But Labor Day also traditionally symbolizes the end of summer and the start of the back-to-school season. And for many of us, it is celebrated with parades, picnics and barbecues.

So from all of us at Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, warm wishes to you and yours for a happy, safe and fun Labor Day!

Green Travel Tips

• Measure and Offset Your Carbon Footprint. Traveling by plane, train, bus or automobile leaves behind a carbon footprint. Start with a nonprofit site like the Nature Conservancy to figure out what your impact is on climate change, and then invest in one of the offsetting programs, ranging from reforestation to renewable energy projects.

• Start Before You Even Leave Home. Adjust the thermostat to keep the air conditioning and heat from running needlessly, use a timer instead of leaving lights on and turn the temperature down on your water heater. Unplug all small appliances and electronics to keep from wasting resources while you’re away.

• Take advantage of green hotel options. Country Inns & Suites By Carlson^SM gives guests the option of reusing towels and sheets instead of having them changed every day, a big energy and water savings when multiplied by 488 hotels worldwide. Add in energy-efficient lighting, low-flow toilets and showers, and responsible recycling programs, and your choice of hotel can make a difference.

• Pack a water bottle. Don’t add to the world’s 2.7 million tons of plastic used for bottled water. Refill a reusable container to quench your thirst responsibly.  Plus, those recycled bottles are used in many new products.  For instance, Country Inns & Suites’ employee uniforms are made from recycled plastic bottles.

• Take public transport or bike. Cities like Park City and Salt Lake City, Utah; Portland, Oregon; Austin, Texas; and Washington, D.C., offer excellent (in Park City’s case, free!) public transport, along with ample biking opportunities to get you moving on your own steam. If you need to rent a car, make it an economy size or hybrid.

• Keep it local. Visit farmers’ markets and shop in mom and pops instead of big box stores. Buy fair-trade products as souvenirs to make sure your cash makes a local impact.

• Support green companies. These could include outdoor outfitters, LEED-certified museums, pick-your-own farms or tour operators. One place to start is Sustainable Travel International, which offers a list of certified Green Travel Suppliers to get your trip off to an earth-friendly start.

Guests visiting the 110-acre Hersheypark amusement park near the Hershey Chocolate Factory now have a sweet new place to rest their heads thanks to the opening of Country Inn & Suites in Hershey at the Park, Pa. This opening marks the brand’s expansion in the region as part of Carlson’s Ambition 2015 growth strategy.

“With 16 Country Inns & Suites hotels in the state and more than 30 locations in the northeast United States, we’re establishing a strong footprint for the brand in the region,” said Steve Mogck, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. “We are focused on building momentum in North America and in India as we increase our portfolio of hotels over the next five years.”

Rich with amenities
The 86-room hotel offers an indoor pool, whirlpool and fitness center and features extended-stay suites, one-bedroom suites, and guest rooms with complimentary high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat panel televisions.

Consistency, value and leadership
“We are thrilled to be joining the Country Inns & Suites family and are confident that the consistency, value and leadership of this brand and the Carlson Hotels system will result in a successful future for this hotel,” said David Hogg, owner of the Country Inn & Suites, Hershey at the Park, Pa. 

The sweetest place on earth
Hershey, Pa. was originally named Derry Church, and for schools and official purposes it is still known as Derry Township. In 1903, Milton S. Hershey returned to his birthplace with a vision to build the world’s first modern chocolate factory.  The city was renamed Hershey in 1906 after the growing popularity of Hershey’s Chocolate.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The brand new Country Inn & Suites hotel in Hershey, PA is conveniently located just four miles off I-81 and only one mile from Hersheypark. Hotel guests enjoy our complimentary hot breakfast, Fitness Center, Business Center and indoor pool. With easy access to popular local attractions and corporations, we are the perfect choice for both business travelers and vacationers alike. Book online and stay at the Country Inn & Suites, one of the newest Hershey hotels.

To book your room today, visit http://www.countryinns.com/hotels/pahersh, or call 1-800-596-2375.

 GALVESTON, Texas (July 9, 2010) – Carlson, a privately-held, global hospitality and travel company, today announced the further expansion of Country Inns & Suites By Carlson^SM in Texas. The opening of Country Inn & Suites, Galveston Beach, Texas marks the brand’s accelerated expansion in the region as part of its Ambition 2015 growth strategy and is the brand’s first beachfront location in the state.

“With 17 Country Inns & Suites hotels in the state and more than 220 locations in the southern United States, the brand has established a strong footprint in the region,” said Steve Mogck, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. “We are focused on building momentum in North America and India as we increase our portfolio of hotels over the next five years.”

Country Inns & Suites offers caring, consistent, comfortable hospitality with a touch of home, and many distinctive product and service innovations, such as the Friends Hosting Friends^SM employee training program that has generated tremendous employee engagement scores and high guest satisfaction. 

“We are thrilled to be joining the Country Inns & Suites family and are confident that the consistency, value and leadership of this brand and the Carlson Hotels system will result in a successful future for this hotel,” said Dimplejit Singh, owner and general manager of the Country Inn & Suites, Galveston, Texas. 

The 100 percent non-smoking hotel features an indoor pool and whirlpool, a fitness center and meeting space for up to 20 people.  The 60-room hotel features whirlpool suites, one-bedroom suites, studio suites and guest rooms featuring complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat panel televisions. 

Galveston is located 55 miles south of Houston. The hotel is on the famous Galveston Seawall Boulevard at 29^th St.

For reservations and information, visit www.countryinns.com or call toll-free +1-800-456-4000.

Orlando, FL — Thursday, July 15, 2010 — Owning and operating hotels can be grueling.  But the work can be rewarding when there is an opportunity to give back to others – just ask Jami Pogue, CEO of Southern Hospitality Inc., operator of two Minneapolis-St. Paul area hotels that recently adopted Clean the World’s soap-recycling program. 

“My family grew up in the hospitality industry, cleaning rooms and working the front desk, before we got into management,” said Pogue.  “We always hated throwing the barely used soaps away, and we are thrilled that the soap from our hotels will now go to people in need.”

Clean the World collects soap and amenities typically discarded by the hospitality industry and sanitizes the products for distribution to homeless shelters and villages around the world where the top two leading causes of death for children under 5 – diarrhea and pneumonia – can be drastically reduced by hand washing with bar soap.  Since their February 2009 inception, Clean the World has put over 5 million soap bars and 35 tons of shampoo and conditioner back into human use, simultaneously eliminating over 340 tons of waste.

For Pogue, her family, and their employees, their global impact resonates at home.  “It’s been a very difficult couple of years for our hotels, and this project has brought a sense of hope, energy, purpose, and well-being to our entire staff,” said Pogue.  “We believe that hospitality is about taking great care of people – our staff family, our guests, and now, in a small way, those in need of something as simple as a bar of soap.”

Additional Resources:

Contribute to save lives or donate soap and shampoo: http://www.cleantheworld.org/contribute.aspBecome a Recycling Partner: http://www.cleantheworld.org/partners.aspTo Volunteer: http://www.cleantheworld.org/volunteer.asp
Clean the World Blog: http://www.cleantheworld.org/blog/

About Clean the World, Inc.

Clean the World is committed to reducing the waste created by discarded soap and shampoo products and collects these items from hotels to be recycled and distributed to domestic homeless shelters and impoverished people worldwide, helping to prevent millions of deaths caused by hygiene-related illnesses.  Clean the World Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) tax-exempt charitable organization. For more information visit: http://www.cleantheworld.org 

 About Southern Hospitality, Inc:

At the Country Inn & Suites Bloomington West and the Country Inn & Suites Eagan, we believe in treating our employees like family, and we treat our guests as guests in our home.   Our hotels are award-winning, locally owned and operated, full of charm, character and genuine hospitality.  Please visit:  www.countryinns.com/bloomingtonmn_west and www.countryinns.com/eaganmn

Find us on Facebook: : http://www.facebook.com/bloomingtonmnwest and http://www.facebook.com/CountryInnEaganMN

 GEORGETOWN, Texas (July 14, 2010) – Carlson, a privately held, global hospitality and travel company, today announced the further expansion of Country Inns & Suites By Carlson^SM in Texas. The opening of Country Inn & Suites, Georgetown, Texas marks the brand’s expansion in the region as part of its Ambition 2015 growth strategy.

“With 18 Country Inns & Suites hotels in the state and more than 220 locations in the southern United States, the brand has established a strong footprint in the region,” said Steve Mogck, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. “We are focused on building momentum in North America and India as we increase our portfolio of hotels over the next five years.”

Country Inns & Suites offers caring, consistent, comfortable hospitality with a touch of home, and many distinctive product and service innovations, such as the Friends Hosting Friends^SM employee training program that has generated tremendous employee engagement scores and high guest satisfaction.  

“We are thrilled to be joining the Country Inns & Suites family and are confident that the consistency, value and leadership of this brand and the Carlson Hotels system will result in a successful future for this hotel,” said Bimal Daftary, owner/partner of the Country Inn & Suites, Georgetown, Texas. 

The 100 percent non-smoking hotel features an outdoor pool and a fitness center.  Theater style meeting space is available for up to 20 people. The 76-room hotel features whirlpool rooms, one-bedroom suites and guest rooms featuring complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat panel televisions. 

The hotel is conveniently located east of Interstate 35, just 30 miles north of Austin, the capital of Texas. Georgetown is home to Southwestern University, the oldest university in Texas.

For reservations and information, visit www.countryinns.com or call toll-free +1-800-456-4000.

 SARALAND, Ala. (June 16, 2010) – Carlson Hotels, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, today announced the further expansion of Country Inns & Suites By Carlson^SM in Alabama. The opening of Country Inn & Suites Saraland, Ala. marks the brand’s accelerated expansion in the region as part of its Ambition 2015 growth strategy.

“With 12 Country Inns & Suites hotels in the state and more than 220 locations in the southern United States, the brand has established a strong footprint in the region,” said Steve Mogck, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. “We are focused on building momentum in North America and India as we increase our portfolio of hotels over the next five years.”

Country Inns & Suites offers caring, consistent, comfortable hospitality with a touch of home, and many distinctive product and service innovations, such as the Friends Hosting Friends^SM employee training program that has generated tremendous employee engagement scores and high overall guest satisfaction. 

“We are thrilled to be joining the Country Inns & Suites family and are confident that the consistency, value and leadership of this brand and the Carlson Hotels system will result in a successful future for this hotel,” said Larry Wright, owner of the Country Inn & Suites, Saraland, Ala. 

The 100 percent non-smoking hotel features an outdoor pool and whirlpool, and a fitness center. The 60-room hotel features one-bedroom suites, extended stay suites and guest rooms featuring complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat screen televisions. 

The hotel is located 10 miles from downtown Mobile. 

For reservations and information, visit www.countryinns.com or call toll-free +1-800-456-4000.

 MADISON, Ala. (July 15, 2010) – Carlson, a privately held, global hospitality and travel company, today announced the further expansion of Country Inns & Suites By Carlson^SM in Alabama. The opening of Country Inn & Suites, Madison, Alabama, marks the brand’s expansion in the region as part of its Ambition 2015 growth strategy.

“With 13 Country Inns & Suites hotels in the state and more than 220 locations in the southern United States, the brand has established a strong footprint in the region,” said Steve Mogck, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. “We are focused on building momentum in North America and India as we increase our portfolio of hotels over the next five years.”

Country Inns & Suites offers caring, consistent, comfortable hospitality with a touch of home, and many distinctive product and service innovations, such as the Friends Hosting Friends^SM employee training program that has generated tremendous employee engagement scores and high guest satisfaction.  

“We are thrilled to be joining the Country Inns & Suites family and are confident that the consistency, value and leadership of this brand and the Carlson Hotels system will result in a successful future for this hotel,” said Kiran Patel, owner and GM of the Country Inn & Suites, Madison, Alabama. 

The hotel features an indoor pool, whirlpool and a fitness center. Meeting space is available for up to 45 people. The 64-room hotel features whirlpool rooms, extended stay suites, one-bedroom suites, studio suites, and guest rooms featuring complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat panel televisions. 

The hotel is less than one mile from Huntsville International Airport.

For reservations and information, visit www.countryinns.com or call toll-free +1-800-456-4000.

“With four Country Inns & Suites hotels in the state and more than 175 locations in the Midwest, the brand has established a strong footprint in the region,” said Steve Mogck, executive vice president and chief operating officer for Country Inns & Suites By Carlson. “We are focused on building momentum in North America and India as we increase our portfolio of hotels over the next five years.”

Country Inns & Suites offers caring, consistent, comfortable hospitality with a touch of home, and many distinctive product and service innovations, such as the Friends Hosting Friends^SM employee training program that has generated tremendous employee engagement scores and high overall guest satisfaction.  

“We are thrilled to be joining the Country Inns & Suites family and are confident that the consistency, value and leadership of this brand and the Carlson Hotels system will result in a successful future for this hotel,” said Dinesh Patel, owner of the Country Inn & Suites, St. Peters, Mo. 

The 100 percent non-smoking hotel features an indoor pool, whirlpool, fitness center, business center and meeting space for up to 50 guests. The 63-room hotel offers studio suites, one-bedroom suites, executive king rooms, whirlpool suites, extended stay suites and guest rooms featuring complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat screen televisions. 

The hotel is located 12 miles from Lambert-St. Louis International Airport.

For reservations and information, visit www.countryinns.com or call toll-free +1-800-456-4000.

The 100 percent non-smoking hotel features an indoor pool, fitness center and meeting space for up to 75 guests. The 95-room hotel offers studio suites, one-bedroom suites, whirlpool suites, extended stay suites and guest rooms featuring complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat screen televisions. 

The hotel is located 18 miles from Will Rogers World Airport. 

Concord, North Carolina:

The 100 percent non-smoking hotel features an indoor pool, fitness center and meeting space for up to 10 guests. The 80-room hotel offers studio suites, one-bedroom suites, whirlpool suites, extended stay suites and guest rooms featuring complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat screen televisions. 

Conveniently located off Interstate 85 at exit 60, the hotel is just 11 miles from Charlotte Motor Speedway and three miles from the North Carolina Research Campus for biotech research in Kannapolis, N.C.

Columbia at Harbison, South Carolina:

The 100 percent non-smoking hotel features an indoor pool, fitness center and meeting space for up to 10 guests. The 80-room hotel offers studio suites, one-bedroom suites, whirlpool suites, extended stay suites and guest rooms featuring complimentary wired and wireless high-speed Internet access, microwave, refrigerator and flat screen televisions. 

Conveniently located off Interstate 85 at exit 60, the hotel is just 11 miles from Charlotte Motor Speedway and three miles from the North Carolina Research Campus for biotech research in Kannapolis, N.C.

For more information about or reservations at any of these properties, or any of our 500 wonderful hotels, visit www.countryinns.com or call toll-free +1-800-456-4000.

As always – I love this Country!
~Emily