CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Swisssol USA Creative Body Care as an advertising partner. Swisssol USA Creative Body Care is the maker of the Press + Wash dispensing system. The system, which can dispense liquid soap, body lotion, shampoo and bath/shower gel, helps the environment by eliminating individual bottle waste. Press + Wash can reduce costs by up to 35 percent a year. Press + Wash is a long lasting and tamper-proof system. It is drip free and will not leak. Press + Wash offers an attractive image design and is available in...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Animavi, LLC as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Animavi is the designer of the Animavi Club Chair and Ottoman—now available—as well as other furniture pieces that will be introduced soon. The chair and ottoman are durable in construction and are intended to last lifetimes. Animavi’s premium products are produced with the highest quality sustainable materials. Animavi, a company formed in August, 2007, is committed to a being an industry leader in product design. The company’s vision is “to design and manufacture contemporary-styled premium quality, eco-intelligent products...

ANDERSON, CALIF.—Gaia at Anderson, a new 122-room green hotel, has opened here. It is the second Gaia hotel in California to be developed and opened by Wen-I Chang. The first was the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa in American Canyon. That 133-room property opened in October 2006. Chang is also developing a third hotel in Merced, Calif., a 141-room property. Chang expects the Gaia at Anderson hotel to achieve a LEED Silver or Gold rating from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa was the first U.S. hotel to earn LEED Gold. In building...

WINDSOR, U.K.—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) has unveiled its online, futuristic solar-powered Innovation Hotel. The concept includes an outline of the latest technology in energy and water conservation and recycling. Among the green features of the futuristic hotel: the forwarding of all unused non-perishable food to charities or food banks; solar panels on the roof to heat water; a rainwater harvesting system to supply water to toilets; a roof garden rich in shrubbery to provide extra insulation; wind power to generate electricity for the hotel; recycled glass windows; furniture and fittings made entirely from recycled materials; and household waste to...

LOS ANGELES—The Natural Bedroom by Vivètique, an organic mattress brand based in Los Angeles, has introduced the Eco-Lux mattress. While most consumers are now well aware of the importance of being green, Vivètique’s Eco-Lux is an eco-friendly mattress that is also non-toxic, the next evolutionary step to green, created with the health of consumers and the planet in mind. “Many mattress manufacturers are still creating chemical-based products, and the cost of these commercial products can be high with long-term health concerns for families and increased environmental pollution caused by their manufacture and disposal,” said Steve Carwile, CEO and president of...

DES PLAINES, ILL.—From eco-friendly certified organic bedding to a new hospitality line from sleepwear designer Eileen West, luxury bedding manufacturer United Feather & Down will debut several new products during this year’s HD 2008 Expo & Conference in the Sands Convention Center, Las Vegas, May 15 to 17, 2008. New product offerings will include: • Prestige Naturals Organics, a new hospitality line of eco-friendly bedding. United Feather & Down is introducing the new Prestige Naturals line for hospitality at this year’s show. Inspired by nature, the Prestige Naturals line offers pillows, comforters, blankets and mattress pads in 300-thread-count certified organic...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that its newest brand, ELEMENT hotels, will require all hotels brand-wide to pursue the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification. With its first hotel debuting this summer and more than 20 hotels set to open by the end of 2009, ELEMENT will make history as the first major hotel brand to commit to LEED certification. Designed for longer stays, and consisting entirely of new-build hotels, ELEMENT is uniquely positioned in the industry to spur widespread green development. ELEMENT designated its first hotel, Starwood-owned ELEMENT Lexington, Mass.,...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc.’s established reclamation program will now include FRESH bedding fabrics. These high thread count fabrics are made from 100 percent recycled polyester. FRESH is an acronym for Fabrics Redefining Environmental Standards (for) Hospitality. The FRESH collection is a group of more than 1,000 fabrics that are made of 100 percent recycled polyester, that are also 100 percent recyclable. Valley Forge is the only textile company to date that has an established reclamation program to facilitate the recycling of textiles. Products made of 100 percent recycled content at a low energy manufacturing platform is important, but...

PHOENIX—The first Best Western hotel to be built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards recently broke ground in Golden, Colo. The 86-room Best Western Inn and Suites at Dinosaur Ridge in the west Denver area is expected to be complete in May 2009. This $13 million project is being designed to achieve a silver LEED certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. It will be the first LEED-certified property in Golden. Gateway Development Group, developer of the hotel, has plans to build another three LEED-certified properties in the Denver area. “This is a leading-edge green property, and we...

LAS VEGAS—The Palazzo Las Vegas, a Las Vegas Sands Corp. property, announced that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) made its green status official with the presentation of a Silver LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Certificate at an award ceremony held on Wednesday, April 9. Nevada Governor Jim Gibbons and David E. Rodgers, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency at the U.S. Department of Energy, were also on hand to honor this accomplishment. During the ceremony Governor Gibbons issued a proclamation in recognition of The Palazzo’s commitment to energy conservation. The DOE presented The Palazzo with “The Energy...