BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts was honored recently by Conde Nast Traveler as a leader in social responsibility in the travel industry as a winner of the magazine’s 2008 World Savers Awards in the category of environmental protection. As one of only six global travel companies handpicked from 142 applicants by an elite and prestigious judging panel for Conde Nast Traveler’s environmental leadership awards, Vail Resorts was recognized for its commitment to renewable energy, its aggressive and innovative “energy layoff” conservation program and its successful forest conservation partnership with the National Forest Foundation, a nonprofit associated with the U.S. Forest Service. “The...

GERMANTOWN, MD.—Telkonet, Inc., a leading provider of centrally managed solutions for integrated energy management, networking, building automation and proactive support services, announced that it will be installing the in-room, occupancy-driven Telkonet SmartEnergy (TSE) energy management solution throughout the eco-friendly luxury Metro Hotel, located in downtown Milwaukee, Wis. Milwaukee’s first Travel Green certified venue, the Metro Hotel selected TSE after a comprehensive trial, highlighting TSE’s Recovery Time technology and efficient operation as key factors, in line with its green energy strategy and focus on improving guest satisfaction. TSE will be implemented during August with the help of Focus on Energy, Wisconsin’s...

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The NYLO Providence/Warwick is setting a new standard for living a loft lifestyle in Rhode Island—while using renewable energy resources such as wind, solar and hydro to better meet the demands of its guests in an environmentally-friendly climate. Through a unique partnership with People’s Power & Light in Rhode Island, NYLO Providence/Warwick has become the first hotel in the state to open completely powered by renewable energy from local resources such as the Portsmouth Abbey wind turbine, solar panels on Scituate High School, low-impact hydro from Pawtucket Hydro, and dozens of other installations throughout Rhode Island. “NYLO Hotels is...

HOUSTON—How do you get a laundry facility that covers 27,000 square feet into the basement of a downtown Houston, Texas hotel? It’s easy; you build the hotel on top of the laundry. Most hotel laundries are put in as an afterthought to the construction of the hotel and as such have limited space for equipment. The laundry facility located in the basement of the Hilton Americas-Houston was included in the initial building of the structure and exists as the largest laundry facility in the United States Hilton family of hotels. The massive equipment, including two tunnel washers, was put into...

WESTFORD, MASS.—Spinwave Systems, Inc. and AscentIQ, Inc. announced that they have teamed up to produce a complete energy management solution that will make it faster and easier to reduce energy consumption in commercial buildings. Combining second-generation wireless technology with a flexible software platform, the new energy management solution will make energy usage data available to company management in a clear format, tied directly to business goals. The system allows users to integrate their energy management systems with software used to run their businesses, such as financial reporting programs, making it easier to analyze, share, and apply energy usage information throughout...

SANTA CLARA, CALIF.—Watt Stopper/Legrand welcomed close to 300 guests to the company’s headquarters here last month for its highly successful GreenFair. More than 30 exhibitors were on hand to discuss environmentally friendly products and services that ranged from building materials made from reclaimed materials to electric vehicles to recycling programs and commute alternatives to organic food, wine and pet supplies. Also in attendance were the mayors of Santa Clara and Los Gatos as well as San Jose’s energy officer. Watt Stopper/Legrand president Jerry Mix greeted early attendees, explaining that the fair was the work of Watt Stopper employees who wanted...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Dave Rutherford, who has more than 10 years of hospitality sales and marketing experience and 15 years of foodservice sales experience, has become an independent representative for several different companies. His company, RDI Sales and Marketing, is specializing in companies that offer “green” products to the hospitality industry. “I started down this path years ago while I was the director of sales and marketing with Sunbeam Products,” Rutherford says. “We developed products that would save energy and show a return to the hotels. The focus now is not only on the hotel but the environment as well. The company...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Seven lodging properties and several Fortune 100 companies, including Hewlett Packard, Lockheed Martin, and Xerox, are among the 96 facilities that have renewed their membership in EPA’s National Environmental Performance Track program. The lodging properties include: Pinewood Cove Resort, Trinity Center, Calif.; Trinity Lake Resort & Marina, Trinity Center, Calif.; Callville Bay Resort & Marina, Las Vegas; Big Bend Resorts/Chisos Mountain Lodge, Big Bend, Texas; Lake Amistad Resort and Marina, Del Rio, Texas; Mammoth Cave Hotel, Mammoth Cave, Kentucky; Hurricane Ridge Lodge, Port Angeles, Wash.; Lake Crescent Lodge, Port Angeles, Wash.; and Xanterra Parks & Resorts at Yellowstone...

ELLWOOD CITY, PA.—The Energy Services Division of The Eric Ryan Corp. has been contracted to provide utility bill auditing and energy consulting services to a U.S.-based hotel management company with properties in the Caribbean Islands. The Ellwood City, Pa., company signed its first international contract in June with Caribbean Property Group LLC. The company operates 14 properties in the Caribbean Islands, including The Palm Beach Aruba Marriott and Ritz-Carlton in San Juan, Puerto Rico. “It has become very apparent that the energy crisis has catapulted the request for energy consumption and cost analysis to the forefront of business owners’ minds and...

NEW YORK—As a result of its $65 million renovation, the historic New Yorker Hotel, located in the heart of New York City, will decrease its use of energy for heating and air-conditioning by 30 to 40 percent, effectively reducing the hotel’s carbon footprint. Furthermore, the new air-conditioning system will exceed ASHRAE Standard 90.1, an internationally recognized energy conservation standard related to HVAC systems (ASHRAE is the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers). The $65 million renovation, to be completed in September of this year, is carefully designed to recapture the style and character of the New Yorker...