CAPE TOWN, SOUTH AFRICA—Do you think you could ever get to the point of being able to describe your hotel as the greenest on your continent? If you followed the lead of the innovators behind Hotel Verde in Cape Town, South Africa, you might be able to. The hotel was built with sustainability in mind from the ground up. It’s literally in the walls since the construction includes Cobiax void formers—recycled plastic balls placed strategically within the concrete slabs that are required for the various floors. They dramatically reduce the amount of concrete required, while maintaining the structural integrity.Andre...

DALTON, GA.—On Friday, February 28, Tandus Centiva held its fifth annual Community Service Day. More than 200 Tandus Centiva employees from the United States and Canada volunteered with organizations including the Boys & Girls Club of Chatsworth, the Women’s Enrichment Center, the Go Murray Art Center and Coffee Shop, Georgia Sheriff’s Youth Homes and Eastside Elementary School.Employees performed facility improvement tasks that included painting, installing floor coverings, assembling playground equipment, and the installation of light fixtures, counters and shelving systems.Tandus Centiva Community Service Day began in 2009 as part of the organization’s annual sales meeting. Rather than spend the...

TAMPA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Tampa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Pavilion Furniture as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Pavilion Furniture’s new Ecowood line is made from recycled materials. The slats are a high-density polyethylene, UV-inhibited and resistant to weather types. The frames are powder-coated aluminum. Pavilion Furniture is manufactured in Miami. The Ecowood line features a broad selection of styles and designs including dining sets, chaises, benches, bar stools and table. For more information, visit the Pavilion website at www.pavilion-furniture.com or contact Perry Solomon at perry@pavilionfurniture.com. You may also call (305) 823-3480.

BERKELEY, CALIF.—Peerless, a leading designer and manufacturer of architectural luminaires and one of the innovative lighting companies under the Acuity Brands umbrella, announces the release of Vellum linear suspended LED luminaires. The product is well suited for use in commercial offices, retail spaces, academic institutions, as well as hospitality and healthcare settings.With a discreet, low-profile form and edge-lit lens, Vellum luminaires deliver on the promise of LED lighting by combining simple, yet sophisticated design with energy-saving efficiency. Vellum luminaires provide flicker-free, glare-free and worry-free illumination from a Peerless 360° total system solution that integrates lighting, controls and technologies all...

OBERLIN, OHIO—Oberlin College will soon construct a state-of-the-art hotel, restaurant, and conference center that will be named in honor of Peter B. Lewis, the late philanthropist and chairman of Progressive Insurance Co.The Peter B. Lewis Gateway Center will become the cornerstone of Oberlin’s Green Arts District, an ongoing development encompassing the northeast corner of North Main Street and East College Street. The Lewis Center project is a planned 100,000-square-foot, mixed-use development that will incorporate renewable energy systems, and it is designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum rating. In addition to a 65-room hotel and conference...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Viridian Reclaimed Wood announced the introduction of a new range of tabletops, according to Viridian co-owner Joe Mitchoff. Cut to standard dimensions at Viridian’s own Portland fabrication facility, the company is introducing tabletops in its flagship Jakarta Market Blend (indoor and outdoor versions), Doug-fir beam, gym bleacher and white oak.“With total control over our tabletop fabrication, we can ensure the highest quality for our commercial customers,” Mitchoff said. “And our facility is close to our warehouse, which makes for shorter lead times and quicker turnaround.”Viridian’s tabletop line is offered in standard desk and restaurant sizes and rounds. Custom...

OCEANSIDE, CALIF.—The 149-suite SpringHill Suites by Marriott in Oceanside, Calif., is oficially open for business. The SpringHill Suites San Diego Oceanside/Downtown will operate as a Marriott franchise, owned by GF Properties Group, LLC and managed by Sage Hospitality of Denver. The hotel has been designed to LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards. It is the newest SpringHill Suites to join the portfolio of Marriott properties that are designed to LEED standards, a voluntary rating program developed by the U.S. Green Building Council that provides third-party verification of green building. The SpringHill Suites San Diego Oceanside/Downtown is a...

LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLA.—Orlando’s newest lifestyle hotel—B Resort, located in the Walt Disney World Resort—is offering local artists and galleries the opportunity to showcase original works in its hotel. The resort is accepting submissions, now through March 15, from artists who wish to participate in this innovative program.The new “B Artistic Exhibit” will showcase the vibrant local art scene to travelers who come from around the world to Orlando’s bustling Tourism Corridor. Selected works from Central Florida’s artists and galleries will be prominently displayed in the pre-function area of the expansive meeting spaces. Guests will be able to purchase...

SHAWANO, WIS.—The NEWH Sustainable Hospitality Committee announces the return of Green Voice Conversations during the upcoming HD Expo in Las Vegas, May 14 to 16 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. The live sessions will feature a combination of one-on-one interviews in The Social Hub booth #1955 during show hours open to all show attendees and a CEU-accredited panel discussion in the HD conference meeting rooms for paid conference pass holders.Green Voice is now in its third year, continuing to grow in scope and popularity each year. This year's sessions feature eight industry experts actively involved in sustainable practices...

CROSSVILLE, TENN.—Crossville, Inc. has launched SpeakEasy, a porcelain tile collection offering the look of authentic, old barn wood interpreted in a range of contemporary, large format plank sizes. With its modern take on time-worn wood’s appearance and texture, this line is designed for ease in selling, design and specification as an alternative to traditional hardwoods.According to Crossville’s V.P. of Marketing Lindsey Waldrep, the name of the product reflects Crossville’s intention to present a product that reinvents the wood look and is very simple to work with across commercial and residential markets.“SpeakEasy is all about ease of selection...a great option...