STAMFORD, CONN.—As part of its ongoing commitment to sustainability, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that, beginning July 2014, it will no longer procure shark fin in any of its nearly 1,200 hotels or 1,300 restaurants around the world. The company has committed to completely eliminating the consumption of shark fin, without exception, in all restaurants and food and beverage services across its global portfolio by year-end. Starwood is the first global hotel operator to take this strong stand and commit to banning the ingredient across its entire portfolio.“At Starwood, we believe economic growth and the well-being of...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Worldwide announced that nearly half of its domestic real estate portfolio by square footage now holds certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program. Most recently, Wyndham Vacation Ownership, the company’s vacation ownership business unit, received its first-ever Gold certification for its headquarters building, Sea Harbor Office Center, in Orlando, Fla. The certification makes the building the largest LEED Commercial Interiors Gold level certified project in the state of Florida. And in December, RCI, a division of Wyndham Exchange & Rentals, achieved LEED certification for Existing Buildings, Operations and Maintenance...

BAYFIELD, WIS.—Pinehurst Inn, an eight room bed & breakfast operated by Nancy and Steve Sandstrom in Bayfield, Wis., received the Governor’s Tourism Stewardship Award at the Wisconsin Governor’s Conference on Tourism last month. The annual award is presented to a business or community that uses and promotes sustainable practices. Long-time leaders in the use of sustainable practices in Wisconsin’s hospitality industry and pioneers in the development of Wisconsin’s Travel Green program, the Sandstroms are honored to receive the award. “This award feels really wonderful,” said Nancy Sandstrom. “We are thrilled to have our efforts recognized by our peers in...

EDMONTON, ALBERTA—The Shaw Conference Centre, already known for its commitment to operational excellence and sustainability, has achieved BOMA BESt Level 2 certification from the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA). BESt stands for Building Environmental Standards and represents the highest levels of environmental best practices in Canada’s commercial real estate industry.The achievement reflects the Shaw Conference Centre’s commitment to environmental stewardship, which is increasingly a priority for locals and visitors attending events in the region. BOMA BESt certification validates that the convention centre continues to meet and exceed industry best practices for building operations and maintenance, in addition to...

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced a new global corporate citizenship commitment, highlighted by signature global partnerships with the William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) and the international nonprofit organization, Clean the World.A premier developer and operator of integrated resort destinations, Las Vegas Sands (LVS), will contribute $7 million to the UNLV hotel college over five years to develop a global professional and executive education program and assist in the construction of a new academic building, as well as $1 million to Clean the World in 2014, the largest corporate...

ORLANDO—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide announced that its eco-wise Element brand is picking up momentum in Florida with plans for an Orlando debut. Built green from the ground up, Element Orlando North is scheduled to open in July 2015 as part of the redevelopment of Orlando Fashion Square on Colonial Drive. It will be the brand’s third hotel in Florida following Element Miami International Airport and Element Miami Doral. Owned by a joint venture between UP Development, StaySharpe and LBK Hotel Ventures, ElementOrlando North will offer 151 stylish, sustainable rooms.“Element Orlando will offer a fresh new option for travelers...

NATIONAL REPORT—Lodging establishments around the United States are ramping up their planning for Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22. It has now been 44 years since the first Earth Day was held in 1970. During the first Earth Day, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. In just a few weeks, Earth Day activities at hotels will range from cleanup events to photo contests to dining, cocktail and spa specials.Aqua Hospitality will celebrate Earth Day by supporting ocean preservation through both a volunteer cleanup and donation...

CHICAGO—An independent panel of foodservice operator experts from across the industry has selected finalists for the third annual 2014 Operator Innovation Awards. The judges have selected finalists in each of five categories: Health and Nutrition, Marketing, Menu Development, Sustainability and Technology. The winners in each category, in addition to the Innovator of the Year, will be announced live in Chicago at the Destination: Celebration gala on Saturday, May 17, during the 2014 National Restaurant Association Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show.  “The Operator Innovations Awards finalists demonstrate the business case for innovation by connecting with consumers in new and interesting ways that...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) announced the winners of the AH&LA Achievement Awards, part of the annual Stars of the Industry Awards. These awards, presented annually since 1966, distinguish individual hotels that have developed outstanding programs, events, and campaigns. Winners were chosen in the categories of Good Earthkeeping, Community Service, Special Events, Guest Relations, and Technology Innovation.The winner of the Good Earthkeeping award in the small property category is The Huntington Hotel in San Francisco, for successfully implementing a hotel-wide trash training program that reduced the trash output by almost 70 percent, saving $12,000 a year....

ATLANTA—From changing occupant energy use to exploring radical innovations in buildings, ASHRAE’s third High Performance Buildings (HPB) Conference highlights innovation; proven methods for improving building operation resulting in deep energy efficiency and indoor environmental quality; measured performance; and HPB case studies demonstrating new technologies.The High Performance Buildings Conference will take place April 7 to 8, 2014, at the Hyatt Fisherman’s Wharf in San Francisco. Building upon the 2012 High Performance Buildings Conference and 2009 Net-Zero Energy Conference, the conference seeks to advance the industry’s efforts to accomplish a true high-performance built environment.“The conference aims to help decision makers in...