For the past several decades, the hotel and resort industry has made impressive shifts toward more environmentally friendly operational practices. Eliminating single-use shampoo bottles and asking guests to reuse towels and sheets are some of the basic and necessary steps hotels have taken to ensure a greener planet. While these measures have undoubtedly resulted in a smaller carbon footprint, according to the New Building Institute, they are still not enough. The institute, which tracks net-zero buildings around the country, calls the hotel and resort industry’s record on energy and water consumption “lackluster.” It says this is due to several reasons, including...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—LG Air Conditioning Technologies USA has unveiled a Connectivity Suite with new integration capabilities that offers hoteliers and building owners the flexibility to use their preferred hotel thermostat brand when installing LG Variable Refrigerant Flow (VRF) systems. This enables direct, seamless integration of data with control options that are compatible with LG’s award-winning HVAC systems. Expanding integration to the most preferred hospitality thermostats available, LG delivers a control solution that is compatible with the company’s highly efficient VRF systems. LG’s industry leading VRF technology minimizes efficiency losses, provides sustainable energy savings, and offers flexible design options, along with the...

In late March, BREEAM hosted the first ever online BREEAM Awards ceremony. The three-day virtual event celebrated this year’s shortlisted and winning projects with over 400 attendees joining online from all over the world. BREEAM has been the world-leading sustainability assessment method for planning projects, infrastructure, and buildings for over 30 years. The BREEAM Awards is an annual celebration recognizing the projects and organizations that, in the view of the independent judging panel, are leading the way with significant achievements in sustainable building design, development and management. The three-day ceremony, which was hosted by BRE’s Head of Building Performance Services Shamir...

NEW ORLEANS—The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) has made sustainability a top priority and is taking steps to reduce environmental impacts. While the coronavirus pandemic impacted hosting events in 2020, NOENMCC took advantage of the downtime and made critical facility upgrades that will reduce their environmental footprint, and in turn, help make the facility a leader in sustainable events. “As one of the top convention center facilities in the nation, it is crucial that we meet and exceed national standards when it comes to sustainability and environmental impact,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center President. “Nowadays, sustainability...

LIBERTYVILLE, ILL.—Electrical services and energy solutions provider Aetna Corp. and global electric vehicle charging solutions company EVBox Group announced a strategic partnership to help grow EV charging infrastructure in the United States, with a focus on New England and the Mid-Atlantic states—an area Aetna Corp. has served for more than 90 years. Aetna’s expertise in serving retail, hospitality and grocery establishments is expected to play a key role in delivering EV charging to drivers in the places they frequent most. “There has never been a better time for businesses to invest in EV charging, and we are pleased we can now offer EVBox...

NEW YORK—SolarWindow Technologies, Inc., developer of transparent electricity-generating coatings and processes which generate electricity on plastics and glass, announced the planned appointment of Company Director, John Rhee, to President of SolarWindow. Rhee additionally continues to serve as President of the Company’s Asian subsidiary where he has actively established SolarWindow operations, strengthened and expanded the management team, and supported important technology advancements. “In the upcoming quarters my first order of business is to build on our recent record-setting achievements and further strengthen SolarWindow technology capabilities by boosting power output while lowering costs. We will concurrently deepen our management team with global...

WHATCOM COUNTY, WASH.—With the success of its exclusive beachfront resort in Costa Rica, Igloo Mountain Lodge announced its upcoming expansion into the United States. Construction on 50 of its uniquely styled self-check-in air form domes and a geodesic greenhouse used for social space will commence in Washington State in early 2022. Having stayed open throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, Igloo Mountain Lodge has selected a site in Whatcom County Wash. as the location for its first U.S. branch, costing around $5 million to complete. Visitor spending was $705.7 million in Whatcom County in 2018, with lodging accounting for over 10 percent. The...

LAS VEGAS—Sands’ Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report summarizes its commitment to being a responsible corporate citizen through key performance metrics in the report’s namesake areas. Measuring and reporting ESG performance has helped drive results, supporting the management of the company’s utility consumption, ensuring the disciplined execution of efficiency projects and compelling it to explore innovations to its resort operations. Along with the key metrics covered in the ESG Report, Sands is currently in the process of broadening its company disclosures to incorporate an even wider range of metrics. The areas of emphasis in environmental performance, all reflected in the report, include...

GREENOUGH, MONT.—Created by the founders of The Resort at Paws Up and set in the heart of Montana’s Blackfoot River Valley, the green o is slated to open on June 1, 2021, as a year-round, off-the-grid contemporary luxury retreat, primed for small-group buyouts. An array of customizable itineraries ideal for intimate weddings, milestone celebrations, incentive retreats, family office meetings, private board meeting getaways and more will be available. Designed for maximum privacy and seclusion, the green o will offer exclusive experiences in 12 design-forward accommodations—from the elevated Tree Haus to the Green Haus with a rooftop deck perfect for stargazing, the Round Haus with a sunken living room and the Light Haus with a glass-enclosed bedroom....

CINCINNATI, OHIO—If you were to look at all of the companies servicing the hospitality industry, there are few that have reached the level of sustainability as Cincinnati-based Melink Corp. The list of its accomplishments is long and so too are its future goals—from the headquarters it operates from to the products and services it offers. The company has been around a while. “I started the company in 1987,” says Steve Melink, Chairman & CEO. “We started as an HVAC company doing commissioning for restaurant chains.” It was not long before Melink saw that many restaurant ventilation systems were running constantly,...