SINGAPORE—Asian hospitality chain Meritus Hotels & Resorts (MHR) has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Funtasy Island Development (FID) Pte Ltd for the management of a deluxe resort development comprising a 200-room condotel, a 230-suite hotel, and an aggregate of 413-unit villas on Funtasy Island—envisioned to be the largest eco theme park and the first gated island community in the world.Located on Riau Islands, Indonesia and slated to open in 2014, Funtasy Island will house hotel suites and villas complementing retail, convention, dining and recreational facilities—all spread over 810 acres of pristine tropical islands situated between Batam and Singapore.Sixteen...

SILVER SPRING, MD.—Choice Hotels International, Inc., one of the world’s largest hotel companies, and Concord Hospitality announced that construction of the 182-room Cambria Suites hotel in Washington, D.C. has begun “skyward.” As opposed to a traditional groundbreaking event, the “skybreak” marks the start of hotel construction skyward above newly constructed retail at CityMarket at O, a mixed-use development one block from the Washington Convention Center. The all-suite hotel features spacious, larger than standard hotel rooms, a rooftop pool, fitness center and outdoor urban oasis terrace with open green space featuring sweeping views of the U.S. Capitol and the national...

WEST CALDWELL, N.J.—MaxLite, a global manufacturer and marketer of LED fixtures and lamps, offers the new Omnidirectional A19 LED Lamp as a true A19 incandescent replacement lamp that distributes a soft, warm uniform light without compromising performance or aesthetics.“Our new Omnidirectional A19 LED Lamps showcase our latest advancements in LED technology and fulfill a need for incandescent replacements used in remodeling and new construction projects in today’s marketplace,” said Pat Treadway, MaxLite’s Vice President of Product Marketing and Engineering. “Our engineers have developed an attractive, environmentally friendly LED lamp alternative that equals incandescent lighting performance, while exceeding the energy...

LONDON—A new comprehensive report released from the World Green Building Council (WorldGBC), highlights that there are a large number of compelling benefits from green buildings received by different stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of a building. The report, “The Business Case for Green Building: A Review of the Costs and Benefits for Developers, Investors and Occupants,” examines whether or not it’s possible to attach a financial value to the cost and benefits of green buildings. Today, green buildings can be delivered at a price comparable to conventional buildings and investments can be recouped through operational cost savings and, with the...

LEXINGTON, KY.—The award-winning Haiku ceiling fan from Big Ass Fans now lights up a room even more with the addition of a new, patent-pending LED light module. Integrated seamlessly into the fan’s already minimalist design, the energy-efficient LED module reinforces Haiku’s No. 1 Energy Star ranking. LEDs are 80 percent more efficient than incandescent bulbs and offer a lifespan of 50,000 hours—about 17 years of standard use.In addition to Haiku’s 10 unique settings, the LED module’s digital dimmer offers 16 increments of brightness to provide the right amount of light for any setting. At its brightest, the LED module...

EMERYVILLE, CALIF.—SCS Global Services (SCS), a leading third-party certifier in the green building industry, announces its expanded business alliance with GreenWizard, Inc., a web-based platform that allows building professionals to find and manage manufacturer product data and documentation for LEED and green commercial construction. The alliance benefits manufacturers by increasing opportunities for architects, engineers, and contractors to locate and obtain their certified products for LEED building projects.“GreenWizard enables professionals to identify and evaluate products from a data-driven perspective and seamlessly collect documentation required to satisfy LEED,” said Stowe Hartridge-Beam, SCS’ Director of Environmental Certification Services. “It represents the future...

LAGRANGE, GA.—Lindsay James, a seven-year veteran of Interface Americas who most recently was the modular carpet tile manufacturer’s Director of Strategic Sustainability, has been named Vice President of Restorative Enterprise.In announcing the promotion, John Wells, Interface Americas president and CEO, explained, “The formation of the Restorative Enterprise team is a next step in our company’s journey to our 2020 Mission Zero goal and our promise to eliminate any negative impact our manufacturing and products have on the environment. This team is charged with helping to transform our company into an enterprise that restores the environment as well as preserves...

NEW YORK—Conrad New York, a luxury waterfront, all-suite hotel located in the heart of lower Manhattan’s Battery Park City, has been awarded LEED Gold for New Construction Certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI). This is the first LEED Gold New Construction major renovation project certified under the latest rating system in New York. Since its inception in 1998, LEED is the nation’s top rating system for design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings, homes and neighborhoods.The Conrad New York, having already achieved ISO 9000 certification...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—Móz Designs now features Cosmos, a unique series of blended colorways and subtle patterns that create a new aesthetic in metal surfacing materials. Cosmos is the latest addition to the Móz Graphix Collection, graphically-enhanced aluminum panels for distinctive hotel and commercial interiors.Cosmos is highlighted with a subtle celestial pattern inspired by the northern lights and is available in two scales. The series has dramatic light-to-dark color gradients that merge vibrant tones into subtle neutrals. Color spectrum options include Twilight, Dusk, Moonlight, Earth and other cosmically-inspired variations.Cosmos is available in 48” x 96” and 48” x 120” aluminum or...

ST. LOUIS—Embassy Suites St. Louis—Downtown announced that it has been awarded LEED Silver Certification established by the U.S. Green Building Council and verified by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI,) making it the only LEED Certified hotel in the St. Louis area.  LEED is the nation’s preeminent program for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings.  “This coveted certification is recognition of our commitment to create a sustainable project that redeveloped an important building in an area that connects our region’s convention center with the Gateway Arch and we are pleased to be able to provide...