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...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc. announces the rollout of a new fabric collection from West Coast designer Thomas Schoos. Schoos’ earthy collection will debut at the Hospitality Design Exposition and Conference in Las Vegas on May 15. The collection will feature approximately 20 different hand-drawn patterns in 20 colorways with complimentary textures. “The FRESH line is a collection combining texture and color with lifestyle,” Schoos said. “Nature, when combined with these elements, is what I used to create the new look and feel of FRESH by Thomas Schoos. I think it’s very important to get this product out. I...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. and the state of Amazonas signed an agreement to support the first project of its kind to help protect 1.4 million acres of endangered rainforest. This innovative partnership between government and the private sector is one of the first in the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation. Marriott has committed $2 million to fund an environmental management plan administered by the newly created Amazonas Sustainable Foundation. By year end, Marriott guests and group customers will also be able to offset the greenhouse gas emissions generated from their hotel stays by contributing to this rainforest...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Two recently released studies, one by the New Buildings Institute (NBI) and one by CoStar Group, have validated what the green building community has known all along: third party certified buildings outperform their conventional counterparts across a wide variety of metrics, including energy savings, occupancy rates, sale price and rental rates. In the NBI study, the results indicate that new buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification system are, on average, performing 25 to 30 percent better than non-LEED certified buildings in terms of energy use. The study also demonstrates that there is a correlation...

YORKVILLE, N.Y.—Meyda Tiffany, a leading manufacturer of decorative lighting, has begun installing the largest LED chandelier in the world. After nearly a year of planning, Meyda recently completed production in its manufacturing facilities in Yorkville, N.Y. (outside of Utica, N.Y.). Designed and engineered with state-of-the-art technology and energy efficiency for a local performing arts theater, the Meyda Chandelier illuminates with 328 LEDs made by Philips Luxeon (same LEDs used for New Year’s Eve ball drop in Times Square) using 1,120 total watts (equivalent of energy used for one-drip coffeemaker), instead of conventional incandescent bulbs requiring 7,435 watts (energy equivalent of...