MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide and its portfolio of 12 brands announced that for the fifth consecutive year, its team members and franchisee employees around the world will unite to protect the planet by participating in the celebration of Earth Hour 2015 through a number of innovative projects. Main exterior lighting and rooftop neon signage will be switched off. Interior lobby and reception lighting will be dimmed. There will be candlelit dinners with low carbon menus and sustainable cocktails. Music sessions including classical music and jazz will be showcased, and candle making activities will be organized.Earth Hour will take place from...

NEW YORK—Starwood Capital Group Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht announced the launch of the new mission-driven luxury lifestyle brand 1 Hotels. The first property debuted in South Beach on March 25, followed by Central Park in late spring and Brooklyn Bridge Park at the end of 2015. 1 Hotels aims to change industry standards—more than a hospitality brand, from no paper or plastic in the guestrooms to nature as art and lobby farmstands.1 Hotels celebrates nature while encouraging sophisticated travelers to live well, do better, and connect with the world around them. Each hotel in the portfolio is consciously...

CORAL GABLES, FLA.—The Caribbean Hotel & Tourism Association (CHTA) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) recognizing FEE’s Green Key and Blue Flag programs in the Caribbean as well as CHTA’s sustainability initiatives.The Memorandum of Understanding between CHTA and FEE has been entered to recognize the hospitality and tourism sustainability initiatives in the Caribbean brought forward by FEE through the Green Key and Blue Flag programs and by CHTA through the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST) and programs such as the Caribbean Hotel Energy Efficiency Action (CHENACT) initiative. The agreement will be...

BETHESDA, MD.—On the eve of World Water Day (March 22), Marriott announced that global water intensity in its worldwide managed hotels decreased in 2014 by 5.3 percent over 2013, and 16.3 percent compared to 2007. In 2007, the company set  2020 goals to reduce water consumption by 20 percent, as well as energy reductions of 20 percent across its managed portfolio of hotels worldwide, as part of a broader global sustainability strategy. “We are extremely pleased with our 2014 water intensity results,” said Denise Naguib, Vice President, Sustainability and Supplier Diversity, Marriott International. “Water conservation is an area of...

ATLANTA—The Thailand Convention & Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) has joined the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) as an annual, platinum business partner, with the intent to collaborate efforts of meeting industry stakeholders to improve meeting management practices by promoting environmentally responsible strategies. With their vision to make Thailand a globally recognized and preferred MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, Exhibitions) destination in Asia, and mission to “enhance the impact of Thailand’s MICE industry on the Thai economy; and to create sustainable fundamentals for Thailand’s MICE industry to compete efficiently and effectively in the international arena,” the TCEB chose GMIC as a global...

NATIONAL REPORT—Water treatment for systems such as cooling towers, chillers, heat exchangers and evaporative condensers has traditionally been one that has required the use of hazardous chemicals—e.g. chlorine, bromine, isothiazolinone, molybdate, phosphonate—to control calcium, bacteria, algae, scale, corrosion and biofilm. Because of the toxicity of the water treated with chemicals, it cannot be reused on property. A number of suppliers, however, have developed chemical free or similarly safe treatment systems that allow for the reuse of blow-down water while still providing a means to keep systems clean and running efficiently. Chemical free treatments vary from the introduction of atomic...

BETHESDA, MD.—For the eighth time, Marriott International has been recognized by the Ethisphere Institute as a 2015 World’s Most Ethical Company. The World’s Most Ethical Companies designation recognizes organizations that have had a material impact on the way business is conducted by fostering a culture of ethics and transparency at every level of the company.Marriott was selected for showing leadership in promoting ethical business standards. This recognition is a testament to Marriott’s leadership and commitment to governance, ethics and compliance policies that not only meet legal minimums and industry standards, but exceed them.“We are very pleased to again be...

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—As California enters a fourth year of severe drought, the State Water Resources Control Board Tuesday adopted an expanded emergency regulation to safeguard the state’s remaining water supplies. While Californians have made great strides to conserve water, more effort is needed, the State Water Resources Control Board said.“We are experiencing the lowest snowpack and the driest January in recorded history, and communities around the state are already suffering severely from the prior three years of drought,” said State Water Board Chair Felicia Marcus. “If the drought continues through next winter and we do not conserve more—the consequences could...

HIGHLANDS, N.C.—Old Edwards Inn and Spa announces the installation of a new Tesla High Power Connector for its resort guests, as well as a general charging station for all electric vehicles (EV). Tesla Motors, Inc. is an American company that designs, manufactures, and sells electric cars and electric vehicle powertrain components. Tesla’s mission is to accelerate the world’s transition to sustainable transport.Old Edwards joins a growing network of upscale resorts in this program, which Tesla refers to as “destination charging.” The idea is to put Tesla chargers at hotels, resorts, and restaurants around the country so people can top...

SAN FRANCISCO—For the eighth consecutive year, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts of the Western U.S. and Hawaii will participate in Earth Hour, a global event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF,) to raise awareness about climate change. On Saturday, March 28 at 8:30 p.m. (local time) Fairmont Hotels & Resorts around the planet will participate by turning off their lights for one hour.“Earth Hour is a unique opportunity for Fairmont colleagues and guests to participate in the world’s largest global climate change initiative,” says Thomas Klein, Regional Vice-President and General Manager, Fairmont San Francisco. “Earth Hour is on its...