AH&LA’s Green Task Force has developed comprehensive, sustainable greening guidelines designed expressly for the hotel industry.These guidelines provide hotel owners and operators with a variety of options in which to create an environmental-friendly andsustainable hotel.

The AH&LA Minimum Environmental Guidelines are based on existing certification programs, including Green Seal, Green Globe,Green Key, LEED, and various state programs. In developing these guidelines, the goal was to identify those that are the most reputableand provide the best pathways for the industry as a whole.

The guidelines define ways to give hotel owners and operators opportunities to reduce operating costs and environmental impacts through reduced utility consumption, recycling programs, employee training, and supply chain management. Hotels can improveboth their fiscal and environmental performance by adhering to these guidelines, as well as see benefits in corporate environmentalmanagement, housekeeping, food and beverage operations, conference and meeting functions, and engineering.

The 11 AH&LA Minimum Environmental Guidelines were culled from more than 70 overall items that are used by the major privatesector certification or rating systems, plus the criteria used by the state certification programs. The guidelines will be continuously addedand built upon with the next set focusing on design and construction, materials and resources, chemicals and cleaning, and indoorair quality. Each of the minimum guidelines will include case studies, business cases, and resources for properties to implement.

These guidelines were approved for adoption by the MH&LA Board of Directors on June 18, 2009. Click here to access the complete AH&LA Minimum Environmental Guidelines.