PHOENIX—A new enhancement to Best Western International’s website is helping the company meet travelers’ demands for environmentally-friendly hotels. Hotels that comply with a state, national or international eco-labeling program for the hotel industry now can display a green leaf icon next to their listing on bestwestern.com. Travelers also can search for green hotels using this feature. Approved eco-labeling programs include the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED certification, American Hotel & Lodging Association’s 11 Minimum Green Guidelines, Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key, Green Seal, Energy Star, and others. “Hotel guests are increasingly more conscious of the environmental impact of their hotel...

HORSHAM, PA.—Cvent, a provider of online event management, meeting site selection and Web survey solutions, announced a partnership with Green Key Global to help the more than 65,000 monthly meeting planner users of the company’s online site selection and sourcing tool, the Cvent Supplier Network, plan green meetings and events. Through the “Environmentally Friendly” filter on the Cvent Supplier Network and Green Key ratings on venue profiles, meeting planners can easily research, identify and do business with Green Key-certified hotels and hotel meeting facilities in the United States and Canada. “We are always looking for ways to enhance the Cvent...

KENNER, LA.—Pellerin Milnor announced that fans may now log onto Facebook to receive the latest photos, information, and participate in discussions on its products. By clicking on the “like” button next to Pellerin Milnor Corporation’s profile, one will benotified when new content is updated on the page. Like Milnor, several other laundry manufacturers have looked to social networking to cultivate a constant and international presence on Facebook, which is arguably the most influential social network today. “There is no doubt that Facebook has become an international phenomenon,” Milnor’s marketing coordinator Katie Pellerin said. “In just six years, this website has influenced...

HELENA, MONT.—The Montana Innkeepers Assn. (MIKA), soon to be the Montana Lodging & Hospitality Assn., has partnered with Green Directory Montana to launch a Montana Sustainability in Hospitality Program for those owning and operating lodging establishments in Montana. The program was officially launched on August 1 and is the result of the work of a MIKA green lodging committee that had been meeting for more than a year. Stuart Doggett, executive director of MIKA, said that due to Montana’s budget crisis, it became apparent to MIKA that a green lodging program was not going to emerge out of a state...

DENVER—Sage Hospitality has upped its own ante on helping the environment with its new Green Choice program. The “opt in” initiative offers guests the choice to decline daily housekeeping to reduce their carbon footprint while saving hotels money on energy, water and other costs. Introduced in March 2010 and currently offered at 18 Sage hotels across the country, such as The Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel and the Nines in Portland, Ore., Green Choice reflects a growing trend as hotel groups seek innovative solutions to save money—and the planet—amid challenging times for the travel industry. Green Choice has seen great success...

TORONTO—Looking for new ways to enhance the guest experience and help travelers stay fit and maintain a balanced lifestyle while away from home, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts recently announced an extension of its partnership with German automaker BMW to provide a complimentary hotel bicycle service featuring BMW Cruise Bikes. Already present in Fairmont’s Canadian properties, Fairmont hotels across the United States will introduce these state-of-the-art bikes as the newest benefit for guests. In addition to having a selection of regular BMW Cruise Bikes available, hotels will also boast some child-sized BMW Junior Cruise Bikes, allowing families to enjoy the...

LAKE TAHOE, CALIF.—Days two and three of the West Coast Green Lodging Conference, held at the Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe—Hotel & Ski Resort, were highlighted by presentations by the following: Kelly May, who is with the California Department of General Services’ California Green Lodging Program; Janine Chicourrat, general manager, Portola Hotel & Spa; and Sara Schoen, LEED AP, commercial real estate associate, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). In her presentation, May described how more than 200 hotels in California are benefiting from participating in that state’s Green Lodging Program—a program focused on minimizing waste, conserving energy and water, green purchasing,...

SOUTHLAKE, TEXAS—Travelocity announced it will add hundreds of properties to its Green Hotel Directory that have been validated by Hilton Worldwide’s innovative sustainability measurement system, LightStay. Travelocity is awarding its coveted “eco-friendly hotel” leaf tag to more than 300 elite properties among the Hilton Worldwide portfolio, each of which has made significant strides toward sustainability. Travelocity is the only major online travel company that tags eco-friendly hotels site-wide. “Our eco-friendly leaf is a symbol consumers can trust, and it makes shopping a snap,” says Alison Presley, manager of Travelocity’s Travel for Good program. “We’re excited to award it to over...

HORSHAM, PA.—Carlson Hotels, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has selected the Green Key Eco-Rating program as its preferred green lodging certification program. Green Key, which ranks, certifies and inspects hotels based on their commitment to sustainable operations and practices, will be a part of the latest installment of Carlson Hotel’s Responsible Business initiative to be rolled out in the third quarter of 2010. The initiative includes Carlson Hotels’ Radisson, Country Inn & Suites By Carlson, Park Inn and Park Plaza brands in The Americas. The company’s managed hotels will join the program immediately. The Radisson brand is planning...

BELLEVUE, WASH.—Expedia.com, a leading online travel agency, announced that a first wave of 300-plus properties using LightStay within the Hilton Worldwide portfolio of hotel brands will be added to the Expedia.com Green Hotel Program. LightStay is Hilton Worldwide’s proprietary sustainability measurement system, on par with many of the best-in-class systems globally. With the addition of these hotels, the Expedia.com Green Hotel program now includes more than 2,000 hotels, giving Expedia.com one of the most comprehensive selections of eco-friendly travel options among all online travel agencies. “Expedia.com is committed to helping travelers find the broadest range of ‘green’ properties in the...