BROOKLYN, N.Y.—Now more than ever, when you check into NU Hotel Brooklyn, you stand a very good chance to land a guestroom that features a locally-inspired mural painted by a Brooklyn artist, as the hotel now has a total of 15 guestrooms outfitted in NU Perspectives, a program which brings local Brooklyn artists into the guestrooms and allows them to use the walls as their canvas.“What started as a side project has really transformed the character and personality of our guestrooms,” said Independent Collection Area General Manager Javier Egipciaco. “It’s an honor to showcase the unique work of such...

HALF MOON BAY, CALIF.—The Ritz-Carlton, Half Moon Bay is welcoming Tesla owners to pull up and plug in at the resort’s new Tesla Wall Connector. The connector supplies power at 20 kW allowing guests and visitors the ability to replenish the battery at a rate of 58 miles of range per hour at maximum power.“We are thrilled to be able to offer this service to guests and visitors to Half Moon Bay, the most beautiful place to charge your Tesla,” said General Manager George Munz. “So many of our guests drive to the coast to spend a relaxing day...

DENVER—Xanterra Parks & Resorts, dba Xanterra South Rim L.L.C., reached an agreement with the National Park Service to continue to operate most concessions at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park—just as it has for more than a century—under a temporary contract.Xanterra’s current contract commenced in 2002 and is set to expire at the end of 2014. The contract was extended three times and, by law, cannot be extended again. The National Park Service issued three RFPs for bids to operate concessions at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, but no concessioner—including Xanterra—submitted a responsive bid.“We are...

MIAMI—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces the opening of the Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites Bogota Zona Financiera. The new-build, 99-room hotel is a LEED Gold certified property and is located in the heart of Bogota’s financial district. The hotel is part of a mixed-use development comprised of two towers, one of which houses the hotel and a second offices and retail stores. The new Holiday Inn Express & Suites Bogota Zona Financiera hotel is the fifth IHG-branded hotel in Bogota and is 15 miles from El Dorado International Airport. The property is conveniently located near local businesses, embassies,...

ST. JOHN’S, ANTIGUA—Antigua and Barbuda will implement a new tourism action agenda, following consultation with more than 50 tourism stakeholders in the private and government sector. The action plan will focus on three destination stewardship initiatives: the development of a sustainable tourism strategy, new community-based cultural tourism products, and the mapping of cultural heritage sites.Stakeholders developed the action plan in August during a sustainable destination assessment workshop coordinated by the Ministry of Tourism, The Antigua and Barbuda Tourism Authority and conducted under the banner of the Sustainable Destinations Alliance for the Americas (SDAA), supported through funding from Royal Caribbean...

PHILIPSBURG, ST MAARTEN—The Westin Dawn Beach Resort & Spa, St. Maarten made its mark as a game-changer in the hospitality industry by completing a landmark solar installation earlier this year that allows the resort to produce six to eight hours of its own power during peak times. The resort has harnessed the power of the Caribbean sun for more than a year and reached an environmental milestone by generating one gigawatt hour of solar power, or one billion watt-hours. The resort also just installed a completely oil-free Smardt Chiller to further conserve energy; the Chiller is used in the...

TORONTO—The Metro Toronto Convention Centre (MTCC) announced it has received two coveted distinctions for its sustainability commitment, showing green leadership at both national and provincial levels. MTCC earned the LEED Gold certification by the Canada Green Building Council, the certifying body in Canada for the international rating system, which stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design. This certification, achieved by the MTCC’s south building in the Existing Building: Operations & Maintenance version of the rating system, makes MTCC one of the first Canadian convention centers to earn a gold rating.In the same week, the Tourism Industry Association of...

SEQUOIA AND KINGS CANYON NATIONAL PARKS, CALIF.—Nestled amongst picturesque forests and meadows and steps from the famed General Grant Tree, John Muir Lodge in Kings Canyon’s Grant Grove Village has been lending itself to unforgettable national park trips for close to two decades. A fixture of countless family getaways and outdoor adventures, the rustic stone-and-timber lodge offers intimate and inviting quarters for guests in all seasons. Now, its welcoming atmosphere is further enhanced and equipped to deliver an authentic national parks experience after a full remodel of the lodge’s 36 rooms. Partnering with local Darden Architects, concessionaire Delaware North Companies...

DALLAS—The Renaissance Dallas Hotel last week unveiled new multi-million dollar innovative, modern event and meeting spaces. The Renaissance Dallas’ new 50,000 square feet of meeting and event space includes a 16,000 square foot technologically advanced Grand Ballroom accommodating up to 1,500 guests. The Grand Ballroom space includes modern décor, 24-foot vaulted ceilings, skylight crystal chandeliers, a state-of-the art lighting and sound system with remote controlled screens, and window shades allowing natural light during the day. The event space also features linen-less rectangular tables seating eight to 10, easily accessible direct load in capabilities and a separate valet entrance for...

NATIONAL REPORT—Most chafing dish fuel gels found today are made from corn-based ethanol, methanol and other additives to help the product burn hotter. Methanol is added to make it too toxic for consumption. Fuel gel using methanol and other additives is considered hazardous waste and should be treated as such, several industry experts told Green Lodging News for this article. Methanol gel, according to Don Haldenby, CEO of Ecoflame International Inc., is poisonous and contains dioxin and emits nitrous oxide, arsenic, carbon monoxide and excessive carbon dioxide when burned. It is dangerous to touch and dangerous to the environment...