Hotel & Motel Management - June 2, 2008 - (Page 4)

4 News H&MM June 2, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition State programs help deﬁne green hotels Customer satisfaction with hotels is up 6 percent to 75, according to the recent University of Michigan’s American Customer Satisfaction Index. This score matches the industry’s highest score, set in 2006. Marriott International, Hyatt and Hilton Hotels Corp. tie for the lead with a score of 78. With scores of 70, Wyndham Worldwide and Best Western International score the lowest. Unit-level hotel proﬁts grew 7.2 percent in 2007, according to PKF Hospitality Research’s “Trends in the Hotel Industry” survey. This gain in net operating income was more than twice the pace of inﬂation for the year, but it was also the lowest year-over-year increase since 2004. PKF expects proﬁt growth to slow to 2.9 percent in 2008. Green initiatives are important to American Hotel & Lodging Assn. members, according to the group’s Green Assessment Survey. Eighty-eight percent of respondents’ properties have linen reuse programs, nearly half of responding properties have timers or sensors used for lighting during low occupancy, and the majority (82.3 percent) of properties surveyed train maintenance staffs on conservation procedures. By Heather Gunter ASSOCIATE EDITOR NATIONAL REPORT–In an effort to help hotels go green, state-sponsored certiﬁcation programs— many overseen by state waste management boards— are popping up from California to Vermont. The programs, which are in about a dozen states, help reduce waste and conserve resources, and might even be good for tourism, according to program managers. Many states are promoting the programs by steering their travel- ing employees to stay at certiﬁed hotels. In fact, Florida is requiring state agencies to use only hotels certiﬁed by The Florida Green Lodging Program for meetings and conferences. Florida’s program, established in 2004 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, came out of the state’s recycling program, according to Peter Goren, program manager. Several studies of recycling in Florida’s lodging industry, including one by the DEP, found few See Green hotels | page 68 The Orlando Airport Marriott received green certiﬁcation in February. The hotel recently completed a renovation, and green features include a recycling program and water-efﬁcient laundry equipment. AmericInn boosts its American presence New Web-marketing tools will promote soundproof rooms, general awareness By Emily Hanna CONTRIBUTING EDITOR See AmericInn | page 66 Questex, The Bench to host Russia event MOSCOW–Questex Media Group, the publisher of HOTEL & MOTEL MANAGEMENT, and The Bench formed a strategic partnership to host the fourth annual Russia & CIS Hotel Investment Conference Oct. 21-22 in Moscow. The Bench and Questex Media Group also are the organizers of the International Hotel Investment Forum and the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference. Attendance figures are expected to double in the ﬁrst year, making it a must-attend event for stakeholders in Russia & CIS hotel investment, according to Jonathan Worsley, conference organizer. “Russia and the CIS have enormous potential for hotel investors, developers, operators and consultants and we are excited about the prospect of bringing together industry stakeholders to meet new investment partners and allowing them to explore the region through this conference,” Worsley said. “We plan to attract key ﬁgures and industry leaders from the region and beyond, to facilitate a conference that becomes the leading hotel investment conference in Russia and the CIS.” The conference, taking place at The Ritz-Carlton, Moscow, will be opened by Prince Michael of Kent. Through his ties to Russia, he travels extensively on business and has led numerous delegations of businessmen to Russia in recent years. Daniel Thorniley, senior v.p., Economist Group, will be the keynote speaker. In a recent publication, he said, “Russia is the best business secret in the world.” Other speakers include Ian Carter, c.e.o., Hilton International; Ed Fuller, president, Marriott Lodging International; Davor G. Gjivoje, chairman, Networld; Kurt Ritter, president and c.e.o, The Rezidor Hotel Group; Mark WynneSmith, c.e.o. Europe, Middle East & Africa, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels; and Michael O’Hare, managing director, Horwath HTL Hungary & Russia. Worsley said the primary objectives are to raise awareness of the new ventures and investment opportunities available in the region and to create a high-level networking forum. The conference founder, Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels, previously co-hosted the event with Horwath HTL. The third annual event hosted 200 senior-level industry executives from 24 countries. For more information, visit www.russia-cisconference.com. hmm@questex.com A recent survey from Deloitte shows that 40 percent of U.S. business travelers are willing to pay more for green lodging. The survey also shows that Generation Y business travelers are the least likely to take green actions. For updated breaking news, visit www.HotelMotel.com. AMERICINN MADISON, WIS.–With 212 locations around the country, AmericInn International had a successful 2007, improving its operating statistics and being ahead of the curve in the midscale-withoutfood-and-beverage segment in occupancy. As 2008 rolls on, the brand known for its sound-protected rooms hopes to turn up the volume this year through word-of-mouth and Internet recognition of its patented SoundGuard Arnold Angeloni, c.e.o., delivers a speech during the AmericInn Convention in Madison, Wis., in April. MARRIOTT INTERNATIONAL http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition http://www.russia-cisconference.com http://www.HotelMotel.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - June 2, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - June 2, 2008 Contents State Programs Help Define Green Hotels AmericInn Boosts its American Presence Questex, The Bench to Host Russia Event Perspective Letter to the Editor Legally Speaking Guest Column Marketing Matters Consultant's Corner Satisfaction Trends On Finance Travel Trends Cornell Insights Energy Star Update Maintenance Doctor Management Trends Trends & Stats Finding Financing Challenges Developers Credit Crunch Still Tops List of Lawyers' Concerns Mixed-use Funding Bleak, Panelists Say Luxury Landscape Keeps Pushing Higher PTACs Events Casegoods Seating Energy Controls and Sensors Pest Control Electronic Locks Transactions Supplier News Timeshare Misconceptions Still Prevalent Awards People Ad/Edit Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - June 2, 2008

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