[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Martyn

Two points about being ‘green.’

If you buy a filter bottle and drink tap water, instead of bottled, you ‘pay’ the energy costs of making the bottle and filter, but you ‘earn’ from saving the costs of making 350 x 1 litre plastic bottles or of recycling 350 x 1 litre glass bottles – of course, if you use 330 or 500ml bottles, the ‘earning’ is higher.

Your point about the towels in hotels is interesting. I regularly use and put the towels back on the rails, only to find them replaced, despite the written exhortations to save water/energy – I find this hypocritical and annoying.

I’m not a tree hugger, but on the other hand it makes perfect sense to use resources carefully – the same applies to bed linen, I really don’t need it to be changed every day.

[MartynSinclair]

DOS – whilst I agree with your above post, I also feel that hotels should reward “Green floors” by offering reduced rates.

Reduced services provided should = reduced charges to guests.

[DisgustedofSwieqi]

Martyn

I’ll sign up for your idea, but IMHO hotels are marginal costing merchants – the price one pays is often un-related to the product, e.g. I buy a discounted rate and check in late, get a huge room on other occasions pay rack and get a cupboard size 🙂

In other words, I question how organized they are.

[Swissdiver]

When it comes to linen and towel, we all know it is not about ecology but about hotel profitability! As some know, I am a TED fan and one of the latest I watched (http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/simon_sinek_how_great_leaders_inspire_action.html) raises a very valid points, leaders are followed when the “why” is clear for all. Obviously for linen and towel the message is blurred… So we, clients, find it funny, and staff are not always consistent.

[MartynSinclair]

I speak to more and more clients and friends about environmentally friendly, socially responsible and “better planet issues”. I have not met any one yet who is a member of Green Peace!

As business travelers we are charged all sorts of taxes and extras, one of which is Carbon offset, which I am sure has a “Green element” (yes I know its optional).

There would be far more success in achieving these Greener goals if there was a financial inducement because as everyone is well aware, global executives, who travel first and business class, staying in 5 star hotels are all selfish and greedy pigs, who only care for themselves and the size of their expense accounts (for those that have them).

Create a Green awards system for the traveller, G-d knows how though. We help hotels reduce their laundry bills (ooopppssss)…reduce their whatever it is by creating less laundry and the guest gets rewarded.

Be encouraged to drink tap water, WHERE POSSIBLE, rather than spending £ and $’s on bottled water etc etc.

[ChrisBuda82]

Tap water is all great, the cost of tap water is going up 5% in the UK in some supplers.

Tap water is OK in manny western country’s, but its not the tap water its us as not all water is the same are body’s get use to the water and the bugs in it so when we move other water area’s it mess us up down there. If you drink the same brand of water or kind of the same most are the same, will help when you travel.

I travel lot to Africa its not the tap water is bad but the pipes to the building and the pipes in the building that add badness and the local bugs that do’t agree with us.

Some rules I herd over the years most of you prob known:

1: Dont drink tap water
2: Brush your teeth in bottle water
3: Dont take Ice ( as a work mate found out Morocco not to do again)
4: Dont eat salad ( as washed in tap water again work mate found out in Egypt)
5: Always take Imodium with you
6: Always have sickness pill that work (In uk you need your Doc to give them to you but in some other county’s can get them with out a slip).
7: water filters and UV are useful to but only as last resort.
8: If you need bottled water always go out to buy it from a shop and make sure the bottle is stealed.

Just some tips I found out when been traveling mostle useful for non good tap water areas.

If you stucked in area with no good tap water in middle of no where then sorry to say it be necessary to pay for water in hotels.

Some island I been on the tapwater in the hotels you can not drink as there is small supply of water they as you to use bottled water like on the Canary Islands.

[Swissdiver]

Chris,

That’s kind of maximum safety I do apply only in countries like Nigeria. In Egypt I do eat salad for instance, but only outside of Cairo. In Europe or the US, I am less concerned by ice cubes…

[RichHI1]

I drink tap water in US, Japan and Norhtern Europe but not elsewhere. Once drunk Tapwater in Mexico City W and got nasty bug. (thye were “selling” VOSS water in room at astronomic price.
2 things worthy of note for bottled water…
STarwood offer Platinum guests 2 small or 1 big bottle of Bottled Water at all properties free of charge.
Most upmarket properties in warm countries have disposable bottles of water at valet parking. If I am not staying starwood I either keep the bottle in the car and take to room or if they know me I ask for a bottle or two on returning to the property. Other workaround is to pick up bottled water in the club lounge. Normally you can take a couple and they will be happy.
Interesting by the by… The Multinational I used to work for went through a purge on expenses and some brainiac at IBM in India (it was outsourced) decided they would not accept charges for bottled water. When I went down with bug in Mexico and Health and Safety got to hear of it, they balled out IBM and the policy was reversed retoactively within 5 days… apparently not providing drinking water in an area where tap water is unsafe is a breach of an employer’s duty of care if you are travelling on the employer’s business as part of your job.

[JohnPhelanAustralia]

I’m happy to drink tap water in:
* Australia and New Zealand
* UK and Ireland
* some (civilised) parts of Europe
* USA and Canada
* South Africa
* Japan
* Hong Kong (though this may change in coming years)

In other parts of the world, your hotel should provide adequate bottled drinking water. If it doesn’t, change hotels!

[JohnPhelanAustralia]

from Martyn: “as everyone is well aware, global executives, who travel first and business class, staying in 5 star hotels are all selfish and greedy pigs, who only care for themselves and the size of their expense accounts (for those that have them).”

Well, that’s the most sweepingly offensive statement of the day so far …..

[RichHI1]

It is interesting in many many top restaurants in US and UK, it is now the norm to offer tap water and not get sniffy if the Voss or Ty Nan is eschewed.

[MartynSinclair]

Mr JohnPhelanAustralia – I unreservedly apologize for my sweeping statement, which you awarded as the most offensive of the day. At least I did not direct it as a personal statement to any particular individual. If you took it personally, well then I will doubly apologize.

[Binman62]

I try to drink tap water in most places where I travel today and I also make the kids brush their teeth with tap water. I don’t think it develops immunity but it generally acclimatises our systems to the local environment.

In the past, when in travelling in West Africa, I avoided anything other than beer and that probably explains my size today!! Sad to say it also did not stop me getting very ill. The region was not called the “white mans grave” for nothing!

[IanFromHKG]

I use tap water in most places I travel, the notable exception being India. Having said that, I very rarely drink plain water in any quantity, I prefer to drink very weak tea, cola, or something with alcohol in it.

One tip I would pass on after many months of being dreadfully sick immediately AFTER I returned from India despite taking every precaution while I was there – if you are going somewhere where water standards are not up to snuff, don’t let your guard down as soon as you get on the plane, since they have probably loaded ice locally. I know it sounds obvious, but at the time it wasn’t (at least to me)

[Swissdiver]

Ian: I guess it depends on the airline. BA, according to crews, doesn’t in sensitive places.

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