RALEIGH, N.C.—Thirty-two years after its founding in 1985, Concord Hospitality has staked its claim as one of the lodging industry’s leading proponents of green building and design. The Raleigh, N.C.-based company manages 41 of its owned hotels and also manages 47 additional properties. Fourteen of its hotels are LEED certified and there are 15 more in the pipeline that will also obtain LEED certification. All new construction projects are designed, constructed, operated and maintained to meet LEED guidelines. Concord Hospitality’s commitment to LEED makes good business and environmental sense. According to Carl Hren, Vice President of Architecture & Construction for...

CABO SAN LUCAS, MEXICO—After a soft opening in November, Grand Velas Los Cabos officially opened its doors on December 20. The $150 million resort on Mexico’s Baja Peninsula is the fifth property of Velas Resorts with over 20 years of tradition in hospitality. The beachfront property has enhanced signature facilities and services of Grand Velas resorts including duplex wellness suites with juice bars, wine-based features inspired by the proximity to the region producing Mexico’s fine wines, and dramatic ocean views and unique spaces infusing every area of the resort. Grand Velas Los Cabos has been meticulously designed to exist harmoniously...

SAN FRANCISCO—Pioneering bamboo interior finishes manufacturer Smith & Fong announced the launch of Brushed Tusk, the latest in its growing range of palm floor offerings, according to company founder and CEO Dan Smith. “Brushed Tusk is the first in a series of product designs inspired by the culture and landscapes of India,” Smith said. “Our materials come from the rural regions of India where the palm grows natively, and it’s very much a part of daily life there. By tapping into existing palm supply chains we are able to select colors and grains for our new designs.” Brushed Tusk is ideal...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Mason & Rook hotel in Washington, D.C. announced that it has been awarded LEED Silver. The Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) rating system, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is the foremost program for buildings, homes, and communities that are designed, constructed, maintained, and operated for improved environmental and human health performance. The Mason & Rook project was more than just a renovation; it was a complete rebranding of the original property. The project consisted of construction of a new, one-story addition adjacent to the ground floor, over the existing basement level parking garage,...

DENVER—Synavax introduces Energy Protect, a water-based, easy to apply clear coating that provides thermal insulation for energy savings, mold resistance, and UV resistance. It is used in a wide variety of home and commercial building insulation applications due to the easy application over existing structures to increase energy efficiency. Customers using this patented technology report saving between 20 to 40 percent on their heating and cooling energy costs. The coating has independent testing over walls illustrating a reduction of heat transfer of 34.8 percent at the standard three-coat coverage. As a bonus, Energy Protect does more than insulate in a clear...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—USGBC announced the Top 10 Countries for LEED, a list that highlights countries outside the United States that are making significant strides in sustainable building design, construction and market transformation. These countries represent the ever-growing international demand for LEED-certified green buildings. This year, China moved from second to first on the list as the largest user of LEED, with 34.62 million gross square meters (GSM) of certified LEED space. Canada, India, Brazil and the Republic of Korea rounded out the top five countries on the list, respectively. “By recognizing these leading countries, we are showcasing the exponential growth of...

SAN FRANCISCO—Pioneering bamboo interior finishes manufacturer Smith & Fong has relaunched its Durapalm.com website dedicated to its growing range of premium flooring, paneling and plywood products manufactured from reclaimed palm wood. The website showcases new offerings in flooring and panel designs, including new colors, textures and finishes. “We are really excited about what we have to offer in this new line of palm products,” said Smith & Fong CEO Dan Smith, who is heading up the company’s palm program. “Our first range of palm flooring included coconut palm in flat grain and later we added the edge grain, which is a linear look,” Smith said. “Since then we have expanded to other species...

December 8 was an important day for MGM Resorts International. It was then that it officially opened the LEED Gold MGM National Harbor in Oxon Hill, Md. The 308-room property is located minutes from Washington, D.C. The MGM National Harbor is MGM Resorts International’s ninth LEED certification. Cindy Ortega, Senior Vice President and Chief Sustainability Officer for MGM Resorts International, said in a press release that the hotel exemplifies MGM’s long-standing effort to implement sustainable and responsible practices across its resorts. I spoke with Todd Megrath, Executive Director of Sustainable Development, MGM Resorts International, about the new property and he...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—During the recent U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) International Summit held at the 2016 Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, Green Business Certification Inc. (GBCI) announced a new technology organization called arc. Officially launching later in 2016, arc will further the performance of the green building industry and the built environment as a whole. Scot Horst, USGBC’s chief product officer, has been named arc’s incoming CEO. He will transition from his role with USGBC and LEED at the end of 2016. “As the leaders of the green building movement over the last two decades, USGBC and GBCI have gathered more green...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International announced that the U.S. Green Building Council has awarded the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification to MGM National Harbor, the company’s newest resort. Located minutes from Washington, D.C., in Prince George’s County, Md., the resort is scheduled to open December 8. The LEED Green Building Rating System is the nationally accepted benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. Meeting the rigorous environmental standards of this designation is a testament to the complete integration of sustainable principles throughout the design and construction of MGM National Harbor. “Environmental responsibility is a...