BootsnAll Travel Community

A healthy percentage of the BootsnAll community relies on hostels when they travel, and I know that it's not 100% of you... So, for the folks who are more into hotels, I offer you a greener option.

Intersting, though one part of the article was a little much:

"All U.S. Marriott properties became non-smiling last year, which improves indoor air quality. This is expected to result in a 30% reduction in energy use for air treatment systems"


Does that mean that people that stay at Marriotts have bad breath, so smiling releases to much bad smelling odor or is it the staff that is not allowed to smile.

Shower Heads: Marriott Installed 400,000 new shower heads to reduce hot water usage by 10% each year

This means that you pay a lot of money, and get low-flow shower heads. It saves THEM money and you feel good about pinprick showers.
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# Group “Re-Lamp” Campaign: This program replaced 450,000 light bulbs with more efficient fluorescent lighting in 2006. This resulted in a 65% savings on overall lighting costs and energy usage in guest rooms

# Linen Reuse Program: Initiative to persuade guests to reuse linens and towels during their hotel stay. This program saved 11 to 17% on hot water and sewer bills involved in laundering operations at each hotel
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The lights in the room will seem yellower and be more glary, unless they use daylight flourescents.

You will not feel the fresh crisp feeling of new sheets every day, even after you have a great sweaty fun session with your significant other.

For this they save more money, and you feel less comfortable.

Of course, some people like to sacrifice comfort for ideals, and if you must go Marriot, you can brag about it as a travel experience.

I didn't read about their solar panel arrays that saves us from greenhouse gases, nor about their energy saving buildings. So, its not really impressing me.

quote:

All U.S. Marriott properties became non-smiling last year, which improves indoor air quality.

I think you meant non-smoking, but for me it is an extremely "non smiling" turn of events.

quote:

The lights in the room will seem yellower and be more glary, unless they use daylight flourescents.

Actually, the new flourescent bulbs are supposed to be equivelant to incandescent. And, if everyone just changed one, the energy it conserved could power a city of a million people. Check out this article: http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/108/open_lightbulbs.html

Mariotts are not always expensive. And good on them for trying to do some good for the environment. Maybe we have to "suffer" a little (low flow showerheads are not all that bad, they have been required in California for years), but that's a risk I am willing to take. There are bigger sacrifices we'll be making if we continue consuming the way we currently are.

There is a newer hotel here in SF that is green. The Orchard Garden Hotel, http://www.theorchardgardenhotel.com/ . The location is good, and the published rates are reasonable (for SF). Hopefully more businesses will move in this direction.

If you want to really save energy, and reduce your carbon dioxide production, buy a car that gets 5mpg more than the one you originally intended to.

I don't really MIND the pinprick showers, but there is nothing like a good full on hotel shower.

There are good flourescent fixtures. I recommend you get them for your home. They're called Daylight lights, and are at the
6500 k range. Avoid the 3200 k lights. They make the room look yellow, and are hard to read by.

I hope Marriot uses the good ones.