Conrad Hilton – Founder of the Hilton Hotels chain (and Paris Hilton’s great-grandfather), once said that, “It has been, and continues to be, our responsibility to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality.” What good old Conrad didn’t know back then was that hotels also fill the earth with plenty of CO2.

Hilton

But we do know that now, and that is why 1300 Hilton Hotels worldwide have been using the proprietary LightStay system for measuring sustainability secretly for over a year, the results of which have just been made public.

In the course of a year, LightStay helped conserve enough energy to power 5,700 homes for a year, saved enough water to fill more than 650 Olympic-size swimming pools and reduced carbon output equivalent to taking 34,865 cars off the road.

It also saved them $29 million in utility costs in 2009. But what does it mean for us?

Hilton Worldwide President and CEO Christopher Nassetta explains that “we look to mitigate our impact on the environment and in the communities in which we operate, create economic value for our owners and, ultimately, provide a better experience for our guests.”

The better experience is nice, but it would be a lot nicer if Hilton decided to share some of that $29 million booty by offering a special LightStay discount. That would be a good incentive to make people want to stay at a green hotel.

If you’re a meeting planner for your company, you might be interested in knowing that LightStay includes a “meeting impact calculator” that measures the environmental impact of any meeting or conference held at a Hilton Worldwide property.

Hilton promises that by Dec 31, 2011, all 3,500 Hilton hotels across all their brands will be using LightStay.

Photo courtesy Hilton Worldwide

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Kimpton Hotels Earthcare Program

In addition to the (so hilarious, right? Right?) hotel reviews I write here, I’m also a regular contributor to AOL GreenDaily. That means I’m always thinking about the eco-friendly angle, including when I check out hotels.

And let me tell you, in case you don’t spend as much time as I do reading hotel sites, it’s freaking hard to find information about most hotels’ green practices.

With the exception of certain chains like Kimpton, which are loud and proud about their green programs, most hotels bury their sustainability programs at the very bottom of their “about” page — if they even post it all! For the casual, “I just want to compare availability/price/one or two other features and make a reservation already” type of hotel shopper, green hotel info is pretty inaccessible.

At long last, in 2010 AAA will add an eco-designation, indicating that a property is managed sustainably and is eco-friendly. To get the designation, the hotels have to be AAA-approved plus have the stamp of approval from a certified state or national green lodging program. So you will be able to find your green hotel choices fast, and be sure that the green-cred was earned.

Photo: Kimpton Hotels