SILVER SPRING, MD.—Choice Hotels International announced that its first Cambria Suites hotel has opened in Boise, Idaho. Like all future Cambria Suites properties, it will be 100 percent nonsmoking. Cambria Suites hotels are designed for guests who want to take their lifestyle with them when traveling, and hotels feature a stylish design that is more intimate than traditional hotel décor, with guest suites that are 25 percent larger than standard hotel rooms. The 119-suite Cambria Suites Boise Airport hotel is owned and operated by The Summit Group Inc., a hotel developer focused on developing, managing, and owning mid-market...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Better Living as a Green Product Directory partner. Holiday Island, Ark.-based Better Living is a provider of U.S.-made Sun Aire Ductless Furnaces and Sun Aire Air Purifiers. The energy-efficient Ductless Furnace can heat an area of up to 500 square feet economically with clean, comfortable radiant heat. The Sun Aire Air Purifier safely eliminates airborne bacteria and viruses, mold spores, and pet/smoke/ammonia odors using a natural sunlight process. The purifiers are made from brushed stainless steel and include a lifetime/washable 0.5 micron pre-filter. They weigh just...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—The decision by Choice Hotels International to go smoke free at all 433 domestic Comfort Suites hotels as of May 1 will bulk up the growing ranks of FreshStay, an online directory of smoke-free lodging facilities worldwide. “The number of completely smoke-free hotels in the United States grew more than 2,700 percent in 2006, and with Choice Hotels’ Comfort Suites brand coming into the fold, we’re already off to a great start for 2007,” says Ray Burger, president of Pineapple Hospitality, which founded FreshStay. “Studies show that at least four out of five hotel guests prefer...

BASKING RIDGE, N.J.—The Olde Mill Inn here is now offering its guests a healthier night’s sleep with PURE rooms from Pure Solutions NA, Cheektowaga, N.Y. The inn is the first hotel in New Jersey to offer this special service. A PURE room is one that has been professionally treated to minimize irritants, contaminants, and odors. PURE allergy friendly rooms are the most complete allergen-resistant hotel rooms on the market. Each PURE room is treated extensively, ensuring a comfortable and inviting stay every time. In addition to PURE guestrooms that feature air cleaners, eco-friendly items such as Energy Star...

LAS VEGAS—The Signature at MGM Grand announced the July opening of its third 576-suite tower. The debut of this all-suite tower will mark the completion of The Signature at MGM Grand complex, a first-of-its-kind hotel concept in Las Vegas that features an entirely non-gaming, nonsmoking environment focused on personal service within an intimate, exclusive environment. “There are no other accommodations in Las Vegas like The Signature at MGM Grand, which offers the best of all worlds,” says Frederic Luvisutto, Vice President of The Signature at MGM Grand. “We combine personalized service and an intimate environment just steps away...

NEW YORK—The deluxe Premier Hotel in Times Square, a Millennium Hotels and Resorts property, is breaking new ground and changing the quality of travel and wellness of its guests with the introduction of its new “Premier Pure” rooms which feature an allergen- friendly environment. The Premier Pure rooms are 98 percent free of bacteria and viruses which are eliminated via a special purification technique. The hotel is also introducing therapeutic natural skin care products by LATHER as its bath amenities. The Premier is the first New York City hotel to introduce allergen-friendly rooms utilizing an innovative, one-of-a-kind high-tech...

GREENSBORO, N.C.—The greenest hotel in North America? If not, it is certainly among the top few. Dennis Quaintance, CEO and CDO (Chief Design Officer) of Quaintance-Weaver Restaurants and Hotels, developer of the 147-room Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., has his sights set on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification. The property, still under construction, will use 40 percent less energy and 35 percent less water than a comparable hotel. It is expected to open in August or September. What makes the eight-story Proximity Hotel so different than a typical luxury property? The roof is a good place...

NATIONAL REPORT—When the first loft-style NYLO hotel opens later this year in Plano, Texas, an entire floor—44 rooms—of the 176-room property will include allergy-friendly guestrooms. Atlanta-based NYLO Hotels LLC has partnered with Pure Solutions NA, Buffalo, N.Y., to provide the PURE rooms. NYLO, which has a goal of opening 50 properties throughout North America by 2010, intends to include one PURE floor in each of its hotels. NYLO’s decision to provide these super clean rooms will be a welcome relief to the 70 million Americans who suffer from allergies or some type of chemical sensitivity. The PURE rooms also will...

DALLAS—In January, when Pineapple Hospitality and Lodging Hospitality revved up their planning for their first Green Hospitality Conference, they expected about 75 people to register. On Wednesday, March 14, however, about 175 people attended—many signing up the day of the event. That surprise surge in attendees proved that owners and operators are hungry to learn about environmental trends and how to operate more profitably while conserving natural resources. “We were extremely pleased with the attendance,” says Ray Burger, President of Pineapple Hospitality, Saint Charles, Mo. “The number of hotel companies represented was impressive and we appreciated the support...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Pure Solutions NA, Cheektowaga, N.Y., as a Founding Sponsor. Pure Solutions is the creator of the PURE Allergy Friendly Room. PURE Allergy Friendly Rooms provide guests with an environment where all surfaces are treated to minimize contaminants and irritants—mold spores, yeast, bacteria, pollen, dust, dust mites and chlorine—as well as their odors. Pure Solutions’ patent pending process includes air handling unit cleaning, carpet cleaning, filter replacement, surface cleaning with a Pure Clean Solution, ozone shock treatment, the application of a surface barrier on all room surfaces, an...