QUEBEC CITY, QUEBEC—Group Germain Hotels announced that all electric vehicle (EV) enthusiasts will literally be able to recharge their batteries while getting a good night’s sleep at its Le Germain and Alt Hotels across the country. The independent Canadian hoteliers are among the first to roll out the new Tesla Destination Charging program thereby providing guests access to a private network of over 20 EV charging stations capable of delivering a full charge in four to eight hours. “Sustainability and innovation have always been top of mind for us at Group Germain Hotels,” said Jean-Yves Germain, co-president of Group...

HONOLULU—Hokulani Waikiki by Hilton Grand Vacations Club, which opened a year ago in December 2013, has achieved LEED certification as recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). The upscale, urban timeshare resort earned the internationally recognized certification for implementing environmentally friendly construction practices and building systems.“Hokulani Waikiki was built and designed with a strong focus on honoring Hawaii’s unique cultural heritage,” said Kim Kreiger, Senior Vice President Club and Resorts for Hilton Grand Vacations. “This certification further demonstrates the importance and responsibility we feel to preserve and respect Oahu’s land and natural resources, which is part of what...

DENVER—The piece-of-pie shaped Brown Palace Hotel, a fixture in the heart of Denver since 1892, has been undergoing a green transformation the last couple of years that has caught the eye of many. The 241-room property won the Good Earthkeeping Award in 2013 from the Colorado Hotel and Lodging Assn. and the Good Earthkeeping Award in 2014 from the American Hotel and Lodging Assn. While dabbling in sustainability for a number of years—bee hives have been on the hotel roof as part of the hotel’s Bee Royalty Initiative since 2009—it was in October 2012 when good things really started...

NEW YORK—The International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS) has announced the winners for the 34th annual Gold Key Awards for Excellence in Hospitality Design. A record number of entries of over 280 international projects were considered by a team of nine prominent judges for these awards, which recognize outstanding hospitality design worldwide for properties completed or renovated from March 1, 2013 to March 1, 2014. Winners of the Gold Key Awards were revealed at the annual gala on Monday, November 10, 2014 at New York’s Mandarin Oriental Hotel. The Gold Key Awards were sponsored by Boutique Design and...

DENVER—In a press release issued by Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Xanterra says it has found it necessary to file a motion for a preliminary injunction in the United States District Court for the District of Colorado asking the court to step in to essentially keep the NPS from having to shut down most visitor services on the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.Unless the Court grants the preliminary injunction Xanterra seeks in this motion, Xanterra argues that the primary visitor services (restaurants, hotels, mule rides and basic services) at the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park will...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Wyndham Vacation Ownership (WVO), the world’s largest vacation ownership company and a member of the Wyndham Worldwide family of companies, recently received a Lodging Sustainability Award for “Lodging Brand of the Year” at the Lodging Green and Sustainability Conference & Expo in Las Vegas.The Lodging Sustainability Awards “recognize the contribution of individuals, groups and corporate entities who exemplify the meaning of sustainability in the hospitality industry. The winners stand as role models whose work embodies the industry’s efforts to be strong advocates for corporate social responsibility in doing what’s best for both the environment and for the business...

LEESBURG, VA.—The National Conference Center, one of the largest conference training centers in the country, and West Belmont Place, an events center with a 16,000 square foot ballroom, were hosts to an unusual event earlier this month when a rescued bald eagle was released on the property to the delight of about 200 people who came out to see the bird released back into the wild. The National Conference Center and West Belmont Place have received awards for their environmental stewardship of the property and the eagle release highlighted the conference center’s commitment to protecting the environment.The National Conference...

EXETER, N.H.—Hay Creek Hotels is now providing Tesla electric charging stations at all of its properties. “The Tesla stations are a great service to be able to provide to our guests and we are proud to be able to offer this amenity to our travelers,” said Norman MacLeod, President & CEO of Hay Creek Hotels. “We continue to seek ways to surprise and delight our guests, and hope these charging stations make them feel at home, while providing us with an opportunity to contribute to the environment.”The Tesla connectors provide a convenient and fast charging solution for Tesla owners...

NEW ORLEANS—The world’s largest sustainable building conference, The Greenbuild Conference and Expo, featuring the first “net zero” exhibit space, was held in New Orleans, October 22 to 24, with 23,000 attendees and 600 exhibitors.The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center helped Greenbuild set up the first “net zero” exhibit space by utilizing the building’s balcony as the location for solar generated panels that powered an on-site microgrid, generating power to the exhibit booths. The Net Zero Zone showcased how booths in the exhibit hall can unplug from the utility grid and operate totally on power generated by solar...

NATIONAL REPORT—Hotel bars and restaurants operate, at least in terms of energy efficiency, much the same as free-standing commercial restaurant operations. Small energy inefficiencies add up in the same ways that they do in commercial operations. When you create any personal budget, the first thing that you do is look at how much you’re currently spending.  Saving energy in your commercial kitchen begins the same way: know what your energy expenditures are. •    List everything that uses power. •    Make notes about appliances that you use on a constant basis. •    Watch the kitchen’s operation and take notes on the practices and...