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Hilton
Portland & Executive Tower
Press
Release
March
29, 2007
HILTON
PORTLAND & EXECUTIVE TOWER EARNS CERTIFICATION
FOR “GREENING” OPERATIONS
Portland,
Ore.—The ongoing efforts of the Hilton Portland
& Executive Tower—one of the country’s
first hotels to “green” its operations and
the largest hotel in Oregon—have been recognized
by Green Seal with the coveted Green Seal Lodging
Properties certification (www.greenseal.org).
Green Seal is a non-profit organization that promotes
the management, purchase and use of environmentally
responsible products and services.
In
2005, Hilton Portland & Executive Tower turned
its attention to “greening” hotel operations.
Recognizing the enormous consumption and dramatic
impact of the hospitality industry on the planet,
hotel management decided to take action to decrease
its environmental footprint. The average hotel purchases
more products in one week than one hundred families
typically do in one year. Furthermore, both hotel
guests and staff may be exposed to many environmental
toxins from products ranging from cleaners to paint
to floor coverings. The 782-room Hilton Portland &
Executive Tower recognized the opportunity to reduce
impact, improve sustainability, replace toxic products
with eco-friendly products, save energy and save money.
“Focusing
efforts to ‘green’ hotel operations is not
only a great business opportunity, it is also the
right thing to do,” said Tracy Marks, General
Manager of the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower.
“With one of our buildings constructed in 1963,
the Hilton Portland & Executive Tower is proof
that you don’t have to be a new building to be
green,” he continued. Marks, previously of Hilton
San Francisco, has been a proactive green leader in
the lodging industry. The hotel’s Executive Tower,
added in 2002, was included in the Green Seal certification.
Hilton
Portland & Executive Tower developed an ambitious
four-year schedule detailing energy conservation improvements
from 2006 through 2010. In 2006, management initiated
modifications were seen throughout all aspects of
hotel operations, including:
Guest
room light bulbs were replaced with compact fluorescent
light bulbs (CFLs) which use one-third the energy
of traditional incandescent light bulbs and last ten
times as long. When installed in all rooms, the hotel
conserves 153,272 kilowatts continually for a total
estimated saving of $1,600 per month. The hotel was
previously spending $4,000 per month on light bulbs
alone, a cost that is expected to decrease dramatically
with the longer-lasting CFLs.
The
hotel also incorporated a rigorous food composting
program which has dramatically decreased waste. In
fact, over the past 40 weeks, 72 tons of material
that would have journeyed to the landfill was composted;
and the hotel aims to double this figure over the
next 6 months.
Excess food is donated to the local meal collection
program, “Fork It Over,” which is then given
to city food banks.
Guest
bathrooms were renovated to encourage water conservation.
Upgrades included low-flow toilets, low-flow showerheads,
smaller basins and a 50% decrease in overall water
consumption—all without impact on a guest’s
experience.
Eighty
percent of guest rooms received electronic “smart”
thermostats that operate by motion sensor, turning
the heat or air conditioning to a predetermined conservation
setting when guests exit the room. One hundred percent
of guest rooms are expected to have “smart”
thermostats by the end of 2007.
Traditional
cleaning chemicals were swapped out for eco-friendly
products.
Toilet paper with greater recycled content is now
in use.
Partially
used shampoo and conditioner bottles are donated to
a local homeless shelter, along with older furnishings,
linens, curtains, dishware and bedding.
The
hotel increased recycling capabilities throughout
the facility with receptacles present in guest rooms
and hotel lobby.
The
internal escalator is turned off between the late
hours of 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
Recycled paper is used in all printers and copy machines
settings are defaulted to print double-sided.
Hilton
Portland & Executive Tower is working to achieve
superior energy management with the replacement of
mechanical equipment and energy retrofits. This includes
replacing the current HVAC cooling tower with a state-of-the-art,
highly efficient cooling tower, replacing all “steam-to-hot-water”
converters with high-efficiency heat exchangers and
switching to 85 percent high efficiency natural gas
boilers.
The
hotel’s “Green Team,” comprised of
hotel executives, managers and staff, meets regularly
to continue the development of eco-friendly operations.
This internal network infiltrates Green Seal standards
into all aspects of hotel operations and is now a
component of new employee orientation.
The
Green Seal program is a nationally accepted benchmark
for green building operations, recognizing the superior
management of lodging operations in areas such as
water savings; energy conservation; waste minimization,
reuse and recycling; energy efficiency, conservation
and management and the elimination of hazardous substances.
Over the past 11 years, Green Seal has partnered with
the lodging industry, focusing on how environmental
efforts can both improve the bottom line and benefit
the environment. Through its “Greening the Lodging
Industry” program, individual properties that
demonstrate environmental leadership in their operations
and purchasing can gain recognition and the market
advantage that brings. Green Seal has helped educate
hotel executives, managers and staff about the importance
of sustainability and the ways hotels can operate
in a more sustainable way.
While
curbing its environmental footprint, the Hilton Portland
& Executive Tower continues to provide the distinguished
service and amenities characteristic of the Hilton
name. With nearly 500 hotels on six continents, Hilton
Hotels continues to be an innovative leader in the
full-service hospitality segment and the most recognized
name in the industry. Hilton celebrates the accomplishment,
enlightenment, renewal and celebration that travel
enables. This commitment to personal guest achievement
infuses all decisions about products, programs and
amenities, and is underscored by the belief that travel
can and should be transformative. Each unique Hilton
Hotel was designed to reflect the sense of place of
its location; each team member chosen to reflect the
local culture and community. For more information
on Hilton Portland & Executive Tower, please visit
www.portland.hilton.com
Contact
Information:
Mike
McLeod/Hilton Portland & Executive Tower
(503)
226-1611/ mike_mcleod@hilton.com
Emily
Murphy / Coates Kokes
(503)
241-1124/ emily@coateskokes.com
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