WARRENTON, VA.—Airlie, known for its distraction free meeting environment, abundant gardens and sustainable practices, has just been designated as the first lodging destination to receive the Certified Healthy Destination by the Institute for Healthy Destination Accreditation (IHDA). The IHDA PIECES Certification serves as a discernment tool for meeting professionals, business travelers and general consumers who regard health as a significant indicator of value when selecting destinations for leisure or business travel.After undergoing a rigorous and comprehensive health-value assessment, Airlie was awarded the Silver Healthy Destination Certification. “Airlie has a rich tradition in health and wellness as well as exceptional...

TAMPA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Tampa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, has added a UniMac case study to its website. The case study focuses on the Vinoy Renaissance St. Petersburg Resort & Golf Club in St. Petersburg, Fla. and its use of UniMac on-premises washer-extractors and tumble dryers. The hotel upgraded its laundry equipment in 2011 with the assistance of equipment consultant Jason Downey of Southeastern Laundry Equipment. Following an extensive evaluation of the Vinoy laundry facility, Downey and Southeastern developed a plan recommending the right size low-maintenance UniMac equipment to best fit the department’s needs.“Every laundry is different;...

RENO, NEV.—The capital costs and the environmental impact of operating a large resort hotel almost always coincide. Heating, laundry, lighting, landscaping—they all have an impact on both a resort’s bottom line and the natural environment. Hotels have the opportunity to save money and save the environment at the same time, but launching conservation projects that significantly reduce a hotel’s environmental footprint and operating budget takes strategy, some innovative thinking and a commitment to capitalize conservation efforts. Here are five ways The Peppermill Resort, Spa, Casino saves millions of dollars each year while conserving water and energy and reducing the resort’s overall...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Restaurant Association has asked the governors in five Gulf States to support their local restaurants in a quest to maintain uncompromised, year-round access to seafood fished in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. In a letter sent to Governors Bobby Jindal of Louisiana, Rick Scott of Florida, Robert Bentley of Alabama, Phil Bryant of Mississippi and Rick Perry of Texas, the NRA asked the Governors to “stand with us and support the commercial fishing sector that supplies restaurants in your state and throughout the country.” “In recent months, the Gulf of Mexico Fisheries Council has proposed changing...

LOS ANGELES—Dometic Lodging, a division of Dometic Group, a global provider of leisure products for the lodging, marine, truck, caravan, motor home and automotive markets, announced the products it will be exhibiting at the 2014 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), to be held June 23 to 26 at the Los Angeles Convention Center.The company will show its HiPromatic miniBar with automatic consumption monitoring, its DMS wireless handheld system for recording refreshment center usage, the GrapevinePro wireless door alert system for guestroom fridges, and the i-Calmaire Thermostat with digital sensing technology. “All of these products use innovative technology to...

ATLANTA—Farm Star Living, the new lifestyle brand that celebrates American farming and farmers, has launched an app that provides easy, quick access to hundreds of Farm-to-Table restaurants in major cities throughout the United States as well as hundreds of farms open to the public for activities and fun. The app complements the Farm Star Living website, which satisfies Americans eager to know who’s behind their food, where it’s grown, and how to support local farmers and farm-fresh food.Offering a comprehensive Farm-to-Table section, the app is perfect for those seeking a great meal at a quality restaurant supporting local communities...

TORONTO—With research indicating solitary bee populations continue to show signs of decline, and loss and fragmentation of habitat cited as a leading factor, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is stepping up to provide solitary bees with a place to rest their wings with the introduction of its first pollinator bee hotel at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York.“Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is extremely excited about the addition of our new pollinator bee hotel and we look forward to providing these pint-sized ‘guests’ with the five-star treatment they so deserve for keeping our ecosystems resilient,” said Alexandra Blum, Vice President, Public Relations, FRHI...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Restaurant Assn. has relaunched its Conserve website designed to educate restaurateurs about sustainability and showcase how applying greener business practices will save money and help protect the environment. The rebooted website offers numerous videos, case studies, best practices and personal accounts of becoming more sustainable, reducing energy and water consumption, decreasing food waste, recycling, composting and operating business in environmentally and economically responsible ways. “Practicing sustainability is no longer a trend, but an important aspect of the restaurant industry’s daily operations,” said Scott DeFife, Executive Vice President, Policy and Government Affairs, National Restaurant Assn. “With this new and...

ATLANTA—EVEN Hotels, InterContinental Hotels Group’s (IHG) newest brand, created to meet the needs of wellness-minded travelers, has introduced the Cork & Kale food and beverage platform focused on simple, natural and good ingredients. The F&B platform is based on the EVEN brand’s commitment to offering guests a variety of healthy and great tasting menu options that elevate their hotel experience while helping them maintain their routine on the road. The Cork & Kale platform is a consistent F&B offering, which will be available at all EVEN Hotels properties, the first of which are set to open before the end...

CHICAGO—Xylem, a leading global water technology company, launched Filtration by Flojet at the 2014 National Restaurant Association (NRA) show. The system uses integrated membrane pre-activated carbon technology to improve water taste and appearance, better protects dispense equipment and mitigates health concerns in foodservice applications. Filtration by Flojet removes chlorine and chloramine odor and taste from municipal water by leveraging carbon block technology, proven to have more than four times the capacity to remove unwanted water characteristics as competitive pre-coat filters. Carbon block enables users to activate the filtration cartridge almost immediately, eliminating the flush out process associated with carbon powder...