MAUI, HAWAII—Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, situated oceanfront on Kaanapali Beach, has become the first commercial business partner in the state of Hawaii to begin testing for Maui Electric’s (MECO) semi-automated Fast DR (Demand Response) Pilot Program. In partnership with Hawaiian Electric, MECO launched Fast DR last year to help business customers control the cost of their electric bills while helping the utility maintain reliability and add more renewable energy to the grid. Fast DR rewards commercial and industrial customers for designating parts of their electricity use that can be turned off during critical energy situations with...

MAUI, HAWAII—This summer will signify a new phase for Hyatt’s Andaz brand as it unveils Andaz Maui at Wailea, a resort reflective of and inspired by the destination of Maui, located on 15 pristine acres of southwestern coastline. The first resort for the Andaz brand, Andaz Maui at Wailea will remain true to the signature brand elements that define Andaz hotels around the globe, including offering inspiring experiences that celebrate Maui’s rich, local culture. From the design features and superior service, to the ocean views and relationships in the community, the Hawaiian spirit will be infused throughout the resort,...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Sage Hospitality and Optima Fund Management announced that The Westin Cleveland Downtown will open in Spring 2014 after the completion of a $64 million renovation. The contemporary 484-room hotel is located in Cleveland’s downtown financial district adjacent to the new Cleveland Convention Center and Medical Mart and just steps from Brown’s Stadium and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.Ohio-based Marous Brothers Construction, design/builder on the project, began remodeling the property in December; plans include the renovation of all public areas, event space and guestrooms. The new exterior façade will feature metal panels and LED lighting that rotates...

SEQUIM, WASH.—Taking the concept of existing-structure “recycling” to heart, Olaf and Charlotte Protze have built a thriving bed and breakfast business out of retired cabooses. The Red Caboose Getaway B&B, located in Sequim, Wash., offers accommodations in six luxuriously renovated train cars that the owners have had transported from various U.S. locations. The couple have three additional cabooses on their three acre property that are currently undergoing renovation.Olaf and Charlotte had long enjoyed visiting B&Bs and eventually fell in love with the idea of staying in renovated railcars. “Most are very rustic,” Olaf says. “I thought we could do...

KELOWNA, B.C.—The Best Western Plus Kelowna Hotel & Suites continues to charge forward with environmentally responsible initiatives. Not only has the hotel installed an electric vehicle charging station, they have just received LEED Silver Certification for their new environmental wing through the Canada Green Building Council (CaGBC).LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a third-party certification program that rates buildings to the highest environmental performance standards in Canada. “This was quite the process,” says Brenda Rayburn, director of sales and marketing for the Best Western Plus Kelowna Hotel & Suites. “However, for me, the length of time...

PORT ORFORD, ORE.—“It feels like you are on another planet.” That is how Michelle Duarte describes the WildSpring Guest Habitat that she and her husband own along the coast of Oregon in Port Orford. Their small, eco-friendly resort sits on five acres of 100-foot trees and includes five cabins. “The cabins are built like small homes,” Duarte says. “They are not rustic.”Just about everything possible was done to minimize the environmental footprint of the five cabin suites. Duarte’s husband, Dean, who once worked on Hollywood sets in construction, played an integral part in the building of the cabins. Only...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Trash and luxury travel are topics rarely uttered in the same sentence, but the two have been linked as the Four Seasons Hotel Austin undertakes one of the most ambitious waste diversion initiatives in the country—by a hotel or otherwise. On November 30, the hotel launched its new Zero Waste program, a goal two years in the planning.“The amount of passion and dedication that’s already gone into developing this initiative is inspiring,” says general manager Rob Hagelberg. “I’m so proud to be part of a team that’s truly breaking new environmental ground in the state of Texas and...

VINELAND, N.J.—Could the Ramada Vineland be the first property its size to receive a monthly electricity bill of $0? Possibly. That is what happened in October at the 102-room property in Vineland, N.J. Time will tell if the Ramada will maintain its “net zero hotel” status but NGL Property Management’s John Scipione, owner of the hotel with his family, believes it is possible.What lowered the hotel’s electricity bill from $15,000/month to $5,000/month over the last couple of years is a $2.6 million, 2,500-solar panel installation behind the property. It sits on three acres of land owned by NGL Property...

COLUMBUS, OHIO—Hilton Hotels & Resorts announces the opening of Hilton Columbus Downtown. The 532-room property is located at 401 North High Street, conveniently positioned in the center of the city’s most admired neighborhoods, including the Short North Arts District and the Arena District. “Today is a significant milestone in the longstanding relationship between Hilton Hotels & Resorts, the City of Columbus and our distinguished business partners involved in this monumental project,” said Major Michael B. Coleman. “Hilton Columbus Downtown will attract millions of new visitors and make Columbus a best-in-class destination for national conventions and events.”The $140 million convention...

GALAPAGOS ISLANDS—The pioneering Finch Bay Eco Hotel in the Galapagos Islands recently won a travel industry “Oscar,” a World Travel Award, for its commitment to the environment of the Ecuadorian archipelago. The hotel has implemented many measures to make it more eco-friendly.On the isolated Galapagos Islands in the Pacific Ocean that inspired Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution, creating a green hotel is a challenge for everyone involved: it’s about taking an integral approach to crafting an establishment that is sustainable for the future while generating secure jobs and a healthy working environment for the present. With this concept in mind,...