Upland, Calif.�(Sept. 25, 2002) If you still use old-fashioned manual thermostats and HVAC units that guests can keep changing, you are throwing money out the window in energy costs. The solution � Green Suites International�s Guestat Programmable Digital Thermostat � lets a hotel manage heating and cooling costs while enhancing guest satisfaction for about $75 per guestroom, not including rebates.

And how sweet the rebates are on the ROI and payback period. For example, now through Oct. 15, qualifying customers of Southern California Edison can receive a $48.00 rebate for every Guestat installed, reducing the energy management system�s total cost to just $27 per guestroom. David A. Ford, Account Executive for the Rosemead, Calif.-based utility urges all SCE hotel customers to act immediately, before funds are exhausted.
�I really encourage all hotels to apply for these rebates TODAY, because the funds might not be here tomorrow,� Ford said. �This is a real opportunity that should not be missed, and historically, these limited-time expanded rebate programs have gone very fast.�

�This is an unbelievable opportunity to save significant dollars and help save energy in a part of the country suffering from major brownouts and energy shortages,� said Ray Burger, VP Sales & Marketing for Green Suites International. �Apply now to secure this generous rebate. Take a few minutes to act today because the money likely won�t be there tomorrow.� 

Hotels can more than offset rising energy prices through efficiency products like the Guestat offered by Green Suites International. The Southern California Edison rebate serves to make the payback on installing energy saving thermostats just one-quarter of what it was before, or a matter of weeks! 

Money manager

�One of the worst nightmares for a hotel owner is a guest who leaves the air conditioning or heat on all day while he or she is not there � and unfortunately, this is the profile of a typical guest� said Dan Bornholdt, President and Founder of Green Suites International. �Many guests don�t take the time or care to change the settings on their home thermostats, so going out of their way to save you energy costs certainly is not a top-of-mind issue for most on the road.�

The Guestat solves the problem because it lets hotels control the temperature in their rooms, allowing the setting of four temperature presets a day, enabling maximum energy savings during the times when most rooms are unoccupied. The fact is most rooms are wasting energy on heating and cooling during periods around 9 a.m., noon, 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. because the spaces are typically unoccupied.  Heating and air conditioning control are particularly important for resort properties and for properties that experience extended periods of inclement weather. 

Dick Williams, VP and GM of the 310-room Radisson Hotel Sacramento (Calif.), said Guestat�s top-three benefits are: its simple, user-friendly design; can�t resist price tag; and proven ROI.

�We looked at practically every EMS product out there in the hospitality and selected Guestat after obtaining six bids from Green Suites� competitors,� Williams said. �Literally every other system we looked at was two to three times as expensive and showed similar or lower energy savings performance.

�Many of the occupancy sensor-based models out there are nice in theory, but in reality they typically make too many assumptions, cost too much to buy and install, and can be quite confusing to operate, hindering energy-saving opportunities and annoying some guest in the process,� he said. �Green Suites� Guestat keeps energy management simple, predictable and fruitful.� 

Burger said Guestat has 10 key features that make it the clear winner in any comparison:

1. Simplicity � It�s easy for hotels to install and program, and easy for guests to use, with no downtime for installation, no headaches for engineering departments and bliss for climate-conscious travelers.
2. Low cost / High cost-savings � Guestat is priced to achieve a payback in as little as three months (even quicker with the rebate) and is proven to consistently save typical hotels tens of thousands of dollars annually.
3. Peak Demand Set Points � The device allows properties four digitally programmable periods to setback temperatures to reduce peak demand charges up to 20 percent during low-occupancy times.
4. Concealed Temperature Set Points � Delivers a �placebo effect� that eliminates guests� cranking room temperatures to the extremes simply by displaying guests� desired room temperatures rather than the actual or predetermined set points.
5. Temperature Accuracy � Guestat�s easy-to-read and set programmable digital display allows guests and staff to select their precise desired room temperatures rather than just a high/low or warmer/cooler range.
6. Nightlight � The Guestat electro-luminescent display doubles as a nightlight. Since more than 40 percent of travelers typically leave bathroom lights on as nightlights, this feature alone has helped hotels save as much as $50 per room per year.
7. Lanai Switch Input � Allows properties to shut off PTAC systems when sliding doors are open, a major cost-saving feature for resort properties.
8. Mold/Mildew Control � Using the Guestat�s set-back feature, temperatures will never exceed 76 degrees Fahrenheit, the temperature mold and mildew begins to grow in areas with high humidity. 
9. Celsius/Fahrenheit Dual Read-Out � Depending on where a property is located or a guest�s preference, GUESTAT can deliver temperature readings in either measurement form.
10. Keyboard Lockout � A safety feature for meeting rooms and common areas that can include manual or automatic fan controls.

Double whammy

The economy is soft across the country, and it is not getting better. Hotels have lost 30 to 40 percent of their revenues since Sept. 11, 2001, while energy costs have risen 30 percent or more in most markets.

�The average charge per kilowatt hour in California is 15 cents, compared to 10 cents in the state in 2000,� Ford said. �That�s up 50%. All those nickels per kilowatt hour add up.�

Green Suites International�s Burger called the utility rate hikes and drop-off in travel a double whammy.

�Hoteliers realize something has to give, and they know it is not going to be the guest,� Burger said. �Using Guestat, our energy-saving thermostat, hotels can cut related energy costs 30 percent or more.�

Designed specifically for the lodging industry, the Guestat delivers a quick payback (literally measured in weeks) thanks to SCE�s limited-time rebate. Savings on an on-going basis can be $100 or more per guestroom per year, conservatively estimated. 

With the rebate hoteliers can cut energy costs and invest the savings to attract new business through lower rates or additional amenities. The idea of passing higher energy costs on to the guest has failed in both the marketplace, where travelers have far too many lodging choices, and the legal arena.

�The rebate gives users a competitive advantage, serving as a competitive differentiator. They can lower prices, boost amenities, and/or just cut costs significantly,� SCE�s Ford said. �Some hotels have saved tens of thousands of dollars and then have used the monies to add services or renovate rooms, while still ending up with a much-improved bottom line.�

Saving money and saving energy go hand-in-hand, and there are many areas that can benefit from making relatively little changes that can add up to big bottom-line results.

�There is a lot of potential for hotels in non-urban areas to participate in this program,� Ford said. �There are many hotels in the rural, high desert areas surrounding Los Angeles where maybe 90 percent still have not made these necessary energy efficiency upgrades.�

Guestat is one of many ecologically friendly solutions available from Green Suites International that provides significant economic benefit.

�Our advice to hotels is to explore what Guestat can do, especially now that the upfront cost is so low, and take all the other steps they can to save energy and water � because it makes good business sense and it is good for the environment,� Bornholdt said.

�We are delighted to be partnering with solutions providers the caliber of Green Suites International,� SCE�s Ford said. �In a matter of 24 hours, Dan Bornholdt and company had professional fliers created promoting this rebate program and the bottom-line benefits to hoteliers.

�We first became involved with Green Suites international because of the breadth of their green hotel product offerings, their hotel contacts and the strategic partners,� Ford said. �Hotels are one of the larger consumers of energy and Green Suites International�s solutions and relationships are key to this industry fully capitalizing on this limited-time quadrupled rebate for the Guestat energy management system.�

Mit Amin, Project Manager for Diplomat Hotels Corp.�s new AmeriSuites Atlanta Airport property, said he is sold on the Guestat�s myriad benefits.
Guestats were installed at the AmeriSuites property a few months ago during the construction phase. All 152 rooms were equipped with Guestat units. From Day One, the property was enjoying the many features and benefits of the Guestat.

�We really liked the Guestat solution because it�s the most economical on the market and its ROI is proven,� Amin said. �The design is a recessed, sleek style so it blends in flush with the wall and people don�t knock it off. Also a big hit are its neutral white color with an easy-to-read green LCD display.

�We looked at several other energy management systems and we are confident Guestat is the best buy out there,� said the Diplomat Hotels official. �Guestat quickly pays back its own costs and continues to provide significant on-going cost savings. Sweetening the deal, oftentimes, hotels can benefit from utility company rebates that help offset the marginal investment expense � whether it be a new build or retrofit upgrade.�

Amin said Guestat also keeps guests away from a hotel�s PTAC systems � resulting in less potential for damage to in-wall heating and air-conditioning units from every-day dangers such as spilled drinks. Amin estimates Guestat will save the AmeriSuites property 10 percent to 20 percent on energy bills.

�When the mathematics on the savings come in, I am confident the system will pay for itself in a few months,� Amin said. �We are definitely looking at installing the Guestat energy management system in all of our new hotel projects from this point forward.�

�Guestat is EMS technology in its most-effective form,� Amin said. �Green Suites International knows that anything that saves money is good in the hotel business � and it has developed an EMS solution that uniquely saves significant dollars on both the capital investment and ROI ends, so hoteliers can sleep as well as their guests will using our Guestat.�

Based in Upland, Calif., Green Suites International assists hotels by developing solutions that are profitable to hotels and image enhancing to the more than 43 million environmental travelers in the United States. Solutions include energy and water efficient products, natural amenities delivered from elegant dispensers, non-toxic cleaners, and air and water filtration systems. Facilities reaping the benefits of Green Suites� solutions include properties from every state and 12 different countries. For more information on Green Suites International and its wide array of ecological solutions providing significant economic benefit, please contact Ray Burger, VP Sales & Marketing, at 888-590-2285, e-mail [email protected], or visit www.greensuites.com.

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