Carlson Hotels Selects Green Key for U.S. Portfolio: Green Certification Program is Part of Responsible Business Commitment

HORSHAM, PA, August 12, 2010 (Press-News.org) Carlson Hotels, one of the world's leading hotel companies, has selected the Green Key Eco-Rating program as its preferred green lodging certification program. Green Key, which ranks, certifies and inspects hotels based on their commitment to sustainable operations and practices, will be a part of the latest installment of Carlson Hotel's Responsible Business initiative to be rolled out in the third quarter of 2010.

The initiative includes Carlson Hotels' Radisson , Country Inn & Suites By CarlsonSM, Park Inn and Park Plaza brands in The Americas. The company's managed hotels will join the program immediately. The Radisson brand is planning to have full membership by the end of 2010, with Country Inn & Suites to follow in 2011.

"Green Key is the best fit for our company, both environmentally and culturally," explained Beathe-Jeanette Lunde, executive vice president of Human Resources for Carlson Hotels, The Americas. "Green Key's program allows our entire portfolio to use a consistent set of sustainable hotel standards and recognizes environmental efforts on a property-by-property basis."

Carlson's Responsible Business platform is a strategic commitment for the company, centered on social, ethical and environmental responsibility.

"Not only is Carlson one of the first in the industry to commit its entire portfolio to Green Key," explained Tony Pollard, managing director of Green Key Global, "but they are the largest U.S.-based hotel company to commit to any one program. Green Key is pleased to be a part of Carlson's leadership role in sustainable lodging in the United States."

The Green Key evaluation is a comprehensive 150-question audit covering a broad range of operational areas and sustainable practices. Based on the resulting tabulations, a property is awarded a ranking of one-to-five keys and receives a comprehensive performance report. Participating properties are listed on the http://www.greenkeyglobal.com Web site, a valuable resource for environmentally conscious travelers, and also are recognized through Green Key'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, mitigating the risk of score inflation.

For more information on Green Key, visit http://www.greenkeyglobal.com, call +1.888.752.7061 or email info@greenkeyglobal.com.

The Green Key Eco-Rating Program 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 with funding from the Canadian Government. Designed specifically for hotel operations, the Green Key Eco-Rating Program is a comprehensive environmental audit 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.; for more information, visit http://www.GreenKeyGlobal.com.