Sheraton Hotel Goes Green: Saving Time and Money

As the green movement continues to sweep across the globe, it is also starting to creep into certain industries. In the hotel industry, one of the top hotel chains—the Sheraton—has started its own green movement, which pays hotel guests that decline housekeeping services.

Make a Green Choice Program

Last fall, in an effort to cut back on the hotel chain’s energy usage, Sheraton rolled out its "Make a Green Choice" campaign. The program pays hotel guests with a $5 food and drink voucher or 500 Starwood points for each day the guest declines housekeeping services in an effort to "conserve natural resources."
Starwood reports that in the first six months the program existed, more than 200,000 guests in North America participated. Starwood says this has helped its hotels to save 8.2 million gallons of water; 38,000 kilowatts of electricity; and 11,000 gallons of cleaning chemicals.

"Starwood believes the most sustainable sustainability initiatives are those that are economically viable, so there are indeed operational efficiencies driven by this program," says a Starwood representative.