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...

Commercial buildings across the United States have a common problem: They seldom perform at design level. Optimum level provides the most comfortable and safe indoor environment for the occupants while balancing operation and maintenance costs for the owners. Retro-commissioning (Rcx) is a systematic process that helps solve this problem by allowing a building’s HVAC system and integrated building controls to operate at peak performance. Retro-commissioning building systems can provide significant benefits such as improving occupant comfort, reducing energy cost, improving indoor air quality, enhancing building operations and extending equipment life. The National Environmental Balancing Bureau defines Rcx as “the systematic process...

NATIONAL REPORT—Late December was not a good time for an upscale hotel in southern Florida. A 26-year-old man lost his life in a guestroom. The cause of death: carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning. The man’s father nearly died from the silent killer as well. He survived after being put on a ventilator. According to a report in The Miami Herald, authorities concluded that the boiler room, which houses two boilers and two water tanks to heat water for the entire facility, was the source of the deadly fumes. The boiler room is located next to the room where the...

SILVER SPRING, MD.—Choice Hotels International has announced that its 433 Comfort Suites hotels in the United States will go 100 percent nonsmoking as of May 1. The 433 properties represent 34,000 rooms. According to Kimberly Shells, Senior Director, Brand Strategy for Choice, the decision to go smoke free was driven by research. “We conducted research among guests and franchisees,” Shells says. “The vast majority of them supported it. It really is for our guests. We found that the vast majority of guests prefer a smoke-free environment.” Ten percent of U.S. Comfort Suites hotels already are 100 percent nonsmoking. The other properties...

SAN JUAN, P.R.—As of February 1, 2007, the San Juan Marriott Resort and Stellaris Casino is officially a nonsmoking hotel and the first in Puerto Rico to institute a no smoking policy. The smoking ban will be instituted throughout the entire hotel, including the rooms, balconies, lobby, bar and restaurants, with the hotel’s Stellaris Casino following suit on March 1, 2007. In October 2006, Marriott instituted its Smoke-Free Hotel Environment strategy, representing the industry’s largest move to a nonsmoking environment. It encompassed all of the company’s lodging brands in the United States and Canada, and was optional for...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Better Living as a sponsor. Holiday Island, Ark.-based Better Living is a provider of 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 sunlight process. The purifiers are made from brushed stainless steel and include a lifetime/washable 0.5 micron pre-filter. They weigh just 9 lbs. Sun Aire Air...

Carbon monoxide, a killer, should be the No. 1 indoor air quality concern at your property. Do you have detectors installed in your guestrooms? In other areas? If not, why? How can you truly be a green hotel if you are not doing all you can to protect your guests and staff from this silent, invisible danger? Hundreds lose their lives each year after having been exposed to carbon monoxide buildup in an enclosed area. Just last month in Key West, Fla., a 26-year-old man died in a guestroom at an upscale hotel. The man’s father nearly died as...