PORTLAND, ORE.—A groundbreaking meeting of industry and sustainability leaders to address impacts from travel and tourism will takes place in Portland, Oregon on September 22 to 23.The “Travel and Tourism Collective Impact Summit” is organized by the NGO Sustainable Travel International and co-hosted by Travel Oregon, with additional support from Travel Portland. It convenes invited leaders of tourism destinations, major companies in travel and other industries, industry associations, NGOs and sustainability experts to work on critical issues related to the travel sector’s global impacts, and to leverage opportunities for tourism to be a major contributor to achieving global sustainability...

ALBANY, N.Y.—A bill proposed by state lawmaker Ken Zebrowski (A08371) would ban smoking rooms within lodging establishments in New York. Zebrowski announced the legislation during a press event last week at the Crowne Plaza in Suffern—Mahwah, N.Y. He was joined by the general manager of the Crowne Plaza as well as by a representative of the American Lung Assn. The American Lung Assn., POW’R Against Tobacco, American Cancer Society and the American Heart Assn. have all expressed support of the legislation.Zebrowski told Green Lodging News that he was inspired to act because of his own experiences staying at hotels...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International has been recognized by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation for its innovative sustainability initiatives and commitment to alternative energy sources. The company has been named a finalist for Best Environmental Stewardship Program in the 2015 Corporate Citizenship Awards.“MGM Resorts International’s sustainability initiatives create a lasting positive impact for the environment while strengthening the company,” said Marc DeCourcey, Vice President of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation Corporate Citizenship Center. “The scale of what MGM accomplished is truly impressive.”In 2014, MGM Resorts reached a major milestone in its commitment to environmental best practices. The company...

CARSON CITY, NEV.—The Governor’s Office of Energy (GOE) awarded property tax incentives to 11 Caesars Entertainment affiliated casino resorts for introducing significant energy and water savings measures in tens of millions of square feet of commercial space.The resorts received the GOE incentive after meeting State regulations and receiving a prestigious Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver or Gold equivalency from the U.S. Green Building Council. LEED is a rating system for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of green buildings.“Working with Caesars Casinos to make such an enormous quantity of square feet in Nevada more energy efficient...

CINCINNATI—The finalists for the 35th Gold Key Award for Excellence in Hospitality Design have been announced by HX: The Hotel Experience (formerly IHMRS). A panel of eight prominent judges considered more than 350 entries for these awards, which recognize outstanding design worldwide for hospitality projects that were completed or renovated from April 1, 2014 through May 30, 2015.“It was a thrill to set a new record for the number of entries,” says Mary Scoviak, Executive Editor of Boutique Design. “It’s a testament to the health of the hospitality industry but also to the powerful role design plays in its...

ROCKVILLE, MD.—Choice Hotels International announced that Comfort Inn will join Comfort Suites in implementing a 100 percent smoke-free policy beginning July 1, 2016, making Comfort the largest hotel brand in the United States to do so with more than 1,700 properties across the country. Becoming the largest hotel brand to provide a smoke-free environment reinforces the Comfort brand’s commitment to wellness and helping travelers feel refreshed while on the road.“This smoke-free initiative is the latest in a series of bold steps the Comfort brand is taking to enhance the guest experience and deliver the needs of today’s business and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The third annual industry study of sustainability performance benchmarking of energy, water, and carbon emissions is now open for participation. Hotel owners and operators of all sizes are invited to participate in this innovative industrywide collaboration. Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking (CHSB) 2016 is an initiative of the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), Greenview, and an industry advisory group. Eleven hotel companies—including Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Mandarin Oriental, Marriott, and Wyndham—supported the previous study with more than 4,750 hotels globally. This year’s study will expand its global locations and segments, add hotel types to the benchmarking results, and...

NATIONAL REPORT—As of September 8, according to Plug In America, 360,236 plug-in vehicles had been sold in the United States. Since the introduction of plug-in electric vehicles (EVs) about five years ago, total sales are on pace to double that of plugless hybrids for their first five years. Today, there are more than 32,000 charging stations listed on the PlugShare website. Undoubtedly, there is a shift taking place in how folks get from point A to point B.According to the most recent AH&LA Lodging Survey, prepared by STR and funded by AHLEF, 11 percent of surveyed properties offer electric...

NEW YORK—The panelist lineup for the three green sessions that will be part of the inaugural HX: The Hotel Experience (formerly International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show) has been finalized. The three sessions will take place over three days during HX, November 8 to 10, at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center.Planned for Sunday, November 8 from noon to 12:45 p.m. is “The Numbers Behind the Trends—Gauging Traveler/Hotelier Reaction to the Greening of Lodging.” As awareness of sustainability has grown among business and leisure travelers in recent years, hoteliers increasingly have put green practices in place to reduce their...

EAGLE BEACH, ARUBA—After giving Aruba decades of great change, the island nation has gifted its sustainable tourism pioneer with something permanent. The government of Aruba honored Ewald Biemans, founder of Bucuti & Tara Beach Resorts and one of the Caribbean’s most prominent environmentalists, by naming a street after him. A stretch of L. G. Smith Boulevard, conveniently located near the namesake’s resort on the world-famous Eagle Beach, is now officially known as Caya Ewald Biemans.The “caya,” meaning “street” in Papiamento, Aruba’s official language, is a tribute to Biemans for his significant contributions to the island’s tourism industry and recognizes...