Upland, Calif.�(Oct. 7, 2002) One of the biggest opportunities facing hotel owner/operators challenged by today�s soft economy is how to better manage energy consumption and realize immediate significant and sustained cost savings.
Coast to coast, the price per kilowatt might vary some, but the related operations issues are the same.

One of the brightest ideas for quick cost savings is new energy-efficient lighting fine-tuned to improve room ambiance and security: Immediate-on, natural light fluorescent lamps that replace incandescents.

�Whether it�s at a sun-drenched resort or a down-to-business hotel, energy consumption nowadays is a top-of-mind issue for hotel operators. Lighting costs typically account for 40 percent of a property�s overall energy expenses, and we can help properties cut lighting costs 70 percent with little upfront investment in time, labor or monies,� said Dan Bornholdt, President and Founder of Green Suites International, lodging�s leading provider energy-saving solutions with economic and ecological benefit.

Seeing the Light 

Paradise Point Resort & Spa in San Diego, Calif., saw the light after working with Green Suites International and its Energy Star partner, GE Lighting, in conducting a free propertywide lighting audit and ROI assessment.

�The ROI was so fast that our lighting retrofit really was a �no-brainer.� It was immediately clear we were going to be saving significant energy and money,� said Russ Cyr, Director of Engineering for the unique 462 stand-alone bungalow resort property.

Paradise Point recently partnered with Green Suites International in a lighting retrofit involving the replacement of 4,570 light bulbs property-wide. Shortening the payback period and sweetening the ROI, Paradise Point�s local utility, San Diego Gas & Electric, awarded the property a $32,000 rebate, covering more than half of the �I� in this ROI equation.

�We estimate that our annual savings will be $89,784,� Cyr said. �The total cost of our lighting retrofit was $62,609. With annual savings of  $89,784, that�s a payback in eight months and an ROI of 143% in our first year alone.�

Situated on an island setting in Mission Bay, Calif., Paradise Point couldn�t take chances with customer satisfaction with regard to lighting�s impact on room ambiance. It took a little education and �test driving� of GE�s latest lighting technology, but the resort quickly realized that fluorescents have come a long way. 

�The timing is perfect to explore energy savings through lighting retrofit projects,� Cyr said. �Fluorescent lighting technology has advanced to the point where it now adds to, rather than detracts from room ambiance and guest safety and security. At the same time, energy prices have increased 50 percent or more in many markets during the past few years. Meanwhile, the hotel industry has become increasingly competitive, making these cost savings that much more attractive, and record-high rebates from local utilities for such projects are beginning to sweep the country. 

�We are very pleased because we know we are serving our guests by keeping our costs down and saving energy not just for ourselves but for the community,� Cyr said. �With all of the brownouts and blackouts on the West Coast, it�s important that we do everything we can in this area. Thanks to Green Suites International and GE Lighting solutions, we�re able to be good neighbors and look out for our guests and bottom line.�

Big City Savings

Sean Collard, Assistant General Manager of the Doubletree Guest Suites � New York City, a Hilton hotel, concurred that payback on lighting retrofits are quick and significant.

�Clearly, saving money is the main impetus and we had very nice numbers on paper, with an ROI of only eight months.� Collard said. �But it�s more than that. Hilton hotels are very much in favor of saving energy and being a responsible part of the community. Saving money and helping the community save energy fits nicely with our charter � and now is the perfect time to embark on just such a project.�

Doubletree Guest Suites started its lighting replacement project in April 2002 and completed it by June. The property replaced more than 5,000 bulbs, including installing more efficient fluorescent tubes in the bathrooms where the ballasts also needed to be replaced. All 460 suites of the all-suite property were involved in the retrofit. A variety of different lamps were used, including spiral lamps, u-shaped tubes, circular lamps for most of the desk lamps, flood lights and fluorescent tubes for the bathrooms. In addition to the suites, some 60 lighting replacements were made in the hotel�s lobby.

�When we started, GE gave us a free energy audit. GE looked at everything and gave us recommendations for sustained energy consumption and cost savings,� Collard said. �We even set up two rooms to do a side-by-side comparison of the lighting�s impact on room ambiance. GE took digital pictures before and after so we could see the results. They went between the rooms with a lumen meter and measured the foot candles of light using both incandescent and fluorescent lighting, and showed us that we got the same or better lighting using the new lamps.�

�Our close partnership with GE Lighting assures our customers that we find the best Energy Star solutions for them,� said Dan Bornholdt. �Every property stands a lot to gain by reviewing its so-called �fixed costs� such as energy consumption. All it takes in one call into us to start the savings spiral.�

Crowd Favorite

�What�s great is that we have had zero guest complaints since installation,� Collard said. �That�s very important to us. Customer satisfaction is our No. 1 concern. We wouldn�t do anything to sacrifice guest service and with this lighting upgrade we didn�t have to sacrifice anything.

�It�s really hard to tell the difference in lighting. We�ve gotten no complaints really, so the proof is in the pudding,� he said. �We have a lot of female travelers at our property, and we found that many of them really appreciate our new lighting, especially in the bathrooms. Our business travelers are pretty demanding and we�ve received no complaints from them about guestroom workstations, and that�s good as well. These lighting solutions are designed for all travelers and properties, coast to coast.�

Happy guest are paramount, particularly in today�s market. With 43 million environmentally concerned travelers, anything hotels can do to reduce energy consumption has beneficial results when it comes to guest satisfaction.
�Guest have warmly received our lighting upgrade � which is good because we estimate, conservatively, that the lamps will last at least three times as long as incandescents, saving us significant preventative maintenance time and minimizing �the bulb�s out� type of guest complaints,� Cyr said.

Cyr said the lighting retrofit was part of Paradise Point�s ongoing overall energy-savings strategies. With the help of Green Suites International, Paradise Point also recently has cut energy consumption and costs by installing the O-Tech Ozone Direct Injection Laundry System, and the property is exploring cogeneration as well.

Ray Burger, Vice President � Sales & Marketing for Upland-based Green Suites International, said energy savings is an ongoing process, not a start-and-end program. 

�We�re constantly working with clients and strategic partners to find and fully leverage new ways to reduce energy consumption and costs,� Burger said. �At Green Suites International, we have worked hard to develop ecological solutions proven to provide hotels with economic benefit. If eco solutions don�t make sense to the bottom line, they usually falter, and then both the business and the planet lose out.�

Paradise Point Resort & Spa is located in San Diego, Calif., and is an island oasis of blue skies, pristine beaches and lush, tropical gardens, amid the sparkling waters of Mission Bay. The resort features its signature single-level bungalows, each with private patios, and consists of 462 lanai guestrooms and suites. Paradise Point Resort & Spa is part of the unique and distinctive 12-property portfolio of Noble House Hotels and Resorts, www.noblehousehotels.com. For additional information, please contact Paradise Point Resort & Spa at 800-344-2626 or visit online at www.paradisepoint.com. 

Doubletree Guest Suites � New York City is the only all-suite hotel located in New York�s "new" Times Square. Part of the Hilton family of franchised hotels, Doubletree Guest Suites - New York City is located on Broadway, next door to some of the world�s finest theaters as well as spectacular museums, restaurants and shopping. Each of the 460 suites features a living room, dining/work area and private bedroom. For additional information on the property, please contact Doubletree Guest Suites � New York City, at 212-719-1600 or visit online at www.doubletree.com.

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 natural amenities delivered from elegant dispensers, non-toxic cleaners, air and water filtration systems and energy and water efficient products. Facilities reaping the benefits of Green Suites� solutions include properties from every state and 12 different countries. For more information on Green Suites International, its water saving products, as well as an array of other ecological solutions providing 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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