NATIONAL REPORT—LEDs (light-emitting diodes) have been making their way into the lodging industry for years now—in exit signs, exterior signage, for downlighting, track lighting, and in other applications. In the guestroom or in other spaces where standard incandescent or compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs) need to be replaced, however, LEDs have not been practical due to cost. Could that be changing? The Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007 will end the sale of 100-watt incandescent bulbs in the United States by January 1, 2012, 75-watt bulbs by 2013 and 40- and 60-watt bulbs by 2014. As incandescents are phased out,...

LONDON—Whitbread PLC, the United Kingdom’s largest hotel and restaurant group, announced that as part of this year’s capital investment program it will be spending more than $10.6 million on a sustainability program to boost the environmental performance of its hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. The move forms an important part of Whitbread’s ‘Good Together’ sustainability strategy and will help the business deliver against its targets of a 26 percent reduction in energy consumption and a 20 percent reduction in water use by 2020. The investment drive will focus on Whitbread’s existing estate and will see the introduction of a package...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Bulbs.com as a Founding Sponsor. The company offers a wide selection of energy-efficient replacement bulbs, ballasts, fixtures and can consult on almost any lighting project. With its prepaid recycling containers, Bulbs.com also can help with bulb recycling programs. The company has certificates of proper recycling and disposal available and its prepaid containers follow EPA guidelines and keep businesses compliant. Bulbs.com first entered the lighting market in 1999. The company is now one of the largest Philips Lighting distributors, servicing more than 91,000 businesses operating 250,000 business locations. Bulbs.com’s...

ATLANTA—Two newly constructed Marriott International-branded hotels located in Atlanta’s Gateway Complex—adjacent to one of the world’s busiest U.S. airports and home to the Georgia International Convention Center—will be among the greenest hotels in the city. The SpringHill Suites Atlanta Airport Gateway is LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) registered by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and on track to becoming Atlanta’s first LEED Gold hotel. The Atlanta Marriott Gateway will apply for LEED Silver status upon opening in August. This major step in Atlanta brings Marriott one step closer to its goal to expand its LEED portfolio...

BOSTON—Spend some time chatting with Brian Gorski, director of engineering at the 498-room Hyatt Regency Boston and you will quickly understand how the all-electric hotel has been able to slice its annual power consumption by a whopping 42 percent—from 12.3 million kilowatt hours of usage per year to 7.1 million. The drop in energy consumption did not happen in just one year but over a time period of approximately 10 to 12 years when approximately $3 million was spent on improvements in infrastructure, equipment and other systems to improve energy efficiency. NStar, the Massachusetts-based, investor-owned electric and gas utility,...

TOLLAND, CONN.—Reflect and Glow Products has introduced Find a Light and GloPlate. The purpose of the products is to help people find their light switch plates in total darkness without the use of electricity. Their simple installation is one of the benefits and existing wall plate screws make it easy to attach each product to the wall plate in seconds. The products can be attached to both standard toggle wall plates and the more modern plates such as the Rocker Plate. The glowing fields of Find A Light guarantee that the product will glow all night when exposed to daylight...

ATLANTA—Lithonia Lighting, a leader in indoor commercial and architectural lighting, announced that it is fortifying its presence in the LED lighting market with the introduction of RTLED. RTLED is a high-quality, volumetric recessed luminaire that delivers ambient white light throughout an entire space while reducing energy costs, maintenance costs and a building’s environmental footprint. “RTLED is an innovative breakthrough for high-quality LED lighting solutions in commercial interior spaces,” said Dave Ranieri, vice president of Lithonia Lighting Fluorescent/LED Business Unit. “In addition to maintaining high efficacy and excellent color over a 50,000-hour system life, RTLED creates an optimum balance...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Control4 as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Control4 delivers a personalized experience for guests with control of lighting, drapes, TV, stereo, thermostat and more through a single remote control. Property managers can configure and update rooms remotely, and centrally manage energy usage. Control4’s Suite System utilizes wired IP and wireless ZigBee technology to save money and construction costs. Currently, Control4 Suite Systems are being implemented in projects from Las Vegas to London. At the Aria Resort & Casino at CityCenter in Las Vegas, the property collaborated...

YOSEMITE NATIONAL PARK, CALIF.—Yosemite Lodge at the Falls, a popular year-round lodging destination in the heart of Yosemite Village, unveiled today two prototype guest rooms on the cutting edge of environmentally-friendly interior architecture and design. The two rooms at The Lodge are the first of their kind in Yosemite National Park. Reflective of Delaware North Companies’ award-winning GreenPath environmental stewardship platform, the two eco-friendly guestrooms were designed with an eye toward an eventual rollout throughout the Lodge’s 245 rooms. Every design selection, from insulation and paint to textiles and light fixtures, was evaluated based on its proximity, sustainability, recycled...

ZIONSVILLE, IND.—FANIMATION unveils The Inlet, an Energy Star-rated ceiling fan with energy efficient compact fluorescent lighting. The Inlet is a sleek and functional, close-to-the-ceiling mounted fan that is available in Oil-rubbed Bronze and Satin Nickel finishes with an Opal Frosted glass lighting fixture. Reversible Cherry/Walnut blades are included and available with Cherry and Walnut finished woven housing accessories. The fan has a 52-inch blade sweep while optional blade sets offer a 42-inch blade pitch. Ideal for installations on lower ceilings, The Inlet is flush mounted at a distance of 8 3/8 inches from the ceiling, with a total height...