DENVER—Walking the halls in the new TownePlace Suites by Marriott at Gateway Park (Denver), you’d be hard pressed to find a difference between these and the corridors in almost any other prototypical TownePlace Suites across the country. To the guest there is no difference. To the owner, there is a huge one. Although just as bright, these corridors contain special fitted LED lighting fixtures. Lights may not seem like a big deal, but these use far less electricity and will make a big impact on the energy that the hotel consumes. Less electricity equals less operating costs, which equals...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the opening of the fifth public comment period for the proposed update to its LEED green building program. The comment period, which will close on December 10, enables the building community to view the most recent draft of the rating systems and provide comments where any substantive changes have been made.“LEED v4 will have the greatest impact of any rating system we’ve developed by focusing on building performance and rewarding innovative product manufacturers who offer best in class products,” said Scot Horst, senior vice president, LEED, USGBC. “LEED v4 will help...

DALLAS—The LEED Gold pursuing NYLO Dallas South Side hotel, a five-story, 76-room property, opened late this past summer and joins NYLO’s collection of three other eco-friendly hotels—two in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The new urban-loft boutique NYLO is the result of the conversion of the 101-year-old Dallas Coffin Co. Building. During the conversion, every possible part of the original building was incorporated into the hotel. For example, the hotel’s guestrooms feature original concrete floors and exposed ceilings. Celebrating the vibrant local arts community, original artworks from local artists are showcased throughout the property, complementing the hotel’s chic interior...

DETROIT—Shel Kimen, the founder of an organization called Collision Works, is making progress in her attempt to build a 36-room boutique-style hotel in the Eastern Market area of Detroit. The hotel, which primarily would be constructed from shipping containers, would also include a 3,000-square-foot event space, co-working space—a mix of private and public space—and outdoor courtyard. At press time, Kimen was close to finalizing the purchase of the land from the City of Detroit.Kimen hatched the idea for the hotel in mid-2011 and has been working on the project since. Once the land has been purchased, the actual financing...

PORTLAND, ORE.—Viridian Reclaimed Wood announced the introduction of Siberian Spruce paneling milled from reclaimed Russian crating material, according to Viridian co-owner Joe Mitchoff. A mix of slow-growing spruce and pine from the frigid climate of subarctic Russia, the paneling is reminiscent of the walls of an alpine lodge, but its light color also lends itself to contemporary interiors. “This paneling’s rustic character hints of its rough-and-tumble past,” Mitchoff said. “But it’s really beautiful, and it’s an extremely affordable way to use reclaimed wood on a project.”Siberian Spruce is available in 5/8″ or 3/4″ thicknesses, with a face width of...

CHATTANOOGA, TENN.—Outdoors-oriented travelers headed to the Chattanooga area for rock climbing, bicycling, kayaking and other activities can now stay in a hostel that is officially among the world’s greenest. Opened in June 2011, The Crash Pad just recently earned its LEED Platinum designation. According to the hostel’s owners, Max Poppel and Dan Rose, The Crash Pad is the only hostel on the planet to earn LEED Platinum. Only three other lodging establishments in the United States have earned LEED Platinum through the U.S. Green Building Council.Located on one acre in downtown Chattanooga, The Crash Pad sits on a site...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes EnviroTextiles as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Based in Glenwood Springs, Colo., EnviroTextiles specializes in sustainable textiles. All of the company’s products are made from organic sources; including hemp, agave cactus, coconut fiber, and others. Each product must pass Sustainable Biodegradable Products Certification. EnviroTextiles currently provides wholesale hemp fabric and sustainable textiles to more than 60 countries. For more information, e-mail info@envirotextile.com, call (970) 945-5986, or go to www.envirotextile.com.

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Valley Forge Fabrics, a leading supplier of decorative textiles to the hospitality industry, announced the launch of its brand new website and design library. For the first time ever, qualified Valley Forge customers will have digital access to its expansive running line fabric collection. “We are beyond excited to be able to deliver our fabric collections in a digital format to our customer base,” says Diana Dobin, president of Valley Forge. “Our new website is remarkably fast, includes up-to-the-minute inventory levels and allows customers to have specification information at their fingertips.”Valley Forge’s website and design library has been...

FRANKFURT, GERMANY—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. has signed an agreement with Bari Gruppe GmbH & Co. KG to open a new-build Element hotel at Gateway Gardens, Frankfurt`s new city district near the airport. Scheduled to open in 2014, Element Frankfurt Airport marks the European debut of the eco-wise brand. The hotel will be located in a newly developed business district at the doorstep of Europe’s third busiest air travel hub, near the global headquarters of companies such as Lufthansa, Condor and DB Schenker.Launched in 2008, Element has made history as the only major hotel brand to mandate that...

LOUISVILLE, KY.—The look and feel of stone wall covering in a residential or commercial setting is always an attractive aspect of a building, but adding a stone look is typically a professional undertaking which involves specialized equipment, installers and struggles with structural issues…until now. AirStone is an ultra-light wall covering system from Baton, LLC. that allows anyone to install a stone veneer using only pre-mixed adhesive, a putty knife and a hack saw. AirStones are individual stone pieces that precisely fit together so grouting is not required. They adhere directly onto any wall or fireplace in homes or commercial...