shown in the survey, some hotels

are active in environmental management,
others do not put environment in their top
priorities.

• The small hotels are mostly keeping silent. In

theory, they lack incentive and resources.
Scholars suggest that the opportunity of
environmental progress can be informing the
consumer and providing them with choices.

• Form the environmental active company’s

point of view, when they believe they should
get the customers involved, they should try to
inform and provide consumer with
environmental friendly choices.

• From the survey of hotel industry, it is clear in

environmental management what is less
harmful to the environment. The difficulty is
to find practical solutions that can be of help
in small hotels where it depends on the
owners and their highly limited resources.

61
• With many certification programs in the world
overlapping each other and some regions
having their own situation and needing their
own certification programs catering to local
practice, we need to unify some programs that
can apply to the same region and make a
differentiation between each program yet
applies to the complexity of different regions
or areas.
• The importance of both quality service and
environmental protection may be better
emphasized at the same time in one program,
so that hotels will not “walk” with only one
“leg

62
 CHAPTER-7
RECOMMENDATION

63
Recommendations

• The comparison between Mobil/AAA rating

system and the other certification systems shows
that when rating a hotel, the service standards are
typically separated from the environmental
standards, which may cause the hotels either to
place emphasis on service or on environmental
conservation, but not on both together.
• Thus they do not necessarily need to provide good
service and at the same time ensure they contribute
to environmental protection. Thus, to combine both
standards into one rating will motivate the luxury
hotels, which already have good service quality to
pay attention to their environmental responsibility.
• The rationale behind this conclusion is that a
single luxury hotel will not wish to comply with
the environmental preservation by itself when
facing the competition of other hotels. However,
when competing to get a five-diamond or five-star,
which includes environmental management, they
have to comply with the standards set up by
Mobil/AAA.

64
CHAPTER-8

BIBLIOGRAPHY

65
 National and International Resources
Energy Star for Hospitality
www.energystar.gov/index.cfm?
c=sb_lodging.sb_lodging
Great Lakes Regional Pollution Prevention Roundtable
www.glrppr.org/sectors
“Green” Hotels Association ~ www.greenhotels.com
Green Hotel Initiative (CERES)
www.ceres.org/our_work/ghi.htm
Green Hotelier [magazine] ~ www.greenhotelier.org
Green Meeting Industry Council
www.greenmeetings.info
The Green Plan for Hotels
www.p2pays.org/hospitality
Green Seal (hotels project and certification)
www.greenseal.org
Pollution Solutions -
Waste Reduction Assistance for Business: Hotels/Motels
http://outreach.missouri.edu/polsol/hotel.htm
Project Planet ~ www.projectplanet.biz
Waste Reduction in Hotels
http://wrrc.p2pays.org/industry/hotels.htm
Western Regional Pollution Prevention Network -
Topic Hub for Hospitality
www.westp2net.org/hub/toc.cfm?
hub=14&subsec=7&nav=

66
CHAPTER-9
APPENDIX

67
 APPENDIX
INFORMATION RELATED TO THE
GENERAL DETAILS OF THE PERSONS
QUESTIONED.
A] No. of persons from different age group:
Age – Group. No. of persons
18 – 25 20%
26 – 40 50%
Above 40 30%

B] No. of male and female:

Sex No. of persons
Male 60%
Female 40%

C] Professions of persons:
Profession No. of persons
Student 20%
Employee 30%
Business 50%
68
 QUESTIONNAIRES

“Growth Of Ecotel Hotel In All Over The

World”

GENERAL INFORMATION

Name:
Address:
Age:
Sex:
Education:
Occupation:
Name of the Organisation:

69
1. Do you know the meaning of Ecotel Hotel ?
• Yes
• No

2. Have you visited any Ecotel Hotel ?

• Yes
• No

3. Doyou think is there any scope for Ecotel Hotel in

India / world ?
• Yes
• No
• Can’t Say

4. Is government making some remarkable policies

to promote Ecotel Hotel ?
• Yes
• No
70
5. In future every hotel should be an Ecotel ?
• Yes
• No

6. Are you aware of the benefits of the Ecotel Hotel ?

• Yes
• No

7. Doyou think Ecotel Hotels can make a good

impact on Hotel industry as well as Tourism ?
• Yes
• No
• Can’t Say

8. Every Hotel should have a separate Environment

Department who in turn ensures that all
environmental standards are maintained ?
• Yes
• No
71
 • Can’t Say

9. Are customers diverting towards Ecotel Hotels

rather than going to other Luxury Hotels ?
• Yes
• No
• Can’t Say

10. As a guest, would you like to be a part of the

environmental efforts ?
• Yes
• No

11. Would you like to be informed about the

plan, progress and the results?
• Yes

• No

72
 1) Do you know the meaning of Ecotel Hotel?

Yes 80%
No 20%

80%

60%

40% Yes
No
20%

0%
1st Qtr

73
 2) Have you visited any Ecotel Hotel ?

Yes 70%
No 30%

70%
60%
50%
40%
Yes
30%
No
20%
10%
0%
1st Qtr

74
3)Do you think is there any scope for Ecotel Hotel in
India / world?

Yes 80%
No 15%
Can’t say 5%

80%
70%
60%
50% Yes
40%
No
30%
20% Can't say
10%
0%
1st Qtr

75
 4)Is government making some remarkable policies to
promote Ecotel Hotel ?

Yes 40%
No 20%
Can’t Say 40%

40%
35%
30%
25% Yes
20%
No
15%
10% Can't Say
5%
0%
1st Qtr

5) In future every hotel should be an Ecotel ?

76
Yes 75%
No 25%

80%

60%

40% Yes
No
20%

0%
1st Qtr

6) Are you aware of the benefits of the Ecotel Hotel ?

77
Yes 60%
No 40%

60%

50%

40%

30% Yes
No
20%

10%

0%
1st Qtr

7) Do you think Ecotel Hotels can make a good

impact on Hotel industry as well as Tourism ?

78
Yes 50%
No 30%
Can’t Say 20%

50%
45%
40%
35%
30%
Yes
25%
No
20%
Can't Say
15%
10%
5%
0%
1st Qtr

8) Every Hotel should have a separate Environment

Department who in turn ensures that all
environmental standards are maintained ?
Yes 60%

79
No 20%
Can’t Say 20%

60%

50%

40%
Yes
30%
No
20% Can't Say

10%

0%
1st Qtr

9) Are customers diverting towards Ecotel Hotels

rather than going to other Luxury Hotels ?
Yes 40%
No 20%

80
Can’t Say 40%

40%
35%
30%
25%
Yes
20%
No
15% Can't Say
10%
5%
0%
1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

10) As a guest, would you like to be a part of the

environmental efforts ?

Yes 90%
No 10%

81
 90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
Yes
40%
No
30%
20%
10%
0%
1st Qtr

11)Would you like to be informed about the plan,

progress and the results?
Yes 95%
No 5%

82
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50% Yes
40% No
30%
20%
10%
0%
1st Qtr

83
84
85
86
87