PHILIPSBURG, ST. MAARTEN—The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, St. Maarten has completed a solar installation that allows the resort to produce six to eight hours of its own power during peak times. The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa is the first Westin hotel or resort in the world and the only major resort in the Caribbean to complete and utilize solar panels to replace its energy consumption throughout the resort.The resort began taking advantage of the island’s abundance of sunshine in 2007 with the installation of solar panels to heat the water used in the property’s guestrooms....

ITHACA, N.Y.—The Statler Hotel at Cornell University received the 2014 Good Earthkeeping Award, the greenest award bestowed by the New York State Hospitality and Tourism Association. The award recognizes the Statler, which has developed a culture of integrating superior environmental management practices. The honor was given March 3 in Albany, N.Y., at the association’s 2014 Stars of the Industry Gala and Awards Banquet.“This is a very prestigious award, and all of our staff and our student-employees are very proud to have earned it,” says Rick Adie, the general manager of the Statler. “Our initiatives align with the university goals...

BRANDENBURG, KY.—If you are staying at the Southern Grace Bed & Breakfast in Brandenburg, Ky., and can’t finish your tasty breakfast, don’t even think about throwing your food scraps in the trash. The approximately 70 chickens—free range chickens—will be more than happy to eat what you cannot. According to Theresa Padgett, owner of the 15-acre B&B with her husband David, all food scraps are either fed to the chickens or composted. The plate-to-chicken approach to waste management is just one of the ways the B&B owners work to lighten their property’s impact on the planet. In the garden that...

MCLEAN, VA.—Home2 Suites by Hilton, Hilton Worldwide’s mid-tier, all-suite hotel brand designed for modern business travelers and extended stay guests, announced the opening of its 29th hotel, Home2 Suites by Hilton Baltimore/Aberdeen. This marks the second Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified hotel in the brand’s portfolio. “We are excited to unveil our third property in the greater Baltimore area,” said Bill Duncan, global head, Home2 Suites by Hilton. “This market has proven to be a great fit for our Home2 Suites brand and we felt like Aberdeen was a perfect location for our brand. We...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—It is not often that an investment in renewable energy is celebrated with fireworks and mayoral visits but that is what happened this past Wednesday evening at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The fireworks and visits by City of Fort Lauderdale Mayor Jack Seiler and Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief marked the official unveiling of six 52-foot, 4 kilowatt wind turbines that rise above the hotel’s rooftop. Approximately $500,000 was invested in the turbines that required the tallest crane in the state of Florida to install.“It is an exciting day for us,” said Andreas Ioannou, general...

GURNEE, ILL.—KeyLime Cove Indoor Waterpark Resort has been honored with the StayGreen designation from the Illinois Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA) for its continued efforts to proactively use eco-friendly products and services to reduce its impact on the environment.IHLA’s StayGreen designation standards are extensive and specific. Environmentally friendly efforts outlined in the StayGreen questionnaire include efforts such as recycling and waste management programs, the use of Energy Star products throughout guestrooms and hotel, the use of only non-phosphate, nontoxic, biodegradable concentrated cleaning products and laundry detergent, and consumable paper products made from recycled fibers, such as tissue, napkins, paper...

MANKATO, MINN.—All that’s left is the waiting for the official plaque from the U.S. Green Building Council. When it arrives the Courtyard Mankato Minnesota will become the first hotel in the Gopher State to receive LEED certification. Considering all of the property’s green features, the honor will be well deserved. The 93-room property, about a year old, is owned by Mercury Investments L.P. Preston Lougheed is the general manager.“As far as we know we are the first Marriott in the United States to have solar panels,” Lougheed says. “It was a big investment.” The 40 kW, 192 panel system...

PLEASANTVILLE, N.Y.—In Los Angeles County, Property Assessed Clean Energy (PACE) financing is available to commercial, industrial and multi-family property owners to pay for building improvements that save energy or create renewable energy on-site. The Hilton Los Angeles/Universal City took advantage of this fixed rate, 100 percent financing to fund $7 million worth of sustainable upgrades. The Hilton project is the largest commercial PACE project in the United States, more than twice the size of two projects completed this past year at just more than $3 million each.The Hilton project will result in an annual energy savings of $800,000 and...

CORTLAND, N.Y.—Hope Lake Holdings, LLC has received a congratulatory letter from the President, CEO & Founding Chairman of the U.S. Green Building Council, S. Richard Fedrizzi, on earning LEED, or Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, certification on Hope Lake Lodge & Convention Center. The project has achieved LEED Certification under the LEED for New Construction Rating System.“LEED certification identifies Hope Lake Lodge & Convention Center as a showcase example of sustainable design and demonstrates leadership in transforming the building industry,” Fedrizzi said. “In honor of this impressive achievement and in appreciation of Greek Peak’s participation in LEED, certificates...

MCLEAN, VA.—Northern New Jersey’s newest Hilton Hotels & Resorts property, the 427-guestroom Hilton Meadowlands, is now open at Two Meadowlands Plaza in East Rutherford. The property, which recently completed the first phase of a multi-million dollar renovation, was previously a Sheraton. The greenest highlight of the Hilton hotel is its 1.1-megawatt solar photovoltaic installation on its carport. The solar panels are expected to generate 20 percent of the property’s energy.Other green programs include composting of organic waste, meeting space recycling, food donations, elimination of Styrofoam, and energy-efficient digital signage. The hotel participates in Clean the World, a nonprofit, global...