Florida Trend | Florida's Business Authority

The Florida Green Lodging Program is helping hotels go green

The Florida Green Lodging Program is a partnership between the Department of Environmental Protection and the state’s hotel and hospitality industry. The initiative gives a formal designation to lodging facilities that voluntarily commit to reducing waste, conserving water, using less energy and recycling.

Nearly 400 hotels participate in the statewide program. Among those are 15 properties in Northwest Florida, including Hilton, Marriott and Best Western. The participating properties decreased landfill waste in 2018 by more than 1.5 million pounds.

A state law gives Green Lodging properties preference when state government agencies and groups book hotels for conferences and meetings, says DEP spokesman Alex Cronin.

“The Florida Green Lodging Program benefits not only the environment,” says Cronin, “but also, by following our conservation guidelines, it helps designated properties save money and increase occupancy rates.”

Many hotels in the state’s larger metro areas already participate in the program, Cronin says, and the DEP is focusing this year on increasing participation among lodging facilities in rural counties.

“Our goal is to have at least one participating lodging facility in all 67 Florida counties,” says Cronin.

Participating Northwest Florida hotels:

Tallahassee

  • Aloft downtown
  • Best Western Plus (north)
  • DoubleTree by Hilton
  • Hampton Inn (central)
  • Hampton Inn & Suites Resort
  • Hilton Garden Inn
  • Homewood Suites by Hilton
  • SpringHill Suites (central)
  • Staybridge Suites

Pensacola

  • TownePlace Suites
  • Best Western Plus
  • Blue Angel Inn

Elsewhere

  • WyndhamEmerald Beach Resort, Panama City Beach
  • Courtyard by Marriott, Miramar Beach
  • Grayton Beach State Park Cabins, Santa Rosa Beach
  • The Island, Fort Walton Beach 

Read more in Florida Trend's June issue.
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