LAS VEGAS—Crystals, the retail and entertainment district at CityCenter, has achieved LEED Gold Core & Shell certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the world’s largest retail district to receive this level of recognition. Opening in December, CityCenter was created with a vision to introduce a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Strip and has emerged as a leader in sustainable urban development. Crystals’ achievement marks the fourth LEED Gold certification for CityCenter; previous recipients included 1. ARIA Resort’s hotel tower, 2. ARIA’s convention center and theater, and 3. Vdara Hotel & Spa. CityCenter...

SAN DIEGO—Cali Bamboo, a manufacturer of green building materials made entirely from bamboo for residential and commercial projects, announced its partnership with the San Diego Habitat for Humanity. The company will provide $15,000 worth of flooring and fencing materials as well as volunteer employees to help build the final Jimmie Johnson Foundation house in El Cajon as well as other area homes. “The best part about working with Habitat for Humanity is that we’re actually able to be involved in the construction process and see our products being put towards helping people in need,” said Tanner Haigwood, COO...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) in conjunction with the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and NEWH announced the winner of the first-ever Sustainable Suite Design Competition—a competition for interior designers to showcase the best hospitality design strategies that boast environmental responsibility while enhancing the guest experience. Because the hospitality industry is a large consumer of energy and water use, this competition aims to motivate sustainable practices industrywide among newly built and existing hotels. Submissions from 65 professional designers and aspiring young professionals were received, each one redefining how a high-performance, energy-and-resource-efficient hotel suite should look...

FORT. LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc., a leader in sustainable textiles for hospitality, announced that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) confirmed recognition of bedding within the LEED rating system, specifically within LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED EB). The Valley Forge LIVING FRESH with Tencel+Plus Lyocell products may help projects earn LEED points in three areas as this collection is made from a rapidly renewable resource (eucalyptus), will be picked up at the end of its life through Valley Forge’s established reclamation program and the eucalyptus is harvested from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) managed forests. All eucalyptus fiber for...

ISLAMORADA, FLORIDA KEYS—Concrete modular, pre-greened, luxury hotel guest suites were recently topped off at the Florida Keys’ Cheeca Lodge, reopening December 15. “The precedent was set for luxury construction in multimillion dollar homes, and now we’ve brought this innovative construction to the hospitality industry, as a first in the United States and possibly a first in the world,” said Jerry Johnson, owner of Cheeca Lodge & Spa. “We have been able to put up a guestroom wing in an unheard of 90 days, from pilings to topping off, and with a quality superior to that of conventional construction.” The...

AVON, COLO.—Colorado’s Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa announced that it has been awarded Silver Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Westin Riverfront is the first hotel in Colorado to achieve this coveted green accolade and only the ninth hotel in the country to earn Silver LEED status. The Beaver Creek resort, which opened a year ago this week, is also the first Silver LEED Certified hotel in the Westin brand, which includes more than 160 hotels around the world. “East West Partners is proud to have been a leader in...

NEW YORK CITY—Sina Pearson, founder and head of New York City-based Sina Pearson Textiles, introduces her latest eco-friendly collection with Crypton Green technologies. The collection utilizes the exuberant palette of India. Indian Summer, sustainably produced from post-consumer recycled polyester fibers, offers two related patterns in a total of thirteen colorways. The Crypton Green finish adds stain, moisture, microbial and odor resistance, without harming the environment. The collection will premier in November 2009. To create the fabrics’ palette, Pearson imagined women in brightly colored silk saris standing in rice fields, a juxtaposition of hot colors with earthy green and brown landscape...

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—The environmentally-focused Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte has opened, becoming the first LEED-built hotel for Ritz-Carlton and the first for greater Charlotte. The contemporary 146-room hotel features a 13,000-square-foot Wellness Center, 12,000 square feet of meeting and conference space featuring recycled aluminum conference tables and green meetings as a standard, and a slate of innovations for frequent travelers. An eco-focused rarity among top-tier branded hotels, The Ritz-Carlton is located in Charlotte’s thriving Uptown, within walking distance of the city’s most popular sports, entertainment and business destinations. Highlights of the Property • A green roof vegetated with 18,000 plants insulating the building, slowing...

DALTON, GA.—Shaw Industries, Inc., through its division Shaw Hospitality Group, and La Quinta Inns & Suites have partnered to keep more than 30 tons of carpet from landfills during five La Quinta hotel renovations in Texas, South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida. Shaw Hospitality Group, a manufacturer of sustainable, reclaimable carpets for public spaces and guestrooms, was specified earlier this year to re-carpet La Quinta guestrooms during a large-scale renovation project. Instead of sending tons of the old hotel carpet to landfills, Shaw Hospitality Group worked with La Quinta to reclaim the carpet and divert it to Shaw Industries’ Evergreen Nylon...

BETHESDA, MD.—Two Courtyard by Marriott hotels on opposite coasts—Chevy Chase, Md., and Portland, Ore.—made eco-history last week as they were recognized simultaneously via webcast by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). This milestone puts Courtyard—with more than 830 hotels worldwide—on track to deliver a LEED hotel prototype that will be cost-effective for hotel owners and franchisees to develop. “I applaud these two hotels and their owners for making the choice to build the most environmentally-sound properties possible and paving the way for more Courtyard hotels to be LEED certified,” said Arne...