NASHVILLE—Green Roofs for Healthy Cities, a nonprofit industry association dedicated to the development of the green roof and wall industry, announces the launch of the two day intensive Net Zero Water Boot Camp professional training at CitiesAlive in Nashville on November 11 to 12 at the Civic Design Center. The Net Zero Water Boot Camp is the curriculum associated with designing integrated water systems that work towards the goal of freeing a facility from the need to connect to the municipal water and wastewater system. Very few buildings around the world have accomplished this feat, yet it remains a...

WICHITA, KAN.—This week Value Place announced the opening of a newly constructed hotel in Columbus, Ohio. The company, with nearly 190 hotels in 32 states, has been on a roll lately. Almost every month this year the company has either opened a property or announced the construction of one. Value Place, a leader in the extended-stay segment, is known for offering an affordable, clean, safe and simple place to stay. What it is not known for is the steps it has taken to be as environmentally efficient as possible—a result of the company’s fanatical attention to keeping costs down.“From...

BEIJING—Fairmont Beijing is partnering with BMW in a showcase of the luxury carmaker’s new electric, environment-friendly i Series. Guests booking airport transfers and the Fairmont Beijing’s “Passion Package” are being transported around the city for the next two months, to experience first-hand the unique sustainable features of the ground-breaking, emission-free concept.“This marketing alliance between two distinguished brands with parallel values showcases our joint commitment to sustainability,” said Fairmont Beijing’s General Manager Michael Ganster.Fairmont Beijing is partnering with BMW as part of a ‘Wise City Action’ initiative encouraging major property companies in Beijing and Shanghai to install recharging facilities for...

BETHESDA, MD.—Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., the largest lodging real estate investment trust in the United States, has been recognized by environmental nonprofit CDP as a leader among S&P 500 companies for corporate action on climate change and for climate change transparency. Additionally, Host was recognized by the Global Real Estate Sustainability Benchmark (GRESB) as the Global Sector Leader for Hotels and achieved Green Star status.This is the second year that Host has attained a position on CDP’s S&P 500 Climate Performance Leadership Index (CPLI). This year, Host received the highest performance band of “A” for climate performance assessment...

DENVER—Xanterra Parks & Resorts, the country’s largest and oldest national park concessioner, has been forced to take legal action against the National Park Service (NPS) in protest against arbitrary and capricious actions by the agency in connection with the concession contracts to operate lodging, restaurants and other services at Grand Canyon National Park.Xanterra, the primary national park concessioner at the Grand Canyon South Rim, was founded as the Fred Harvey Company in 1876 and first brought visitors to the Grand Canyon by railroad starting in 1905 (the Grand Canyon was designated as a national park 12 years later in...

KUNFUNADHOO ISLAND, MALDIVES—It has been announced that the 2014 Slow Life Symposium at Soneva Fushi will focus on the concept of Planetary Boundaries (as pioneered by the Stockholm Resilience Centre), exploring how we can accelerate and scale initiatives like “Natural Capital” and “Social Capital” to shape the ground rules for tomorrow’s capitalism.Now in its fifth year, the conference brings together a group of 30 eminent representatives from the global world of business, science, travel and education for a four day symposium (November 13 to 16) and promises to, once again, provide an inspiring environment for collaboration with some of...

STOCKBRIDGE, MASS.—On Sunday, August 31, the Outstanding in the Field bus arrived in the Berkshires for a third year on the hills of Lila’s Farm in Great Barrington, Mass. Executive Chef Brian Alberg and his crew from The Red Lion Inn in Stockbridge manned the field kitchen and the celebrated long table presenting a five-course meal to 175 guests, one of the biggest dinners of Outstanding in the Field’s (OITF) season. This is the third year Brian Alberg was the selected chef for the Berkshire OITF dinner.Ingredients for each OITF meal are almost all local, sometimes sourced within inches...

CHICAGO—Leading online travel company Orbitz Worldwide announced its commitment to fight commercial sexual exploitation of children by partnering with ECPAT-USA in support of the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct—otherwise known as “The Code.” ECPAT is the leading global network of organizations that is dedicated to ending child prostitution and recently received the 2013 Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize, given annually to an organization that is significantly alleviating human suffering.  The Code is an industry-driven, multi-stakeholder initiative with the mission to provide awareness, tools and support to the tourism industry in order to combat the sexual exploitation of children in...

NEW YORK—From its inaugural Women’s Ownership Works or WOW Summit at the Courtyard/Residence Inn Manhattan Central Park, Marriott International will announce plans to have 1,000 or 25 percent of its existing global hotel portfolio owned by diverse owners, including women, by 2020. The WOW Summit brings together a small group of current women hotel owners with women exploring hotel development as part of their investment approach.“We have always had a culture of inclusiveness and want everyone to be aware of the opportunity to own hotels as an investment strategy that also has community benefit,” said Julius W. Robinson, Marriott...

STAMFORD, CONN.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced that its Element brand plans to open a third hotel in Florida, less than a mile from Universal Studios Orlando. Element Orlando is slated to debut in July 2016, following next year’s opening of both Element Orlando North and Element Miami Doral. Owned by Barakat Orlando Resort, LLC, developed by GCD Associates, and managed by New Jersey based Paramount Hotel Group, Element Orlando will offer 151 sustainable rooms and a light-filled atmosphere.“Element Orlando will offer travelers a smart, sustainable extended stay option in an unbeatable location near Orlando’s world-renowned theme parks,”...