Marriott Hotels

Marriott Hotels has stepped up to the sustainability plate by employing green practices that have a smaller impact on the environment.  The chain seeks to balance these earth-friendly initiatives while still meeting the needs of their hotel and resort guests.

First, Marriott is funding an environmental strategy to help protect and preserve 1.4 million acres of endangered rainforest in the Juma Sustainable Development Reserve.  The project commits $2 million to support and protect the employment, education, and healthcare for almost 2,500 people living in the area.

Further, Marriott is reducing its use of fuel and water consumption by 25% per hotel room over the next ten years as well as installing solar power within 40 hotels by the year 2017.  They are also implementing “reduce, reuse, recycle” programs in 90% of hotels, including guest and meeting rooms.  The chain has also replaced 450,000 light bulbs with fluorescent lighting, began a linen reuse program, and installed 400,000 low-flow showerheads and toilets. The Environmental Protection Agency has taken note of these efforts, presenting Marriott with a 2009 Sustained Excellence award and placing the ENERGY STAR label on 275 of their hotels.

When it comes to hotel supplies, Marriott makes no exception to the rule of staying green.  Hotel room key cards are made of 50% recyclable materials, pillows filled with recycled bottle material, coreless toilet paper made of 20-40% recycled fiber, non pre-washed towels that eliminate excess water waste, 75% recyclable pens, low-VOC  paint, biodegradable laundry bags, and laundry detergent that cuts the amount of phosphates released into waste water by 100,000 kg.  In addition to receiving Energy Star labels from the EPA, many of Marriott’s buildings have achieved the LEED status (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council.

By the end of 2009, Marriott’s global headquarters in Bethesda, MD seeks to obtain LEED Existing Building status (which shouldn’t be too difficult, since last year alone the building diverted 64% of waste from landfills).  The headquarters also has four Smart Cars available for employees who commute to work by carpool or public transportation.

Educating their employees and guests to support planet-friendly actions is also very important to the Marriott.  Marriott invites guests to join in their efforts and green their hotel stay by making a donation to the Rainforest Preservation Fund.  What’s more, Marriott promotes Green Meetings–if guests book ten or more rooms during selected dates, Marriott hotels around the world will contribute 5% of the total cost of the group’s guests rooms towards rainforest preservation.  Another new program is Eco Events, a menu listing eco-friendly products and services for guests.