VICTORIA, B.C.—When the Parkside Victoria Resort & Spa is awarded Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification—its application is in the final stages—it will be one of just three lodging facilities in North America to earn the Platinum honor. The other ones include the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., and the Bardessono in Yountville, Calif. The 126-suite, two-tower property in Victoria, British Columbia was built to be approximately 50 to 60 percent more energy efficient than the Model National Energy Code for Buildings. According to Jim Pearson, CEO of Aviawest Resort Group, the developer and manager of...

LINTHICUM, M.D.—Baltimore’s TownePlace Suites by Marriott Hotel at BWI Airport is the first LEED for Existing Buildings Gold certified green hotel in the state of Maryland. Significantly, it is also the first existing hotel in Marriott’s 3,400-hotel portfolio worldwide to be so recognized. To celebrate this milestone, the BWI extended-stay hotel “put on the green” with a showcase designed to help the public understand how easy it is to be green in their own homes. On September 30, the TownePlace Suites offered an exclusive preview of its innovative environmental practices. From green cleaning in guestrooms to composting all of its...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Omaha’s dynamic Midtown Crossing district will be the site of a new Element hotel. Element is a Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. brand. When it opens November 4, Element Omaha Midtown Crossing will become the first hotel in Midtown, and mark Element’s debut in the U.S. Midwest. Part of the thriving Midtown Crossing development, and just minutes from downtown Omaha and Eppley Airfield, Element Omaha Midtown Crossing is ideally situated beside the natural beauty of Turner Park. Omaha is home to five Fortune 500 companies and cultural attractions such as The Orpheum Theater and Joslyn Art...

NORTH WALPOLE—For designers who appreciate textures, Surface iQ wallcoverings by Len-Tex offer three new choices all derived from nature. Providing a distinctive aesthetic appeal, these designs are as at home in hospitality as they are in commercial, healthcare and retail settings. Callahan Reproduced to simulate the look and feel of fine leather, Callahan features a classic stitched-leather block pattern in a PVC-free construction. This new design in the Surface iQ offering takes the traditional leather look to a whole new level by incorporating the sophisticated shimmer of pearlescent inks in its palette of 12 fashion-forward colors. An elegant luster enhances the...

NEW YORK—Humanscale’s groundbreaking Element LED Task Light received a 2010 Green GOOD DESIGN Award. Among thousands of submissions from more than 46 countries, Element was selected as an outstanding example of green design. The Green GOOD DESIGN Awards are organized by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies. Green GOOD DESIGN’s goal is “to emphasize the importance of sustainable design and to develop a public awareness program for the international general public about which companies are doing the best job in sustainable design for our environments,” said Ioannis...

TORONTO—A three-floor, 114-bed hostel in Toronto that will open within the next couple of weeks could very well be the most energy efficient lodging establishment in North America. Incorporating solar thermal, solar photovoltaic, geothermal and heat capture technologies, the “low carbon” hostel will produce 75 percent fewer greenhouse gas emissions than a comparable building its size. The hostel’s name is the Planet Traveler and co-developer Tom Rand says the property is by far the best in class for hostels and was built to the standards of a boutique hotel. The cost for the energy-saving systems was $200,000, just 5 percent...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Energy Cinch as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Energy Cinch is a highly effective energy saving Roman Shade style window treatment. It has an R-value of 7.69 and is designed to close off the convective loop, significantly lowering energy consumption and costs. Energy Cinch reduces winter heat loss by as much as 80 percent and summer heat gain by as much as 70 percent, making it a highly effective thermal barrier. The Energy Cinch shade installs behind existing drapes or by itself. Numerous fabrics and...

SEATTLE—The Living Building Challenge, widely regarded as the world’s most rigorous green building performance standard, has redefined the design and construction process for more than 70 projects since its launch in 2006. The International Living Building Institute announced the results of its first third-party certification audits earlier this month, declaring that the world’s first ‘Living Buildings’ are finally a reality. The Omega Center for Sustainable Living in Rhinebeck, N.Y., and the Tyson Living Learning Center in Eureka, Mo., each earned full certification, or “Living” status. Additionally, Eco-Sense, a private residence in Victoria, B.C., earned partial program certification, “Petal Recognition,” for...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hampton Hotels recently announced that the Hampton Inn and Suites in Folsom, Calif., has achieved LEED certification, as recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This is the second Hampton hotel property to earn LEED recognition for sustainable building design, construction and operations. “We are proud to add the Hampton Inn & Suites Folsom to the property list of LEED certified Hampton hotels,” said Phil Cordell, global head, Focused Service and Hampton Brand. “Sustainability is a driving force for the brand and for Hilton Worldwide.  Partnering with franchisees like Folsom Lodging keeps us at the forefront of our...

NATIONAL REPORT—Carpeting is certainly one of the most significant considerations when designing a hotel’s interior—from an aesthetic, cost, maintenance, and durability perspective. Fortunately for the lodging industry, and for those who specify or purchase carpet, manufacturers of the floor covering material are making it easier to minimize one’s environmental impact without compromising any aspect of the product. Increasingly, manufacturers are taking a Cradle to Cradle approach to manufacturing—making sure that as few resources as necessary are used during manufacturing, that as much recycled content as possible is included in the carpeting and its backing, and that at the end...