Being green doesn't always yield green

It’s not easy being green. Last week’s annual Earth Day ecology fest had companies coming out of the woodwork to boast of their environmental policies and Earth-friendly products. Problem

is, customers don’t always want them. Just ask Terry Ashton, general manager of the Waterfront Hilton Beach Resort. A few years ago, the Huntington Beach hotel transformed a couple of rooms

into “environmental rooms” complete with water filters, air purifiers, live plants and all-natural toiletries. The rooms are scrubbed only with biodegradable and hypoallergenic cleaning

products, but demand for the green spaces has been underwhelming at best. “They aren’t as popular as we’d like,” Ashton admitted. “We wanted to appeal to people interested in saving the

environment, but it has been disappointing.” Maybe they should have tried organic mints on the pillows. * Marla Dickerson covers tourism for The Times. She can be reached at (714) 966-5670

and at [email protected]. MORE TO READ