Green Key Global, operators of the Green Key Eco-Rating Program (Green Key), have announced that the Konover Hotel Corporation is the first management company in the United States to attain Green Key certification for its entire portfolio. While several hotel management companies have certified individual properties, Konover is the first with 100-percent adoption.
Konover certified 17 select-service and economy hotels throughout New England (Connecticut) and the Midwest (Indiana, Kansas, Michigan), representing a variety of branded and independent properties. Several of the properties belong to brands with an existing partnership with Green Key, such as Microtel (via the Wyndham Hotel Group) and Country Inn & Suites (via Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group).
"We are proud of our work to date in registering our portfolio for Green Key and in our status as the first management company with full program participation," said Peter H. Mason, CHA, Executive Vice President of Konover Hotel Corporation. "But this is just a first step towards our goal of running sustainable properties. The resources made available to Green Key members, in particular the performance report issued to new members, have helped our properties make incremental progress towards this goal."
Green Key, which is currently the largest green hotel certification program in the world, with nearly 3,000 members, provides a variety of educational tools to members to help them reduce their environmental footprint, save money and effectively market themselves to eco-conscious consumers. The Green Key Performance Report is a comprehensive document tailored to each participating property, with recommendations and resources based on how the property responded to the Green Key questions.
“Green Key's original mission was as an educational program, and that remains to this day," explained Tony Pollard, Managing Director of Green Key Global. “It is very gratifying to us when a company fully commits to the program in that spirit, rolls up its sleeves and gets started, and Konover has embraced the process."
Green Key membership begins with each property taking a comprehensive 160-question self assessment that evaluates its performance in all facets of sustainable hotel operations; once the self-assessment is completed, its answers are tabulated and the property is awarded a ranking of 1 to 5 Keys and a corresponding display plaque. The program then generates the aforementioned performance report that includes recommendations, best practices and potential areas for improvement and savings. Participating properties are listed on the www.greenkeyglobal.com website, a valuable resource for environmentally conscious travelers and meeting planners, and also are recognized through Green Key Global’s network of marketing partners including AAA, Travelocity and Expedia, among others. The Green Key process also includes random, on-site verification inspections of audit results.
About The Konover Hotel Corporation:
Headquartered in West Hartford, Connecticut, Konover Hotel Corporation is a subsidiary of The Simon Konover Company. Started over 50 years ago, The Simon Konover Company is a fully integrated real estate organization nationally-recognized as one of the premier real estate entities operating throughout the Midwest and Eastern United States.
The Simon Konover Company cumulatively employs over 600 people through its operating companies including Konover Commercial Corporation, Simon Konover Development Corporation, Konover Hotel Corporation, Konover Residential Corporation, SIKON Construction Services, LLC, and Konover South, LLC. The Simon Konover Company and its related-entities own and manage over 9,800 apartment units, 3.5 million square feet of office and industrial space, 2.8 million square feet of retail space, and a portfolio of limited service hotels.
About Green Key Global:
The Green Key Eco-Rating Program, administered by Green Key Global, is the first of its kind to rank, certify and inspect hotels and resorts in North America based on their commitment to sustainable “green” operations. The program was originally developed for the Hotel Association of Canada by a leading environmental engineering firm. Designed specifically for hotel operations, the Green Key Eco-Rating Programis a comprehensive environmental self assessment that will allow each participating property to benefit on several fronts – cost savings, increased bookings from environmentally conscious consumers and meeting planners and responsible corporate citizenry. In the United States Green Key is a joint partnership between the Hotel Association of Canada and LRA Worldwide, Inc.