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Willard Hotel Releases 2008 Sustainability Report

July 23, 2009
Willard InterContinental Hotel Releases 2008 Sustainability Report
Further Advancing GSTC Reporting
 
Washington DC, July 22, 2009 -- Washington DC's Willard InterContinental Hotel, a leader in Sustainable Hospitality, has this week released its second Sustainability Report for 2008. The new report follows the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC) the new internationally recognized criteria for SD practices in tourism.  The report highlights the results of the hotel's strategy based on the "Triple Bottom Line" of Economic Prosperity, Social Responsibility and Environmental Protection. 

The 2008 report is available online along with detailed information on the Willard's sustainability initiatives at www.willarddc.com/sd or through EnviRelation's Web site,  www.envirelation.com .  The report examines the Willard's environmental and social performance against the previous year's report of the hotel's sustainable development initiatives which began in 2005, as "Willard InterContinental, The Next 100 Years." The new report also benchmarks against the hotel's first SD Report for 2007, published in 2008 according to Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards.  The Willard's SDachievements in 2008 over the prior year include an 82% increase in recycling, 33%increase in composting and a 27% reduction in landfill waste reduction, among others.

The GSTC was recently launched by the United Nations Foundation, United Nations Environmental Program, UN World Tourism Organization, and the Rainforest Alliance. EnviRelation, which produced the report, provides service to those in the hospitality industry to help manage their relationship with the environment from waste management to data collection and reporting.   The organization was sought out by the Willard to produce the Sustainability Report.

 "The Willard enjoys an incredible legacy which is summarized in its vision as "America's Hotel" stemming from its location between the two most powerful political institutions of the world - the White House and the U.S. Congress - and its history," explains  Hervé Houdré, the hotel's General Manager. "We feel that we have an obligation to our industry and our world to show the way through Sustainable Hospitality by ensuring that the legacy of our property remains strong in the years to come."

"The Willard's Sustainability Report represents another important step in furthering to the encouragement of hotel SD reporting through accepted metrics and frameworks," commented Walker Lunn, EnviRelation's founder and manager. The Willard's Environmental Program Achievements Include; 100% wind energy to power the hotel; Decreased electricity consumption by 12%; Built two water wells in South Africa and South Dakota via towel/ sheet re-use; Green chemicals for in-house laundry; 100% removal of toxic dry-cleaning chemicals; Hotel-wide usage of 30% recycled paper; Composts 37 tons of food waste; Recycles over 190 tons of waste ; Decreased landfill waste from 870 tons to 635 tons; 100% elimination of oil-based paints.  The hotel now offers guests a  "Going Green" Guide in partnership with Xerox, offered online at the hotel's Web site, or on recycled paper.

Contact:
Eric Ricaurte, Tel. 202.280.0203, eric@envirelation.com
Barbara Bahny, Tel 202-637-7309, barbara.bahny@ihg.com

An American institution and leader in Sustainable Hospitality, the Willard InterContinental is located in the heart of the nation's capital on Pennsylvania Avenue, near the White House, the Smithsonian museums and the downtown business and theatre districts.   A leader in Sustainable Hospitality, the Willard is the Washington D.C. hotel of choice for heads of state and leaders of the world's business, cultural, social and political elite.  The hotel's 332well appointed large guestrooms include 40 elegant suites.  Dining options include The Willard Room fine dining restaurant and Café du Parc, the popular French bistro with seasonal outdoor seating and traditional Afternoon Tea inPeacock Alley.  The luxurious Red Door Spa offers a wide array of pampering treatments.  The classic Willard InterContinental combines heritage and luxury with contemporary comfort and the latest technology. Tel. 202-628-9100, or Web site:  www.washington.intercontinental.com

"Willard InterContinental - The Next 100 Years" is a holistic sustainable hospitality program in harmony with social and ecological consciousness. Visit www.willarddc.com/sd , a comprehensive guide to the Willard's sustainability efforts.