It’s a real pleasure to spend time in a well-run hotel. From the greeting at the front door, to the efficiency of the people behind the front desk, to your nice clean room and a place to eat and drink, sometimes it’s not as good as home – it’s better. It takes a real commitment to operating excellence to achieve that guest experience. Think about it – a hotel runs 24 hours a day, and they have to make sure everything run smoothly in rooms, meeting areas, restaurants and bars, and fitness centers and pools. All of that without even mentioning the areas that most guests never see but rely on like the laundry facility that cleans your sheets and towels and the mechanical rooms that heat and cool the property.
So with all of that to worry about, where does a hotel turn to pursue energy efficiency? After all, energy is typically the second largest operating expense for a hotel, behind only labor. Well, in addition to contacting us at Burton Energy Group, they should turn to their best resource – their people. And it isn’t just the people at the top who can make energy cost reduction programs are successful, it’s the whole staff.
The most obvious people to think of are those in management and engineering. They set the tone, and they maintain and improve the systems that consume most of the energy, from lighting to HVAC and controls. But what about housekeeping ? Do they play a role? Absolutely. They adjust blinds which affect how much sunlight enters the room, and they adjust room temperature set –points. Both of these can have a huge impact on room energy consumption. And they can positively improve guest satisfaction while minimizing energy costs, which is a win for everyone.
In the next few installments in this series, we’ll discuss what each team in a hotel can do to contribute to energy efficiency and operating profitability. And hopefully we’ll make those of you who are hotel guests more appreciative of their efforts, too.
Burton Energy Group provides integrated energy management solutions for the commercial sector. Their services include strategic planning and risk management, utility bill management, energy procurement, energy and water conservation, utility budgeting, energy audits, sustainability programs, and management reports. Burton Energy Group represents owners and managers for some of the most respected companies in the commercial sector. Visit the company’s website at www.burtonenergygroup.com for more information.