GRAND RAPIDS—The CityFlatsHotel in downtown Grand Rapids was built in 2011 to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification and has now accomplished it. The five-story hotel, at 83 Monroe Center in the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, inhabits what was once the legendary Fox Jewelers Building. Like its sister hotel (the CityFlatsHotel in Holland, Mich.) before it, the CityFlatsHotel Grand Rapids joins the ranks of LEED certified buildings throughout the world.LEED buildings are designed to: reduce waste sent to landfills, conserve energy and water, reduce harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and be healthier and safer for...

STANIEL CAY, THE BAHAMAS—Several villas at EMBRACE Exuma Resort on remote Staniel Cay, The Bahamas, have just opened for previews in advance of the official resort opening in 2014.Four of the seven EMBRACE villas are now welcoming guests—Mayaguana, Bimini, Andros and Ragged Island. Ranging from one to three bedrooms, each villa features special touches reflecting their island namesake. The honeymoon villa, Ragged Island, features a Jacuzzi and romantic shower for two, while Bimini, much like the island it’s named for, reflects a two-sided personality—one of business and one of pleasure. In addition to its ramps, grab bars and other...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Worldwide, one of the world’s largest hospitality companies, has received a second silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for the company’s headquarters building in Parsippany, N.J. The certification makes Wyndham Worldwide the first and only company in New Jersey to have LEED designations for both Corporate Interiors and Existing Building—Operations and Maintenance.LEED is a third-party certification program and premier benchmark for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. It uses a point system to determine the environmental merits of a building, with four levels of...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide and Vital Voices Global Partnership announced that they have joined forces to help end child trafficking. Together, they have launched the Global Freedom Exchange, an innovative, multi-faceted educational and mentoring program targeting emerging and established women leaders. Program participants are on the forefront of global efforts to prevent and respond to the crime of child trafficking. Global Freedom Exchange is intended to create an international network of activists.As a fundamental element of the Global Freedom Exchange, Hilton Worldwide and Vital Voices have brought together a select group of 26 women leaders from 13 countries, to participate...

TROY, N.Y.—The nonprofit Audubon International, with its emphasis on environmental education and sustainable resource management, is positioning itself to become a stronger national player in green lodging designation thanks to its strategy to work in select markets—primarily Florida and New York. Audubon International, through its Green Lodging Program, has approximately 150 properties at one stage or another of designation (44 Marriott Vacation Club properties), and more than 3,000 golf courses participating in the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf. Four years ago, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation launched a new initiative—a two-year pilot program—to certify lodging...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—Following a successful HD Expo in Las Vegas in May at new home Mandalay Bay, the Hospitality Design Group announces a fresh new lineup for the first-ever HD Americas. Taking place in Florida, the show will run on September 24 and September 25 at the 60,000-square-foot Miami Beach Convention Center. The show will be the merging of talents including designers, architects, owners, operators and developers from around the globe. Taking place in the city that is the gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, the show will put a special emphasis on this emerging market, highlighting the successes...

SAN FRANCISCO—MindClick Global, a leader in supply chain sustainability performance and sourcing solutions, announced that Marriott International is ahead of its sustainable sourcing goals for 2013. In 2012, Marriott committed to spend 75 percent of its 2013 furniture, fixtures and equipment (FF&E) budget with suppliers who are part of the MindClick Hospitality Index for Sustainable Sourcing (HSP Index). As of June 15, 2013, Marriott has reached 60 percent of its goal.“With over 30 participating suppliers representing 20 product categories ranging from bath fixtures to seating, carpets to casegoods, fabrics to mattresses, lighting to mirrors, and more, we are very...

STAMFORD, CONN.—Element Vaughan Southwest, the first international hotel within Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide’s Element portfolio, has opened. Built green from the ground up, Canada’s premier Element hotel is an all-suite, 152-room extended stay enclave in Vaughan, Ontario, offering easy access between Pearson International Airport and downtown Toronto.“Vaughan is one of the country’s fastest growing cities with a strong emphasis on sustaining the environment, which made it a natural choice for Element’s first foray into Canada,” said Brian McGuinness, senior vice president of Specialty Select Brands for Starwood. “Whether staying for a few days or a few weeks, Element...

SPOKANE, WASH.—Ecova, a total energy and sustainability management company, recently released its second annual Big Data Look at Energy Trends: 2008-2012 report. The report draws from Ecova’s Big Data Warehouse, which contains more than 2.5 billion points of data from more than 700,000 facilities. This year’s analysis, specifically pulled from 150,000 facilities, including 2,200 lodging establishments, shows a decrease in total electric consumption intensity of 8.8 percent (5 percent decrease in lodging sector) and a 6 percent decrease in peak demand. The report also shows the lodging industry experienced a 30 percent increase in water and sewer prices from...

LAS VEGAS—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the American Institute of Architects (AIA) have commended the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) for passing a slate of sustainability resolutions that renew its commitment to local green building and clean energy efforts that help spur economic savings and protect the environment.“Once again, mayors are showing courage and leadership by embracing a strong sustainability and green building policy agenda that helps communities save money, save energy and create jobs,” said Jason Hartke, vice president of national policy at USGBC. “As the first responders on the front lines in the battle to...