LAS VEGAS—Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas, a hotel located at the new CityCenter on The Strip, has achieved LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the first hotel in the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group to receive a LEED rating, and marks the sixth LEED Gold certification for CityCenter, which is one of the world’s largest sustainable developments. “Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group is known for demonstrating its leadership in the hotel industry,” said Rajesh Jhingon, general manager of Mandarin Oriental, Las Vegas. “We are honored to have the Group’s first LEED Gold certified hotel.” Mandarin Oriental Highlights • The...

SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS—With its recent $1 billion in renovations, the Holiday Inn brand has earned well-deserved publicity. Perhaps the Holiday Inn property deserving of the most buzz this year, however, is the brand new Holiday Inn Northwest/Sea World in San Antonio. The 194-room hotel is on track to be the first LEED certified hotel in Texas and the first LEED certified property within the 3,300-property Holiday Inn brand. The hotel, which opened on October 5, is owned by a group of investors out of Lubbock, Texas, and managed by Dallas-based Hospitality Management Corp. Green highlights of the 100 percent...

TAMPA, FLA.—The Sheraton Suites Tampa Airport Westshore is completing a multimillion-dollar renovation project for which it has devoted significant resources to improving environmental efficiencies across the board. As part of its eco-initiative, hotel management has launched the “Make a Green Choice” (MAGC) program. Through this project, the Sheraton aims to improve housekeeping sustainability and productivity. Participating guests can decline housekeeping service for a day, and in exchange for helping the Sheraton conserve natural resources, they receive a $5 gift card for use at the hotel restaurant or 500 Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG) Points. “The new management team, Davidson Hotel Company,...

NEW YORK—The 1,980-room Hilton New York has been awarded the 2008-2009 Environmental Recognition Program “Green Street” Award by the Avenue of the Americas Association. The award was presented at a gala reception held recently at the hotel’s Trianon Ballroom in celebration of the organization’s 83rd Anniversary Dinner/Dance. The Hilton New York received the award in recognition of its environmentally-friendly energy fuel cell, which sits atop the building’s fifth floor roof. The Green Street Award was created to recognize members of the Association and other owners and tenants along the Avenue of the Americas for their efforts in adopting...

LAS VEGAS—Crystals, the retail and entertainment district at CityCenter, has achieved LEED Gold Core & Shell certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), making it the world’s largest retail district to receive this level of recognition. Opening in December, CityCenter was created with a vision to introduce a new level of environmental consciousness to the world-famous Strip and has emerged as a leader in sustainable urban development. Crystals’ achievement marks the fourth LEED Gold certification for CityCenter; previous recipients included 1. ARIA Resort’s hotel tower, 2. ARIA’s convention center and theater, and 3. Vdara Hotel & Spa. CityCenter...

AVON, COLO.—Colorado’s Westin Riverfront Resort & Spa announced that it has been awarded Silver Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. The Westin Riverfront is the first hotel in Colorado to achieve this coveted green accolade and only the ninth hotel in the country to earn Silver LEED status. The Beaver Creek resort, which opened a year ago this week, is also the first Silver LEED Certified hotel in the Westin brand, which includes more than 160 hotels around the world. “East West Partners is proud to have been a leader in...

CHARLOTTE, N.C.—The environmentally-focused Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte has opened, becoming the first LEED-built hotel for Ritz-Carlton and the first for greater Charlotte. The contemporary 146-room hotel features a 13,000-square-foot Wellness Center, 12,000 square feet of meeting and conference space featuring recycled aluminum conference tables and green meetings as a standard, and a slate of innovations for frequent travelers. An eco-focused rarity among top-tier branded hotels, The Ritz-Carlton is located in Charlotte’s thriving Uptown, within walking distance of the city’s most popular sports, entertainment and business destinations. Highlights of the Property • A green roof vegetated with 18,000 plants insulating the building, slowing...

LOS ANGELES—Last week, officials at the Westin Bonaventure in Los Angeles announced that the property had received the city’s first Green Seal Silver Certification. In a press release announcing the honor, it was stated that the hotel expects to save approximately $225,000 a year because of its energy-saving and waste reduction initiatives. However, according to Steve Silva, chief engineer at the 1,354-room hotel, the Green Team has “just scratched the surface” of what can be saved and he expects the $225,000 number to eventually grow to $1 million a year. According to the online publication “blogdowntown,” the certification of...

STATE COLLEGE, PA.—The development team of The P Hotel and Spa announced suspension of construction of The P Hotel and Pure Spa project at Waddle Road and Colonnade Boulevard pending stabilization of the economy. The developers had been pursuing LEED Gold for the development here in State College. “Other components of the Waddle Road development will continue as planned but the owners have decided that we need to put The P on hold pending a better understanding of how the economy is going to unfold,” said Benjamin Heim, CEO of Tricore Group, LLC and lead developer on the project. “We...

SEATTLE—The Olive 8 building, a 39-story hotel/condominium building located in downtown Seattle, has officially received LEED Silver from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a first for hotel/condominium buildings in the Seattle area. As the first mixed-use hotel and residential project to be LEED certified in Seattle, Olive 8 has been recognized as a high-performance building that is a responsible and efficient place to live, vacation and work. The cornerstone Hyatt at Olive 8 hotel located within the Olive 8 building is now also one of only 20 hotels in the United States to be officially designated “green” by...