K Hotels sees three beneficiaries of sustainable design: the planet, people and profits. The luxury collection of boutique hotels believes all three can be improved with its new initiative, the K Green Program.

K Hotels works with members based on their individual budgets to help properties become eco-friendly. Tools, information and step-by-step processes are provided and the new K Green rating system is used to grade each property.

The program is not only for newly built hotels, but also those undergoing extensive renovations or even those simply upgrading softgoods. Hotels accumulate points in five different categories: site planning, water management, energy performance, material use and indoor environmental quality. Each category focuses on the design, renovation and operations of each property.

Once certified, hotels will be audited periodically and required to submit reports to confirm they are maintaining sustainable practices. K Hotels hopes by extending the program to amenities, cleaning methods and recycling programs, these practices will become part of daily operations.

“We want to be responsible to our environment and give back to it, to our clients and offer them the best quality services, and (to) our guests by offering them a hotel that is beneficial all around,” says Elizabeth Fournier, director of design at K Hotels.

K Hotels estimates hotels using the program can see improvements of 30-70 percent in energy cost savings, increased value of the property, enhanced productivity, reduced liability and improved risk management.