WASHINGTON, D.C.—Northeast Energy Efficiency Partnerships (NEEP) has chosen the J.W. Marriott Washington, D.C. as a 2014 Northeast Business Leader for Energy Efficiency for its efforts to grow the economy and protect the environment via its commitment to energy efficiency.In the nation’s capital, JW Marriott Washington, D.C. and Marriott International’s hotels of Washington, D.C. welcome tourists and professionals year-round. The hotels that serve these visitors are some of the largest consumers of energy in the city and present abundant opportunities for energy savings. Since 2012, Marriott International’s hotels of Washington, D.C. have worked with the DC Sustainable Energy Utility (DCSEU) to...

LAS VEGAS—Strengthening its position in the meetings and convention industry, Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino announced plans to expand its Convention Center. Based on demand for additional space, the resort will add new exhibit space, underground parking and increase overall square footage. Mandalay Bay is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM Resorts International.Plans include the addition of more than 350,000 square feet of exhibit space to the existing 1.7 million-square-foot Mandalay Bay Convention Center as well as underground parking and more carpeted ballroom space. The new spaces will allow Mandalay Bay to grow current shows, pursue new and larger...

YAO NOI, THAILAND—In support of Six Senses core values of sustainability and respect for the environment, Six Senses Yao Noi has launched an organic chicken farm. In January the resort purchased 200 young laying hens and as of April 2014 the farm now provides guests with fresh eggs daily. By June, it is estimated that the chickens will supply the resort with all their eggs.Jim Driskell, senior chef de cuisine at The Dining Room, the resort’s organic European cuisine restaurant, in conjunction with Khun Pim, the resort’s full time sustainability and recycling expert, developed the organic chicken farm from...

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA—Five years in the planning, the Biohotel Organic Suites is just one month from opening in Bogota, Colombia in the district of Usaquen, known as the culinary and cultural hub of the city. The seven-story, 72-room property is “my retirement plan,” says Samuel Huertas, majority owner. Huertas is aiming for LEED Gold certification for the hotel that includes the Green Piece restaurant and meeting space to accommodate up to 150 people.True to its name, the Biohotel Organic Suites is green throughout. The exterior of the building features windows made from recycled glass and vertical “gardens” that help to...

MIAMI BEACH, FLA.—After the completion of a $25 million dollar restoration endeavor, the historic Courtyard Cadillac Miami Beach Oceanfront announces the opening of its new LEED certified 93-guestroom oceanfront tower. The Cadillac now offers a total of 356 guestrooms, including 19 oversized suites with ocean views, a new oceanfront salt-water pool, a state of the art gym, an updated lobby and indoor/outdoor meeting space, the renovated Carrabba’s Surfside Tiki Bar and new poolside cabanas. “The addition of the oceanfront tower along with our private beach and lengthy list of new amenities has transformed our hotel into a place that visitors...

PHILIPSBURG, ST. MAARTEN—The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, St. Maarten has completed a solar installation that allows the resort to produce six to eight hours of its own power during peak times. The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa is the first Westin hotel or resort in the world and the only major resort in the Caribbean to complete and utilize solar panels to replace its energy consumption throughout the resort.The resort began taking advantage of the island’s abundance of sunshine in 2007 with the installation of solar panels to heat the water used in the property’s guestrooms....

ITHACA, N.Y.—The Statler Hotel at Cornell University received the 2014 Good Earthkeeping Award, the greenest award bestowed by the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association. The award recognizes the Statler, which has developed a culture of integrating superior environmental management practices. The honor was given March 3 in Albany, N.Y., at the association’s 2014 Stars of the Industry Gala and Awards Banquet.“This is a very prestigious award, and all of our staff and our student-employees are very proud to have earned it,” says Rick Adie, the general manager of the Statler. “Our initiatives align with the university goals...

BRANDENBURG, KY.—If you are staying at the Southern Grace Bed & Breakfast in Brandenburg, Ky., and can’t finish your tasty breakfast, don’t even think about throwing your food scraps in the trash. The approximately 70 chickens—free range chickens—will be more than happy to eat what you cannot. According to Theresa Padgett, owner of the 15-acre B&B with her husband David, all food scraps are either fed to the chickens or composted. The plate-to-chicken approach to waste management is just one of the ways the B&B owners work to lighten their property’s impact on the planet. In the garden that...

MCLEAN, VA.—Home2 Suites by Hilton, Hilton Worldwide’s mid-tier, all-suite hotel brand designed for modern business travelers and extended stay guests, announced the opening of its 29th hotel, Home2 Suites by Hilton Baltimore/Aberdeen. This marks the second Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified hotel in the brand’s portfolio. “We are excited to unveil our third property in the greater Baltimore area,” said Bill Duncan, global head, Home2 Suites by Hilton. “This market has proven to be a great fit for our Home2 Suites brand and we felt like Aberdeen was a perfect location for our brand. We...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—It is not often that an investment in renewable energy is celebrated with fireworks and mayoral visits but that is what happened this past Wednesday evening at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The fireworks and visits by City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief marked the official unveiling of six 52-foot, 4 kilowatt wind turbines that rise above the hotel’s rooftop. Approximately $500,000 was invested in the turbines that required the tallest crane in the state of Florida to install.“It is an exciting day for us,” said Andreas Ioannou, general...