DALLAS—Omni Hotels & Resorts and Louisville Metro Government announced they have entered into an agreement to develop a 600-room convention center hotel in downtown Louisville, Ky. Situated one block from Kentucky International Convention Center, the new Omni Louisville Hotel will be the first four-diamond, luxury hotel in the area, and will feature 600 guestrooms and suites, 70,000 square feet of meeting space, a spa, fitness center, two full-service restaurants, rooftop pool-side café, street level retail venue, and a lobby lounge. The hotel is expected to achieve LEED Silver certification.Located on Water Company Block at W. Liberty and 3rd Street,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently released its ranking of the Top 10 States for LEED, the world’s most widely used and recognized green building rating system. The list highlights the regions around the country that are at the forefront of sustainable building design and transformation. Utilizing less energy, LEED-certified spaces save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce carbon emissions; and contribute to a healthier environment for residents, workers and the larger community.“The list of the Top 10 States for LEED is a continuing indicator of the widespread recognition of our national imperative to create healthier,...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The two hotels in Grande Lakes Orlando—The Ritz-Carlton Orlando and JW Marriott Orlando—are among the first lodging establishments in Central Florida to send food waste to the Central Florida Energy Garden. Owned and operated by Harvest Power and located within the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the recently opened Energy Garden converts organic waste into renewable biogas and natural fertilizers. (See related article.)Twice each week, food waste from the two facilities’ banquet operations is picked up and taken to the Energy Garden. Bob Brown, Chief Engineer for the hotels, says about 20 to 30 tons a month of food...

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....

DENVER—Zion Lodge, the only in-park lodging in Utah’s Zion National Park, has received “Top Product of the Year Award in the Environmental Leader Product & Project Awards” for developing a water-cooled system for walk-in refrigeration units in its Red Rock Grill kitchen. The system has resulted in approximately 1 million fewer gallons of water annually.“Congratulations to the staff at Zion Lodge for its innovative approach to conserving water,” said Catherine Greener, Vice President of Sustainability for lodge operator Xanterra Parks & Resorts. “While the water flowing right outside the lodge’s doors may seem inexhaustible, the actions we take have...

NEWTON, MASS.—TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel site, announced plans to extend its TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program into Canada and Europe for the first time, following rapid growth in the United States. Developed in consultation with the United Nations Environment Programme, the U.S. Green Building Council, Energy Star, and the International Center for Responsible Tourism Canada, the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program aims to help travelers around the world plan greener trips by highlighting hotels and B&Bs engaging in environmentally friendly practices.For the first time, hotels and B&Bs in 19 markets, including Canada, U.K., Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and Spain, are able to...

NATIONAL REPORT—A series of six webinars with topics ranging from water efficiency to green cleaning to window film will launch on March 26 and wrap up on May 21. In total, there will be 18 different presentations throughout the six webinars that are sponsored by the U.S. EPA. The free webinars are being organized by Dan Ruben of Boston Green Tourism and Peter Cooke of the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences. Those who attend all six sessions will be acknowledged with a Certificate of Completion.The following is the schedule for the webinars:Session 1: March 26, 1 p.m to  2:15...

STAMFORD, CONN.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that its Element brand is gaining momentum in Florida with plans for a second hotel in the Miami metropolitan area. A groundbreaking ceremony for Element Miami Doral took place on March 11 with Doral Mayor Luigi Boria and other local officials in attendance, as well as several Starwood executives. The new Element is expected to open in July of 2015 as part of a dual-hotel development, joining Aloft Miami Doral which opened in March 2013. Owned by Eurocon, LLC, Element Miami Doral will offer 139 stylish, sustainable rooms.“We are delighted to...

CHICAGO—The National Restaurant Association announced the recipients of the 2014 Kitchen Innovations (KI) Awards, which honor equipment and technology that specifically improves the back of the house operations and benefits restaurant operators.“2014 marks an important milestone for the KI Awards,” said Sam Facchini, co-founder and co-owner of Metro Pizza and 2014 NRA Show Convention Chair. “In addition to proudly celebrating our 10 year anniversary of the Awards, this year’s honorees demonstrate the continued tradition of the KI Awards in celebrating innovative companies making a measureable impact on the day-to-day operations of the foodservice industry.”The 2014 KI Award recipients reflect...