MORRIS, CONN.—Crusaders for food as authentically fresh as it is refined will experience just that at the newly rebranded Winvian Farm, which is emerging as the East Coast’s preeminent farm-resort, when it comes to exceptional, organic, non-GMO cuisine.Winvian Farm is once again home to a working farm (the original farm dates to the 1700s) thanks to the efforts of Executive Chef Chris Eddy and proprietor, Margaret Smith, whose passion for healthy eating and earth-to-table menus inspired the re-creation of the farm. Chef describes his culinary style as “food with a conscience,” which is evident in every bite.Winvian Farm houses...

LONDON—Building on the success of the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative, now used by more than 21,500 hotels around the world, the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) is announcing ambitious plans to standardize water measurement in the industry.Water scarcity is a recognized global problem, with demand for water projected to exceed supply by 40 percent by 2030. By the same year, more than a third of the world’s population will be living in areas of high water stress.As part of a rapidly growing tourism sector and a large consumer of water in its own right, the hotel industry needs to take...

HONG KONG—Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts marked the global rollout of its culinary sustainability initiative, Rooted in Nature, by hosting a month-long celebration of the group’s most exceptional food purveyors. From small farms in the Maldives to fishing villages in Malaysia, the hotels recognized the farmers, fisherman and ranchers that make dining at Shangri-La not only delicious but also sustainable.Special Rooted in Nature events and promotions taking place at all Shangri-La and Kerry hotels highlighted sustainable sources of produce, fish, and meat that can be found on the hotels’ menus year-round and celebrated the purveyors who responsibly steward the land...

LOS ANGELES—Disneyland Resort was recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency with the 2014 Food Recovery Challenge award for its zero waste efforts, and the highest percent increase in food recovery of any theme park in the nation.“Disneyland is a model for food recovery efforts,” said Jared Blumenfeld, EPA’s Regional Administrator for the Pacific Southwest. “Disney has the potential to educate millions of people who visit the resort on zero waste, while doing its part to fight climate change and create a better environment for Southern California residents.”The EPA’s Food Recovery Challenge partners with organizations and businesses to prevent...

LOS ANGELES—The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA) has unveiled its lineup of hospitality visionaries for its Annual Boutique Hotel Investment Conference to be held June 3 at the SVA Theatre in New York. The primary focus of the conference, powered by BLLA, is capital investment and financing for independent boutique and lifestyle hotels. The program will include an individual vignette from Mark Keiser, Chief Development Officer for the SH Group who will discuss the Baccarat Hotels’ record-breaking $2 million per key transaction and the new 1 Hotels venture created by Barry Sternlicht. Also featured will be a keynote...

SAN FRANCISCO—Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced that all 65 of its hotels are now a part of the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program, making it the first major hotel brand to have 100 percent portfolio-wide participation in the program. Developed in partnership with U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, the U.S. Green Building Council, and the United Nations Environment Programme, TripAdvisor GreenLeaders recognizes hotels’ leadership in environmental practices and helps travelers find and plan stays with eco-friendly hotels.Since the 1980s when Kimpton began implementing environmentally responsible practices, Kimpton has implemented more than 100 programs and amenities to make its hotels...

LAS VEGAS—The NEWH Green Voice Conversations returns for its fourth year at HD Expo.  The event will take place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas from May 13 to 15. Carefully chosen by NEWH and the Hospitality Design Group, notable experts on the topic will lead the audience through a series of interactive sessions covering sustainable themes and practices that impact all aspects of the industry. With “green design” being a topic that continues to be of great importance in the ever-evolving hospitality design sector and an issue that is also directly related to consumer demand, these conversations provide...

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL—TripAdvisor announced the list of the first TripAdvisor GreenLeaders hotels in Brazil. Developed with the advice of the Rainforest Alliance and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP), TripAdvisor GreenLeaders is one of the largest sustainability projects aimed at hotels and has awarded the GreenLeaders designation to more than 8,000 accommodations around the world and 52 now in Brazil, spread through 16 states and 41 cities. The states of Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo and Minas Gerais are the ones with the largest amount of sustainable accommodation with 11, nine and eight hotels respectively.Now on TripAdvisor, anyone can...

PORTLAND, MAINE—The Olympia Companies will manage a state-of-the-art hotel that is currently being built in Oberlin, Ohio by Oberlin College. The property will anchor The Peter B. Lewis Gateway Center, the cornerstone of Oberlin’s Green Arts District, an ongoing development encompassing the northeast corner of North Main Street and East College Street. It is a planned 100,000-square-foot, mixed-use development that will incorporate renewable energy systems and other innovative technologies designed to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Platinum rating. “We’re honored to be chosen as the manager of this remarkable new property,” said Kevin Mahaney, President and CEO of...

PARIS—Every year on Earth Day, Accor’s 180,000 employees worldwide organize actions to support the 21 commitments protected in CHARTER 21—the group’s sustainable development program—and share their environmental achievements and progress. Inspired by Agenda 21, which was adopted by 173 Heads of State at the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, CHARTER 21 is an action plan with the principle goal of protecting the planet, its people and their environment.Arnaud Herrmann, Accor’s Sustainable Development Director, explains: “Results for 2014 showed global improvement and progress made on all of Accor’s commitments under the CHARTER 21 program. That is encouraging for...