WASHINGTON, D.C.—A newly incorporated entity, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), has been established with the support of the U.S. Green Building Council to develop and administer credentialing programs related to green building practice and standards. “Credentialing programs support the application of proven strategies for increasing and measuring the performance of buildings and communities as defined by industry systems such as the LEED Green Building Rating Systems,” said Peter Templeton, Vice President of Education & Research, U.S. Green Building Council. GBCI will ensure that the LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) program will continue to be developed in accordance with best practices...

CHICAGO—In a presentation at Greenbuild earlier this month, Destiny USA founder and chairman Robert J. Congel introduced the initial design of a hotel and conference facility that will be the next phase of the Destiny USA project in Syracuse, New York. The hotel, which will feature more than 1,300 rooms, is being designed to LEED Platinum standards and will serve as a showcase for sustainability. “Five years ago, Destiny USA was still learning what it takes to build a living laboratory for environmental stewardship, renewable energy and innovation,” Congel said. “Fortunately, we were ahead of the curve. Today we are...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes The Turkish Towel Co., Peabody, Mass., as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. The Turkish Towel Co. offers plush, luxurious certified-organic towels and bathrobes. Visit the company’s site at www.turktowel.com to see its entire line of soft, 100 percent ring-spun Turkish cotton towels. Call (866) 631-1676, e-mail delgart@turktowel.com, or go to The Turkish Towel Co. for information.

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Kustom Options Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory sponsor. Window films from Murrieta, Calif.-based Kustom Options help owners earn LEED points while reducing heating and cooling costs, enhancing views, and creating comfort zones. Kustom Options offers only the industry’s highest quality products; ceramic and metal-based products lead the way to comfort, quality and protection. Solar control, security, anti-graffiti, and decorative films are available. Call (866) 564-8468, e-mail kustomoptions@verizon.net, or go to www.kustomoptions.com.

AVON, COLO.—The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa, Vail Valley’s newest luxury resort scheduled to open next summer, is doing everything possible to be sensitive to the environment and “go green” for guests. Situated on a 19-acre site bordering the Eagle River at the base of Beaver Creek Mountain, the property has brought sustainability to new heights with the ultimate in public transportation: its own Riverfront Gondola that will bring guests to the ski area. “We are building this hotel from the ‘green up’,” says Bob Trotter, general manager of The Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa. “The new gondola literally at...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Greater Fort Lauderdale officials have named Hilton the winner in a competitive field of hoteliers seeking to build a 1,000-room anchor hotel for the Greater Fort Lauderdale/Broward County Convention Center. Scheduled to be built on the northern edge of Port Everglades adjacent to the 600,000-square-foot convention center, the much-anticipated property will be Greater Fort Lauderdale’s largest hotel and increase its attractiveness as a destination for large conferences, trade shows and other events. The hotel is scheduled to open in 2012. The Broward Convention Center hosts approximately 280 events per year, and the new hotel is seen as...

NEW YORK—The International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show may have seen its greenest collection of products in its history, as this year’s collection of exhibitors featured everything from towels with organic cotton and bamboo blends to touch-activated faucet systems that allow one to choose hot, warm or cold water with the touch of a button. Environmental concern was evident in exhibitor booth marketing as well, as vendors used green themes to catch attendees’ attention. The following are just some of the product announcement highlights from the show this past week. HD Supply rolled out its ideallygreen campaign, which emphasizes the environmental...

BALTIMORE—The term “groundbreaking” took on double meaning earlier this week when J.W. (Bill) Marriott, Jr., chairman and CEO of Marriott International, Inc. picked up a shovel to herald the construction start of the new, 154-room Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott-Inner Harbor at Historic Brewers’ Park. The hotel is slated to open in the spring of 2009. The first LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design)-certified hotel in Baltimore and one of several green Marriott hotels planned for LEED certification company-wide over the next five years, the hotel’s three-pronged ownership includes minority-owned A&R Development, a division of A&R Companies of...

CHICAGO—Architects, designers and end users will now have one Standard to identify carpets that have a reduced environmental impact. The first multi-attribute American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-approved Standard—NSF 140-2007, Sustainable Carpet Assessment Standard for environmentally preferable building materials—was introduced at Greenbuild 2007. The unified Standard for sustainable carpet is voluntary, inclusive, based on life cycle assessment (LCA) principles, and offers three levels of achievement for attaining various levels of reduced environmental impact (silver, gold and platinum). By defining environmental, social and economic performance requirements, the Standard provides benchmarks for continual improvement and innovation within the building industry. “The Standard provides enormous...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes American Atelier, Inc. (AAI) as a Founding Sponsor. AAI is committed to manufacturing furniture products with the most environmentally friendly technology in an efficient and responsible manner while maintaining high standards of excellence. Four generations of ownership at AAI have demonstrated the company’s commitment to excellence by continuously improving its manufacturing processes since its founding in 1920. AAI sources raw materials through the Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI). Its manufacturing process uses water-based adhesives, finishing solvents and stains. The company also uses recycled materials as specified by its customers...