WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. debuted new guestroom designs for its Westin and Sheraton hotels. The new room schemes, from furniture to textiles, were custom-created by Starwood’s in-house Brand Design team led by Erin Hoover, vice president of design. With a background in fashion, fine art and industrial design, the team applied key learning’s from extensive in-room behavior research which indicated a desire for a greater level of stylish functionality—resulting in design specifically targeted to address some of traveler’s biggest pet peeves. The new room designs will be featured in new hotels and renovation projects globally...

NEW YORK—KnollTextiles creative director Dorothy Cosonas has designed the Omni Collection of upholstery fabrics to be introduced this fall. Pony Up, Ransom and Spot On all feature saturated color and sophisticated patterns and textures. Fibers include recycled polyesters, cotton and nylon; all are Greenguard certified and may contribute to LEED certification. Pony Up is a large scale, undulating stripe that will make a bold statement in any interior. Made of 75 percent post consumer recycled polyester and 25 percent post industrial recycled polyester, this fabric has sustainable attributes. It also has a Nano-Tex finish for superior stain and soil resistance...

TETIAROA, FRENCH POLYNESIA—Located on the French Polynesian island of Tetiaroa and a product of the late Marlon Brando’s vision, construction on The Brando is progressing steadily with completion slated for late 2012. Pacific Beachcomber S.C. is developer of the resort. The president of French Polynesia, Gaston Tong Sang, recently made an official visit to Tetiaroa for a tour of The Brando construction site. Organized by Richard Bailey, CEO of Pacific Beachcomber S.C., and friend of the late actor, the trip was designed to share progress of the project’s construction with the president and his Minister of Environment, Jules Ienfa,...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne has earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the United States Green Building Council (USGBC). Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne becomes the tenth LEED certified property for parent Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Set along the grassy greens of The Golf Club at Ballantyne in an upscale lifestyle community, Aloft Charlotte Ballantyne is just steps from chic shops and Ballantyne Corporate Park—and a quick trip to downtown. Created to shake up the staid, traditional select service segment of the hotel industry, Aloft Hotels delivers style at an economical rate, with urban-influenced, modern, open...

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Rhode Island is the first state to adopt the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). The Rhode Island Green Buildings Act identifies the IGCC as an equivalent standard in compliance with requirements that all public agency major facility projects be designed and constructed as green buildings. The Rules and Regulations to implement the Act take effect in October. “It’s very exciting to me as building code commissioner to see that we are the first,” John P. Leyden, C.B.O., and Rhode Island State Building Code commissioner said. “I think that we are very fortunate in being a smaller state in...

RALEIGH-DURHAM, N.C.—Concord Hospitality Enterprises, one of the nation’s top-ranked hotel developer/owner/operators, has opened the first LEED-designed Courtyard by Marriott.  Located in Settlers Ridge in west suburban Pittsburgh, the state-of-the-art property design, created by Concord with support from Marriott, will be the prototype for all future LEED-compliant Courtyards. The new design is expected to reduce energy usage at Courtyard hotels by an average of 24 percent annually and save more than 300,000 gallons of water per year, the equivalent of 21 swimming pools. This improved energy efficiency is expected to produce average annual operating savings of $50,000 at current energy costs,...

INDIANAPOLIS—After months of strategic planning and a high profile Neocon preview in June, U.K. textile innovator Camira has opened for business in North America with staff, stockholding and samples all in place to service the North American interior fabric marketplace. The Camira North America operation is headquartered in Indianapolis, with initial stocked inventory totalling more than 200 SKUs all available on a quick ship service via a cut yardage program and with full sampling support.  Camira is a market leading European textile manufacturer, independently recognized for product and environmental innovation, achieving annual sales of 10 million yards to global clients...

CHICAGO—The annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo is less than two months away. The event will be held November 17 to 19 in Chicago at McCormick Place West—the site of Greenbuild 2007 but with twice as much space this year. Every year, Greenbuild is packed with timely, innovative education from throughout the industry, the world’s largest green building expo floor, inspirational speakers, networking opportunities, special events, tours and recreational opportunities. This year is no different. More than 800 exhibiting companies will be on hand, including companies from American Dryer Inc. to Zurn Industries, LLC. Notable speakers will include Paul Hawken,...

TEMPERANCE, MICH.—MTS Seating has introduced a new series of chairs specifically designed for hospitality dining and breakfast areas. The new DinePlus 20 chairs from MTS feature a 20-inch wide, COMFORTweb seat that meets the requirements and specifications of a wide range of hospitality brands. The DinePlus 20 features a fully upholstered back and COMFORTweb seat to provide superior comfort to the seated patron. Offered in two back styles with either a pullover or drop-edge seat, these chairs are also available with a two-tone seat and back combination.  “We designed these chairs to have the look and feel of residential dining chairs,...

HOWARD, PA.—For Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR), the 16-room, 18,500-square foot Nature Inn at Bald Eagle is just the first of many more green buildings to come. DCNR has committed to pursue the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification for the inn and at least LEED certification for all of its future buildings. The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle is green from ground to rooftop and a great start for DCNR. The Nature Inn at Bald Eagle had its grand opening on September 2 earlier this month and innkeeper...