CONCORD, CALIF.—It got official as it can get earlier this year on June 5. It was on that day that the Hilton Concord in Concord, Calif., was designated the Sustainability Flagship by Interstate Hotels & Resorts in a proclamation released by the Office of the Mayor of the City of Concord. The 329-key hotel was selected by Interstate to be the green prototype of what could be rolled out across the company’s other five wholly-owned and managed hotels. “Our plan is to implement similar programs and technologies at our other five wholly-owned hotels as part of our annual planned capital...

CHICAGO—Hyatt announced details of its new organic and seasonal children’s menu created exclusively for Hyatt by renowned food pioneer and chef, Alice Waters. The new menu, featuring a three-course organic meal, marks the first hotel project for Waters and complements Hyatt’s “For Kids By Kids” menu, providing children more nutritious, fresh and interactive offerings. The new children’s food and beverage offerings at Hyatt are grounded in the brand’s philosophy Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served., promoting healthy people, a healthy planet and healthy communities, and will be offered in all full-service Hyatt hotels and resorts throughout the United States and...

NEW YORK—Barclay the Bee has landed in the InterContinental New York Barclay’s guestrooms with a question—“to wash, or not to wash”? The hotel’s friendly messaging mascot is highlighting an important aspect of the InterContinental New York Barclay’s sustainable initiatives—water savings—with a new “Don’t Wash” symbol and fun in-room message delivery. A Bee-shaped cut-out sign designed to sit in a holder on nightstands features Barclay the Bee holding a message advising guests of the hotel’s commitment to every-other-day sheet and towel washing. Guests who desire every day service simply remove the bee card from its holder and place it on...

OSHKOSH, WIS.—Girbau Industrial’s new PC-120 Flatwork Ironer is engineered to meet the needs of high-volume laundries. Available in natural gas, steam and thermal fluid, it features advanced programmability while producing a high-quality finish in little time. The PC-120 Flatwork Ironer finishes up to 164 feet of linen per minute.Designed to meet the needs of a variety of high-volume laundry applications, the PC-120 comes available in 118-, 130- or 138-inch finishing widths with up to three, 48-inch diameter rolls. The new natural gas model delivers 93 percent efficiency. The natural gas model is engineered with an integrated boiler that allows...

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF.—ClearWater Tech, LLC, a manufacturer of ozone systems for water and air purification, announced it is now a preferred vendor with the Best Western International Group. ClearWater Tech is the manufacturer of EcoTex Ozone Laundry Systems. EcoTex is used worldwide in the hospitality and senior care market.In the spring of 2011, an EcoTex Laundry Ozone System was installed at the Best Western Plus—Tempe By The Mall facility in Tempe, Ariz. With the installation of the EcoTex ozone laundry system and modification of the washer formulas, the facility has reduced its hot water/natural gas by 86 percent,...

INWOOD, N.Y.—Crossover by Wascomat is now CEE Tier III qualified for the highest level of energy efficiency. There are three levels of CEE tiers, with the highest number (III) being the best for energy efficiency. CEE (Consortium for Energy Efficiency) is a nonprofit public benefits corporation that works to develop initiatives for its members (including U.S. and Canadian energy offices, utilities, research and environmental groups) to promote the manufacture and purchase of energy efficient products and services. Crossover, a commercial-standard small chassis washer, was introduced in June 2011 after four years of intensive development. Crossover products include a 22+...

RIPON, WIS.—UniMac, a manufacturer of on-premises laundry equipment, announces the launch of its redesigned UC Series hardmount washer-extractors. The washer-extractor series offers supreme efficiency, helping on-premises laundries reduce operating costs and increase throughput. Using newly developed, advanced technology, the UC Series now uses 33 percent less electricity than two-speed models and 11 percent less water on average than previous models. The utility reductions are due to UniMac’s proprietary advanced inverter drive technology and minimized sump design that optimizes the cylinder water, which also maximizes cleaning results. The machines achieve an extraction speed of up to 200 G-Force, which removes...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes YesterTec Design Co. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. YesterTec’s unique armoire styled mini-kitchens and hospitality centers can transform a standard room design into a multifunctional space. When the bi-fold doors of the mini-kitchen are open they slide into pockets out of the way, activating the power for the oven and cooktop. Hospitality Centers are very similar to working pantries, except that they typically include a sink, refrigerator and small microwave. Other plug-in small appliances like single burner cooktops, toaster ovens, blenders etc. can add...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Corp. announces the launch of a new menu, “For Kids By Kids,” which provides more nutritious, fresh and interactive offerings for the three million children served annually in all full-service Hyatt hotels and resorts throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. The menu is grounded in Hyatt’s philosophy of Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served.—promoting healthy people, a healthy planet and healthy communities—and has been developed in association with the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). As part of the rollout, separate from its PHA commitment, Hyatt hotels will offer a three-course organic meal for children developed exclusively...

TORONTO—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced that it has formally removed shark fin from all of its hotel menus in Asia, effective immediately. The move, which also spans the luxury hotel brand’s global culinary operations, is in line with Fairmont’s commitment to environmental stewardship and supports an earlier pledge to offer sustainable seafood choices in an effort to conserve precious marine species.“We’re proud to be at the forefront of the movement to stop serving shark fin,” said Jean Michel Offe, Fairmont’s vice-president, food & beverage. “It’s a logical step for Fairmont, given our decades long work in greening our hotels...