New Delhi - Services - ECOTEL

The ECOTEL® Collection is an exclusive group of international inns, hotels, and resorts that define the concept of environmental responsibility in the hospitality industry. All certified hotels must pass a detailed inspection and satisfy stringent criteria designed by environmental experts such as the Rocky Mountain Institute in Aspen, Colorado.

The collection began in 1994 with the New York Vista Hotel, which re-opened as the world's first ECOTEL® Certified hotel after having been closed since the 1991 bombing of the World Trade Center. Since then over 1000 hotels, resorts, and inns have applied for the certification.

About the Criteria and Inspection
The ECOTEL® criteria is based on five separate inspections each with a three-tiered Numerical Scoring System. The five criteria correspond with the five globe awards:

• Environmental Commitment
• Solid Waste Management
• Energy Efficiency
• Water Conservation and Preservation
• Employee Environment Education & Community Involvement

Within each globe inspection there are three levels of criteria and scoring: Primary, Secondary and Tertiary scores.

The Five Globes
The ECOTEL Certification is based on five areas of environmentalism, each of which is designated by a Globe award. These five areas are referred to as the cornerstones of environmental responsibility, or simply as Globes.

Hotels can apply for 1 to 5 Globe awards, although all hotels certified or recertified after 1999 must achieve at least two globe awards to be certified as an ECOTEL.

The Benefits of Membership
Members of the ECOTEL® Collection realize a number of benefits. Primarily the value of the business will improve due to increased exposure in the marketplace, higher staff morale, and better control of operating expenses. We have discovered that the ECOTEL® Collection of hotels caters to a variety of groups, including not only traditional ecotourists, but also discerning business travelers with interest in the environment, Fortune 500 companies with advanced environmental programs as part of their own corporate cultures, corporate meeting planners, travel agents, eco-friendly vacationers, and of course business, travel, and environmental media.

Because of the integrity of the ECOTEL® certification and inspection system, travelers and the media rely on this endorsement of a hotel's environmental performance. When presented properly, the certification can be a powerful marketing advantage and motivator of sales.

Another major benefit realized by hoteliers is increased staff morale with a sense of belonging and pride which translates into minimum staff turnover.

For further details, contact Harinakshi Nair at hnair@hvs.com.