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fresh ideas
for hospitality
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The Pineapple has been a symbol of
hospitality for centuries. According to legend, captains of New England
would mount a pineapple on their fence posts when they had a safe return
from sea. This served as an invitation for family and friends to
visit and share a meal together. Today, the pineapple serves as a
symbol for the highest quality in hospitality
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Three�s Company
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Pineapple Hospitality�s EcoRooms
& EcoSuites adds three new members to its Board of Advisors, providing
additional environmental insight and perspective for the hospitality industry
Saint Charles, Missouri � Oct. 2, 2007 � EcoRooms
& EcoSuites continues to grow in its role as an environmental steward
for the hospitality industry, adding three new members to its prestigious
Board of Advisors: Jenn Holderied-Webb, John R. Hendrie, and Stephen Tagliatela.
EcoRooms & EcoSuites (www.EcoRooms.com)
is an online directory of environmentally responsible hotels, motels, inns
and B&Bs. With insight from some of the most thoughtful and greenest
minds in the industry as a guide, the Web site�s rigorous �Significant
7� Criteria is helping to define what it means to be a green hotel.
�We�re proud to have Jenn, John and Stephen join
our Board of Advisors,� says Ray Burger, President of Pineapple Hospitality,
which operates EcoRooms & EcoSuites as a Division of Pineapple Hospitality.
�As the trend of going green continues to explode
in every facet of society, our new advisors will bring us new ideas and
different, fresh perspectives to best serve our green travelers and lodging
partners.�
�Before, most of our advisors came from the Midwest
and Western United States, either California or Texas. Coming from New
York (Holderied-Webb), Massachusetts (Hendrie) and Connecticut (Tagliatela),
our three new members will provide a bit of an �East Coast style,� giving
us a greater insight into the trends and issues occurring on the Atlantic
side of the country as well,� Burger adds. �By bringing them all together,
I believe EcoRooms & EcoSuites will become an unmatched resource for
green hospitality outreach and education.�
Meet the Team
Already a formidable group working with some of
the greenest hotels on the planet, the new Advisors join current members
of EcoRooms & EcoSuites� Board of Advisors, which includes:
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Deirdre Wallace, President & Founder of The Ambrose
Group;
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Natalie Marquis, General Manager of Habitat Suites
Hotel;
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Rauni Kew, Director of Public Relations & Green
Programs for the Inn By the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine;
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Wen-I Chang, President of Atman Hospitality Group
and the owner/developer of California�s premier green hotel brand: GAIA
Hotels;
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Stefan Muhle, General Manager of the Orchard Garden
Hotel in San Francisco.
Our newest EcoRooms & EcoSuites Advisors have
equally outstanding qualifications:
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Jenn Holderied-Webb � This new advisor is
fortunate enough to live and play in one of North America�s greatest treasures,
the Adirondack Park. It is this setting that inspired her interest in sustainability
and conservation. Having graduated from Hamilton College and received her
MBA from Northeastern University in Boston, Holderied-Webb returned home
to Lake Placid, N.Y., to work in the family business. With her parents,
brother and sister she runs the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, a 160-room
full-service hotel in the heart of the Olympic Village. In 2002, the Golden
Arrow became the first hotel in the area to become completely non-smoking,
years ahead of the mass trend. In 2005, the property was rated 3 leaves
by the Audubon Society for it excellence in sustainable business practices.
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John R. Hendrie � With a strong background
in human resources, organizational effectiveness, communications and hospitality,
Hendrie has dedicated his career to elevating organizational performance
across varied industrial sectors. For the past 10 years, he has presided
over Ragsdale Associates, a consortium of management consultants specializing
in customer service/satisfaction, communication and branding. Hospitality
Performance, a subsidiary, is focused upon destination development, education,
training and assessment counsel to validate the retail experience. Hendrie
holds a bachelor of arts degree in English and a master�s degree from the
Cornell Hotel School. He resides in Merrimac, Mass.
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Stephen Tagliatela � Serves as Owner &
Innkeeper of the Saybrook Point Inn & Spa in Old Saybrook, Conn. Under
Tagliatela�s guidance, the 80-room facility in Saybrook is a four-time
winner of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection's (DEP�s)
Green Circle Awards.
Newest Member
As the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort is the latest
hotel to receive a listing on EcoRooms & EcoSuites, Holderied-Webb
says she is looking forward to gaining even more insight into the steps
she and her hotel can take to protect the delicate environment of the Adirondack
Mountains. Though the green policies she has implemented have already been
a smashing success.
Each year, the hotel sets two to three major environmental goals. In
past years, some of those goals were hit by using crushed limestone in
the beach outside the hotel to offset the effects of acid rain, which is
a problem in the area; implementing an in-room recycling program, which
has more than doubled the amount of recyclables and attains 85-percent
guest participation; and the ongoing installation of a green roof (growing
plants and herbs), aiding in energy conservation.
Another innovative solution the hotel is working
on is creating a carbon-offset program, which guests can access on the
resort�s Web site. Because the resort is a drive-to destination, guests
can see how much carbon dioxide their trips put into the atmosphere, and
calculate the cost or the steps that can be taken to offset the effects.
�The guest feedback has been 100-percent positive
every time we implement a new green strategy. Guests applaud us for taking
the initiative, and they reward us with more repeat business and referrals�
Holderied-Webb says. �We are blessed to be located in such a beautiful
location in the Adirondack Park. Both the hotel and our guests want to
do everything we can to make sure future generations can continue to live
and play here.�
Holderied-Webb is proud that Golden Arrow is rated
3 leaves by the Audubon Society for its excellence in sustainable business
practices. She believes both being listed on and being an advisor of EcoRooms
& EcoSuites will help the hotel take even greater steps forward toward
a greener future.
�There are a lot of great environmental minds
on the EcoRooms & EcoSuites Board of Advisors. It will be a great forum
to exchange ideas and discuss the challenges we face up ahead,� says Holderied-Webb.
�I�m sure I�ll pick up ideas on things we can do or do better. I can�t
wait to get together and pick each other�s brain. There�s no need to try
to reinvent the wheel. We should all be working together for the good of
the planet and for the future of our children.�
Eager to Help
As a writer and consultant to the hospitality
industry, Hendrie says EcoRooms & EcoSuites can provide crucially important
clarity and leadership to an often-confusing marketplace.
�The green movement has taken off precipitously
in the past year or two � and with it has brought forth all sorts of different
associations, products and services,� Hendrie says. �Not that there�s anything
wrong with newcomers, but it has to some extent confused the market.
�At EcoRooms & EcoSuites, my goal is to make
the organization one of the top sources people in the industry turn to
understand and evaluate green practices,� he adds. �This is a huge issue.
The concern for applying the standards of green is not just happening in
the U.S. It�s a global concern. We�ll work hard at EcoRooms & EcoSuites
to make sense out of it all.�
Hendrie praised Burger and Pineapple Hospitality
for being on the forefront of the environmental movement. As an admittedly
pretty opinionated guy, Hendrie will be happy to chip in more than his
two cents worth to impact real change in the hospitality industry.
�There�s a lot of lip service out there, but even
worse there are a lot of companies that don�t understand what it truly
means to be green,� Hendrie says. �This is too important of an issue to
be left behind on. Consumers practice conservation at home. Why wouldn�t
they continue those practices when they travel? This is not just about
marketing. It�s about stewardship.�
Team Participation
Tagliatela also hopes to gain new insight and
ideas from working on the Board of Advisors, though he gets new ideas every
day from his own team at the Saybrook Inn.
�Almost everything we do is employee-driven,�
Tagliatela says. �They�re driving the bus, always coming up with new ways
to save energy and the environment. The idea is to run the business in
an environmentally responsible way, and not detract from the guest experience
at all.�
The hotel�s policies helped it become the first
full-service hotel in Connecticut to receive the prestigious ENERGY STARTM
award by the Environmental Protection Agency. The Saybrook also received
Green Circle Awards from the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection
for:
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Installing water-recycling laundry equipment with
Ozone to reduce hot water, water soap, bleach and propane gas usage;
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Improving effluent quality being discharged into
the septic system;
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Implementing a 100-percent recycled process for cooling
water;
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Reducing annual energy or water consumption rates
by more than 15 percent;
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Deploying 90 energy-saving programmable thermostats,
and much more.
�There are so many good ideas out there. We just
have to set the standards and help bring them together,� Tagliatela said.
�We�re at the tip of the iceberg of the green movement. If it continues
to grow like it is, it will become too expensive to draw oil out of the
ground. We�ll have the solutions available to us so that we can just leave
it there.�
Eco-Criteria
Burger stresses that getting listed on EcoRooms
& EcoSuites is not easy. Rather than being a directory of every hotel
with a towel re-use program, EcoRooms & EcoSuites will only take those
facilities that pass its rigorous standards. That way, the 50 million-plus
environmentally conscious travelers can visit the site and know they�re
booking green hospitality experiences.
Criteria to be an EcoRoom or EcoSuite:
1. Cleaning Products � General
Purpose, Bathroom, Glass and Carpet Cleaning
A. Must be Less than 10% VOC�s by weight.
B. Must Be Diluted at least 8 to 1.
C. The Undiluted product shall not be toxic to
Humans.
D. The Undiluted product shall not contain carcinogens
or any ingredients that are known to cause reproductive toxicity.
E. The Undiluted product shall not be corrosive
to the skin or eyes
F. The Undiluted product shall not be a skin
sensitizer
G. The Undiluted product shall not be combustible
H. The product as used shall not contain substances
that contribute significantly to the production of photochemical smog,
Tropospheric ozone, or poor indoor air quality. The Volatile Organic Compound
as used shall not exceed the following:
1% by Weight for Dilutable Carpet Cleaners
1% by Weight for General Purpose and Bathroom
Cleaners
3% by Weight for Glass Cleaners
3% by Weight for Ready to Use Carpet Cleaners
I. The Product as used shall not be toxic to aquatic
life
J. Each of the organic ingredients in the product
as used shall exhibit ready biodegradability
K. The product as used shall not contain more
than 0.5% by weight of total phosphorus
L. The product containers shall be recyclable
or Manufacturers may provide for the returning and refilling of their packaging.
M. Prohibited Ingredients include the following:
Alkylphenol ethoxylates
Dibutyl Phthalate
Heavy metals including arsenic, lead, cadmium,
cobalt, chromium, mercury, nickel, or selenium
Ozone-depleting compounds
Optical Brighteners
N. Training � The Product Manufacturer, its distributor,
or a third party shall offer training or training materials in the proper
use of the product. These shall include step-by-step instructions for the
proper dilution, use, disposal, and the use of the equipment. A statement
containing this information shall be provided to Each Supplier of cleaning
products. They will sign the statement verifying that each of the products
supplied complies with these standards.
2. Paper Products � Consumable Paper Products
shall be made from recycled fibers, with the following minimum postconsumer
content: Bathroom Tissue: 20%, Facial Tissue: 10%, Napkins and Paper Towels:
40%
3. Amenity Products � Property shall use
refillable amenity dispensers or individual containers for shampoo, conditioner,
soap, lotion, etc. Individual products shall be the smallest practical
size for the length of stay and minimally packaged in recycled and/or recyclable
materials. Used amenities are collected for donation to charity or for
recycling where practical.
4. Linen and Towel Reuse Program � Property
shall implement and execute a well designed Linen and Towel Re-use program
for all Guest Rooms.
5. Recycling Program � Property shall establish
and maintain recycling programs for the common areas, administrative areas,
and Guest rooms. The Guest Room Receptacle must be clearly identified for
Glass, Paper, Aluminum, & Plastic.
6. Lighting � All Guest Room Lighting shall
be Energy Efficient. No incandescent lighting is acceptable in Floor, Desk,
Table or Nightstand lamps. Bathroom lighting shall be either Linear Fluorescent,
Compact Fluorescent or a combination of each type.
7. High Efficiency Plumbing Fixtures �
Property shall use the following: 2.2 GPM Faucets with 1.5 GPM or less
aerators, the showerheads shall be 2.5 GPM or less and the toilet shall
be 1.6 GPF or less.
About Pineapple Hospitality
Headquartered in Saint Charles, Missouri, Pineapple
Hospitality� is an EPA ENERGY STAR� partner bringing fresh ideas to hospitality
guests� doors and owner/operators� bottom lines � including FreshStay®
(www.freshstay.com), Environmentally
Sensitive Amenities�, the greenSPA� luxury amenity and dispenser system,
Custom Linen and Towel Re-Use Programs, Guestat� programmable thermostats,
high-performance energy- and water-efficient showerheads, the Nature�s
Mist� deodorization system, and dozens of other products and programs.
To get a taste of Pineapple�s sweet planet-friendly solutions helping thousands
of hotels bolster business and cut costs, please visit www.pineapplehospitality.net,
or call Ray Burger at 636-922-2285.
ECOQUOTE
�One of the challenges of being a pioneer in
the industry
is that you have to dig deeper and work
harder.
I believe five to 10 years from now
the entire hospitality industry will be green.�
� EcoRooms & EcoSuites Advisor Dierdre Wallace,
as quoted in Natural Living Magazine.
To read more from the article, click on the link
found in Dierdre�s profile at http://www.ecorooms.com/Board_of_Advisors.html
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