CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes MTS Seating as a Green Product & Service Directory Partner. MTS Seating’s company-wide commitment to sustainability is reflected in its SynerGreen philosophy. MTS strives to make continuous environmental improvements in its processes and products while practicing sound business principals that focus on satisfying customer needs. MTS employs aggressive recycling programs and pollution-prevention initiatives, and it partners with suppliers who share its vision of environmental responsibility. The company’s goal is to have a positive impact on the planet and its customers. According to MTS, it is the first and...

ATLANTA—Amtico International introduces its Tropical Woods luxury resilient flooring that provides an aesthetic alternative to endangered woods that have been logged almost to extinction. Four patterns—Brazilian Rosewood, Merbau, Tigerwood and Caramel Bamboo—mimic the rare rainforest species in a flooring that’s low-VOC and low-maintenance but high-performance. The products are certified by GreenGuard and FloorScore and are manufactured in a 14001 and 9001 certified U.S. facility. Tropical Woods projects the distinctive style of its endangered namesakes. While export of Rosewood from the wild is now banned, Amtico’s Brazilian Rosewood captures its chocolately good looks in deep purples, reds...

SAN FRANCISCO—Toward the end of the movie “E.T.: The Extraterrestial,” E.T. tells the young boy Elliott to “be good.” Guests waking up at the Good Hotel in San Francisco’s SoMa (South of Market) district are getting the same message just about everywhere they turn at the recently opened 117-room boutique property. On one of the walls in each guestroom, the words “begood” are painted in white and yellow. On the ceiling, in glowing letters, the words “good night” are visible. The Good Hotel is one of the latest unique innovations of Joie de Vivre, which operates California’s largest collection...

MIAMI—Cambean Hospitality, a Miami Beach-based hospitality group that owns and manages four boutique hotel properties in the historic South Beach area, announced the relaunching of the historic Clifton South Beach. The 35-room hotel is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation and is scheduled to open in early 2009. When complete, the hotel will seek to become the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED)-certified hotel in Florida and the first LEED-certified historic hotel in the nation. The building has been designed to achieve LEED Gold level certification. Built in 1948, the post-war architecture of the Clifton also incorporates distinct...

YOUNTVILLE, CALIF.—The Napa Valley community of Yountville, Calif., with a population of a little more than 3,000 people, is now home to one of the greenest lodging establishments in the United States—the 62-room luxury Bardessono hotel, restaurant and spa. Set to open the first week of February, the development should earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification later in 2009. If it does reach that goal, it will be only the second hotel in the United States to do so. The Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., is the other. The owner and developer of the property is...

DALLAS—Motel 6 held groundbreaking ceremonies on Monday in Northlake, Texas, for the first corporately-built and owned property to feature the newly-redesigned Motel 6 building and room design. The property, located between Dallas and Fort Worth, will showcase the “Phoenix” prototype, named after the mythical birth of rebirth and renewal. The new design features rooms with a modern, Euro-chic design. “With all the environmentally aware features and the sleek new design, this is truly our greenest motel ever,” said Olivier Poirot, CEO for Accor North America, Motel 6 and Studio 6. “This is the first look at how Motel 6 is...

YUBA CITY, CALIF.—Organic Mattresses, Inc. (OMI), is now making its OrganicPedic line available to green hotels and B&Bs. “In the environmentally-conscious lodging industry, businesses now have an opportunity to share (and sell) environmentally safer products together with their comfortable surroundings,” says Walter Bader, co-founder of OMI. “Green lodging is about the sustainable, eco-friendly practices and products that enhance a guest’s stay. Shouldn’t that philosophy extend to the mattresses as well?” The opportunity to include organic mattresses in green lodging operations is often overlooked, and represents a huge potential profit center. Plus, ecologically aware travelers appreciate knowing about the extra purity...

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—Serious Materials announced that its EcoRock green drywall has been named the grand award winner for the green tech category in Popular Science’s Best of What’s New. The company adds this award to its growing list of honors including: voted No. 1 at Cleantech Venture Forum XII, Global Gypsum Product of the Year 2008, and winner of the first Aspen Institute award for innovation in Energy Conservation. Serious Materials has also been recognized by TIME/CNN, Fortune, Business Week, GreenTech Media and Red Herring as one of the most promising green technology companies. EcoRock is used like standard gypsum drywall,...

LOS ANGELES—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded its highest level of recognition, LEED Platinum certification, to the Conference Center at the newly re-opened TreePeople Center for Community Forestry. TreePeople, an environmental nonprofit, has served the Los Angeles region for 35 years with the goal of “helping nature heal our cities.” The state-of-the-art Conference Center provides a gathering place for local, national, and international leaders to create healthy, sustainable cities. The Conference Center is the focal point for the Center for Community Forestry, a four-acre environmental educational campus located in L.A.’s Coldwater Canyon Park. Furthering TreePeople’s mission to provide...

NAPERVILLE, ILL.—Hotel Arista has opened in Naperville, located 45 minutes from downtown Chicago. It is the city’s first luxury boutique hotel and is slated to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The property features 144 modern designed residential-style accommodations, as well as a signature restaurant, SugarToad. The restaurant is led by executive chef Jimmy Sneed. In Greece, a land known for its epic hospitality, Arista means “the best.” Hotel Arista, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, delivers a luxury hotel experience with its customer centric and environmentally friendly practices. Hotel Arista’s 144 guestrooms are expansive, thoughtfully...