Getting Green in Corporate Housing

By Adam Sherer, CCHP

Marriott ExecuStay

adam.sherer@marriott.com

Green travel used to mean heading to Ireland . Today it means seeking lodging locations that are environmentally aware and practice sustainability. Today's travelers are holding lodging companies accountable for being ‘green'…not just for saying they're green. Going green and social responsibility are key corporate values at Marriott International. The 81-year old global hospitality company has developed its “Spirit To Serve” initiatives to both live green and promote sustainable travel within the industry.

Marriott shares conservation tips with their guests, such as letting them know that simply turning the thermostat down just one degree in the winter could save the country 230 million barrels of crude oil! At more than $130 per barrel, that's big money.

Like Marriott International, the Marriott ExecuStay brand plays a special role in serving the neighborhoods it calls home. From clean air initiatives and clean-up campaigns to fund raising activities, Marriott ExecuStay is working toward a greener planet and healthier communities. In each of the communities where it operates, Marriott ExecuStay continues to support causes “close to their heart.”

Marriott ExecuStay has proudly embraced America 's Second Harvest – The Nation's Food Bank Network as the organization it will align community service efforts with in the future. America 's Second Harvest is the largest charitable hunger-relief organization in the United States . Its network of more than 200 member food banks and food-rescue organizations supports approximately 63,000 local charitable agencies operating more than 70,000 programs.

“Working with America 's Second Harvest to fight hunger in America will create opportunities to enlist our associates and engage our guests in volunteering their time and in donating excess food and supplies to this commendable organization,” said Adam Sherer, vice president, Marriott ExecuStay.

Marriott ExecuStay employees contribute their skills and knowledge when partnering with America 's Second Harvest. Being in the community means more than just providing exceptional service to the thousands of guests that call Marriott ExecuStay corporate apartments their home away from home. This engagement enables Marriott ExecuStay employees to become truly vested in making the world around them a better place. Whether the Marriott ExecuStay employees are striving to be ‘green' or help make food baskets at a local food pantry, the results are the same: increases in morale, employee retention, connection to the community, and of course, as Albert Schweitzer noted--happiness.

Here are just two tips on what you and your residents can do to “go green”, preserve resources and help the environment:

• If every American switched to receiving just one bill as an electronic statement instead of a paper copy, the one-time savings would be 217,800,000 sheets – enough to completely blanket the island of Key West in a single layer of paper.
  
• If every American collected one gallon of water once a week while waiting for the shower or bathwater to get hot (could be used to water houseplants), the total saved would be 15.8 billion gallons of water a year – enough to fill the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall in Washington , D.C. 2,338 times.

Hackler, Jim. "The Power of 1." Delta Sky Magazine March 2008: 48-50

To learn more ways that you and your residents can use energy in apartments more efficiently, visit the U.S. Department of Energy – Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy site. This site provides great tips on saving energy in apartments and reducing utility bills.

Members in the News...

BridgeStreet Worldwide Announces 2007 Best Customer Service Award Winner

Herndon, VA - May 6, 2008 - BridgeStreet Worldwide, a leading international provider of corporate housing, announced today the 2007 winner of its BridgeCare Award. This annual recognition is awarded to an associate who best reflects the company's commitment to exceed guests' comfort and service expectations. The annual BridgeCare winner is selected from four semi-finalists, known as “BridgeStars,” who each received prizes and company-wide recognition.

This year's Grand Prize winner, Melanie Buechler was surprised by the “Prize Patrol” led by BridgeStreet president and CEO, Lee Curtis, who presented her with the award and prizes, including a paid vacation for two. Buechler was up against some stiff competition from the other finalists who touched the lives of guests through compassionate gestures and made guests feel cared for with heartfelt efforts.

“The BridgeCare program encourages our associates to nurture relationships and seek new and creative opportunities to make guests' experience with BridgeStreet memorable,” said Curtis. “This means going beyond typical customer expectations and allows us to connect with our clients in unique and personal ways. I am proud of the passion and dedication for service excellence shown by our associates' everyday and the way that our Associates live the core values that our company has been built upon. It is through the BridgeStar recognition program we honor their successes and our company's top performers.”

This year's annual winner exhibited the spirit of BridgeCare by finding a way to personally and positively affect the lives of guests. Buechler realized that a high percentage of guests in her New York market were expatriate spouses who had moved to the United States from their own country and often felt overwhelmed by the cultural differences. Buechler was determined to improve the transition process and to make the relocation experience and their time in New York a positive one. She partnered with relocation professionals to create a networking community called “What About Me?” which provides guests with a platform to share thoughts and ideas in a social and educational setting. The program has grown in popularity and the positive feedback from guests has been tremendous.

The annual BridgeCare Award has been a BridgeStreet tradition since 2002 and continues to be an acclaimed and coveted recognition award among BridgeStreet associates worldwide.

BridgeStreet Worldwide is a leading international provider of corporate housing. BridgeStreet and its Global Partner Alliance offer over 15,000 corporate apartments located throughout the United States and 50 cities internationally. An award winner both in the U.S. and Europe, BridgeStreet properties meet uncompromising standards of quality, comfort and service. For more information about the company or to learn more about how BridgeStreet is Making Corporate Housing Easy, visit www.bridgestreet.com or call 1-800-BSTREET.

Contact Jennifer Brand, Crosby Volmer, +01 202 232 6579 or jbrand@crosbyvolmer.com

Furnished Quarters Promotes Beth Searls to Vice President of Sales & Marketing

New York, NY - May 20, 2008 - Furnished Quarters, the largest provider of temporary furnished housing in New York City, today announced the promotion of Beth Searls to Vice President of Sales & Marketing. In her new position, Ms. Searls will be responsible for expanding the company's corporate sales team while managing all sales and marketing efforts in Manhattan and White Plains, New York; Northern New Jersey; and Boston , Massachusetts.

A 22-year veteran of the hospitality industry, Beth knows first-hand the benefits of a furnished long-term rental over a hotel stay, said Steve Brown, chief executive officer of Furnished Quarters. Her extensive knowledge and expertise as well as her enormous contributions have been a key part of our success, and we are thrilled to promote her to this important position.

Ms. Searls, joined the company in 2007 as Director of Sales & Marketing and was an integral part of Furnished Quarters™ growth into the New Jersey and White Plains markets. Previously, Ms. Searls was Vice President for Innovative Travel Marketing where she worked with top-tier senior industry travel executives to provide creative marketing and financial solutions. Prior to that, Ms. Searls served as Director of Sales & Marketing at the Empire Hotel where she re-positioned a corporate transient hotel from chain-affiliated to independently-operated by Ian Schrager Hotels. She has also held executive positions with Omni Hotels in Atlanta and Washington, D.C.

A native of Philadelphia , Pa. , Ms. Searls currently resides in Montclair , N.J.

Furnished Quarters is the largest provider of temporary furnished housing in New York City . Founded in 1998, the company has since expanded to provide more than 1,000 furnished apartments throughout Manhattan , northern New Jersey and the Boston metropolitan area. Combining the convenience of the best locations with the ease of having a true “home away from home,” Furnished Quarters apartments are stylishly furnished in a sleek, urban, modern design, reflecting the buildings, cities and cosmopolitan lifestyle in which they are located. For more information, visit www.furnishedquarters.com.

Contact Casey Tilli, M. Silver Associates, Inc., 212-754-6500 or casey@msilver-pr.com

If you would like to share news and other events in the corporate housing community, please forward that information to Amanda Cook, CHPA Director of Membership and Marketing, at acook@chpaonline.org.