MILWAUKEE— Johnson Controls reported it expanded its facility management services for the hotel market by incorporating the advanced guestroom control capabilities of INNCOM International. The agreement with INNCOM expands system capabilities offered by Johnson Controls to include guestroom energy management, occupancy monitoring and reporting, on-line electronic lock control, doorbell and other room alerts and automatic lighting control. According to both companies, each of these features has been designed to help maintain guest-selected comfort levels, while optimizing the efficiency of a hotel’s operation and interaction with the guest. In addition, the system can detect whether a room is occupied, so the automatic controls turn off unneeded lights and heating/air conditioning, thereby reducing utility fees and improving energy efficiency. Four Hotel Companies Settle Energy Lawsuit LOS ANGELES— Four major hotel companies have tentatively settled a class-action lawsuit stemming from energy surcharges they imposed during last year’s power crisis in an agreement that could cost them more than $60 million in future discounts. Under the settlement presented in early July in Los Angeles Superior Court, each person who stayed at a hotel run by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Marriott International, Hilton Hotels Corp. and Hyatt Hotels Corp. would be entitled to a $10 discount on a future stay, according to a report by Reuters. The terms of the settlement are waiting approval by the court, at presstime. Attorney Barry Himmelstein, who represented the plaintiffs, said guests who stayed at hotels operated by any of the four companies starting in February or March of 2001 and running as long as 10 months later would be potentially eligible for the discounts. According to Himmelstein, 2.1 million people are eligible for discounts from Marriott, making the chain liable for as much as $21 million in total discounts. The number of people eligible for Starwood, Hilton and Hyatt coupons total 1.3 million, 2.6 million and 152,000, respectively, putting the companies’ potential respective liability at $13 million, $26 million and $1.5 million, said Himmelstein. Lawyers for the four hotel operators were present at the hearing, but had no comment, the report said. The case stems from a practice that began in spring of 2001, when many of the nation’s hotels began adding “energy surcharges” to guest bills after energy costs soared first in California and later in the rest of the country. Most of those surcharges totaled from $1 to $3 per day. While hotels claimed the charges were justified, they came under scrutiny for failing to notify customers in advance of the fee. Most hotels discontinued the practice by the end of last year after energy prices decreased. But before that occurred, the action sparked a handful of class-action lawsuits that were consolidated into the one heard in Los Angeles. In April, Wyndham International reached its own settlement in the case, agreeing to give guests a $15 future discount for each night they stayed at a Wyndham hotel between Nov. 1, 2000 and Dec. 31, 2001. Himmelstein estimated about 3 million people qualified for those discounts, with about 3.9 million surcharges levied during the period. Thus, Wyndham faced up to $58.5 million in discounts if the $15 reductions were claimed for all surcharged nights. Fairmont Vancouver Reaps Energy Savings From New Control System VANCOUVER— The 556-room Fairmont Hotel Vancouver has reported that its energy management system continues to improve guest comfort and satisfaction, as well as reduce operational costs. The hotel— which dates back to 1887 and whose mechanical infrastructure was built between 1928 and 1939— was looking to upgrade its outdated systems back in 1998. After an extensive search, the property selected Enbridge Integrated Building Technologies (Enbridge IBT), which provided a complete solution based on Echelon’s Lo
