RACINE, WIS.—Hotel Verdant, a full-service, upscale boutique hotel that serves as a gathering place both for the community and travelers, is now open. The 80-room, four-story hotel is in the historic Zahn’s Department Store at 500 Main St. on the centrally located Monument Square. Construction for the historic preservation project cost more than $40 million, with the start date in January 2022. Built by Dominion Properties of Milwaukee, the nearly 80,000-square-foot building includes amenities such as a first-floor signature restaurant, a rooftop restaurant and cocktail lounge with a large outdoor patio facing Lake Michigan, a dry sauna, a fitness center,...

With its LEED Green Building Program, the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has certainly changed the way developers and architects approach hotel design and operations. Walking its talk, USGBC has made its new headquarters in Washington, D.C. a standing example of what to strive for. In fact, USGBC just announced that its headquarters has been awarded a prestigious triple Platinum certification in LEED, TRUE, and WELL. This trio of certifications reflects USGBC’s commitment to healthy, productive, sustainable, and responsible work environments. The headquarters, which also houses Green Business Certification, Inc. (GBCI), reflects the changing office landscape, with a clear emphasis on decarbonization, indoor environmental...

CALGARY, ALBERTA—Canadian hotelier Germain Hotels announced the official opening of its 19th property in Canada: Alt Hotel Calgary University District. This is the group’s third establishment in Calgary, following the opening of Le Germain Hotel Calgary in 2010 and Alt Hotel Calgary East Village in 2018, marking the hotelier group’s first property inauguration in Canada since 2019. The hotel is ideally situated in the heart of University District, a thoughtfully designed, mindfully made urban community in Calgary’s northwest. University District is an award-winning community. It is the first community in Alberta that has been certified LEED-ND Platinum, the highest distinction, for its...

LONDON—1 Hotels, the nature-inspired mission-driven hotel brand founded by hospitality visionary Barry Sternlicht, announces the official opening of 1 Hotel Mayfair, its U.K. flagship and first European destination, developed in collaboration with Crosstree Real Estate Partners. Located on a fashionable corner of historic Mayfair overlooking the mature trees of Green Park, 1 Hotel Mayfair brings the beauty of nature to central London through vertical landscapes, sustainable design, farm-to-table food, and nature-inspired immersive experiences. The hotel’s proximity to prestigious galleries, Michelin-starred restaurants, and chic shopping on Bond Street, Mount Street, and Regent Street, plus important landmarks like the Royal Academy of Arts...

Boutique Design New York BDNY is less than two weeks away. It will be held November 12 to 13 at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. The list of hundreds of exhibitors can be accessed by clicking here. Expect to find many products with a sustainability story. For example, this week I heard from Greenington, maker of fine bamboo furniture, and the sustainable, artisan-made kitchen & bath brand Native Trails. BDNY will also feature a slate of conference sessions focused on some aspect of green design. Those sessions include: Sunday, November 12 Making of a Designed Space: Designed by Nature NEWH Green...

CROSSVILLE, TENN.—The Crossville Native Metal collection, one of its new carbon-neutral porcelain tile series, has been recognized with a Planet Positive Award. The Crossville Native Metal collection was recognized as the winner in the Surfaces, Tiles, and Materials category. Recognizing the most creative projects and products from around the world that benefit people and planet, Metropolis’s Planet Positive Awards are judged by four expert juries across product categories. The winners represent the highest achievements today in design that addresses climate change, ecosystem health, human health, and equity. “Metropolis has been a trusted resource for the architecture and design industry for more...

SOLON, OHIO—Tarkett has launched the full Collaborative portfolio, which includes eleven total designs across soft surface and LVT flooring. Initially unveiled at Design Days this summer, Collaborative has been one of Tarkett’s most anticipated collections of the year. Designed with the modern workplace in mind, the collection’s mix of patterns provides spaces with agility to meet changing demands and embrace neurodiverse work styles, offering solutions for busy, collaborative areas as well as quiet, heads-down zones. “In recent years, we’ve had the opportunity to rethink culture, how communities engage, and how to support an inspiring environment, wherever that may be,” said Paul...

VIKEN, SWEDEN—Bjelin has teamed up with Spartan Surfaces, making the flooring supplier the national U.S. distribution partner for Bjelin’s commercial hardened wood range. “Spartan Surfaces has grown immensely as a company over the last few years and offers a large network of sales reps,” said Zach Adams, Bjelin’s General Manager for the U.S. “We have previously partnered with them in smaller territories and are excited to expand our collaboration. This partnership is in line with our expansion plans and demonstrates our commitment to the commercial sector.” Spartan Surfaces is a modern flooring provider working closely with a wide range of commercial...

NEW HAVEN, CONN.—Just a few weeks ago, it was announced that the anticipated net-zero energy Hotel Marcel New Haven, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, has achieved Passive House certification from Passive House Institute (PHI). The accomplishment is one in a long series of accomplishments for Bruce Redman Becker, architect and developer of the 165-room hotel that once was the Armstrong Rubber Company Building, aka Pirelli Building. Green Lodging News spoke with Becker to learn about the Passive House certification and to get caught up on how his LEED Platinum building has performed since it opened in May 2022. According to the Passive House Institute,...

JAMESTOWN, N.Y.—Hope’s Windows, Inc., the leading manufacturer of custom-designed, solid hot-rolled steel and solid bronze window and door systems, announces the expansion of its One55 Series fixed windows to feature Thermal Evolution technology, meeting a growing demand in the residential building market. One55 Series fixed, solid hot-rolled thermal steel windows rely on Hope’s award-winning Thermal Evolution technology. The series replicates the aesthetic of historic, industrial steel windows with elegant arrow-shaped profiles and delicate sightlines—combining the striking visual appearance of the past with the thermal technology of the present. Product features include custom, solid hot-rolled steel profiles; fusion-welded frame and muntin construction; welded...