Destination Earth Creates Eco-Friendly Practices At Destination Hotels & Resorts

In 2008 Destination Hotels & Resorts, the fourth largest independent hotel management company in the United States, launched Destination Earth, an environmental sustainability program, throughout its collection.

Since the program’s inception, properties have implemented more than 60 eco-friendly measures ranging from energy efficient lighting and reduction of water usage to property-wide recycling and purchasing eco-friendly products in all areas. Although the company has set operational benchmarks for various eco-friendly measures, the cornerstone of the program is property-based Green Teams who implement these practices and also create customized initiatives that work well in their particular operating environments and communities.

“Each property is an incubator for great ideas, best practices and green lodging protocols,” said Mark Hickey, senior vice president of US hospitality operations for Destination Hotels & Resorts. “Part of our company’s guiding principles is to act with the highest ethical standards and we believe this applies to being good stewards of the environment. We implemented this program as a way of doing business – it’s good business to look at how we operate and identify ways to lessen our impact on the environments in which we operate.  Our customers, clients and associates have wholeheartedly embraced and supported the development of this program.”

In the summer of 2007, Destination hired Business Evolution Consulting (BEC) to work with the company to develop a structured sustainability lodging program for the collection which includes independent hotels and resorts, branded properties, condominiums and private homes. BEC is working with the company to define various levels of eco-friendly lodging practices and how to incorporate these efforts into the properties.

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