Environmental Certification from America’s Best and Country Hearth

This week, America’s Best Franchising Inc. launched the lodging industry’s most comprehensive and mandatory certification program of eco-friendly practices throughout its two brands: America’s Best Inns & Suites and Country Hearth Inns & Suites. The program establishes a “best practices” outline to be mandated at each property and focuses on include a linen and towel [...]

This week, America’s Best Franchising Inc. launched the lodging industry’s most comprehensive and mandatory certification program of eco-friendly practices throughout its two brands: America’s Best Inns & Suites and Country Hearth Inns & Suites. The program establishes a “best practices” outline to be mandated at each property and focuses on include a linen and towel reuse, water-efficiency, nontoxic housekeeping products, and lighting. A classification of “Green Suites® Certified Green Hotel” will be awarded based on how extensively a property complies, with a rating of between one to five leaves. With the new program in place, every single property of the franchise is required to score at least one leaf, with five leaves being the highest rating. The certification program is a customized program developed by Upland, California based Green Suites International, which serves more than 3,000 hotel customers in 50 states and 40 countries .

The franchise, which is comprised of 98 America’s Best properties and 90 Country Hearth properties, is also working with the corporate level by developing a written environmental policy and naming a committee to convene every month to review the company’s environmental performance against specific goals.

“Improved environmental performance makes both dollars and sense,” said Doug Collins, chairman and CEO of Atlanta-based America’s Best Franchising Inc. “We’re requiring all our franchisees to implement simple practices which will generate savings of between $1 and $3 per night in energy-related operating expenses, while directly helping the environment plus appealing to the 78 percent of travelers who consider themselves environmentally-conscious.”

“Being environmentally responsible is part of being a responsible citizen, both as a company and as individuals,” Collins added. “That’s why we asked Green Suites to develop a program which is brand-specific and that reflects the everyday operational realities of our hotels.”

“Limited-service hotel properties like those operated by America’s Best and Country Hearth franchisees are already making a powerful positive impact on the environment,” said Dan Bornholdt, president and founder of Green Suites International. “Collectively, there are many privately-owned properties at which the owners have a strong personal motivation to produce results. They care and they can take action quickly to generate sizeable ecological benefits without a lot of corporate bureaucracy or hierarchy.”