MILL VALLEY, CALIF.—Auberge Resorts, owner and operator of boutique luxury hotels, resorts, residences and private clubs, announced that it will manage a new resort and destination spa that will be developed on the site of the former Stanly Ranch in the Carneros district of Napa Valley. The project will be developed by Stanly Ranch Resort Napa, LLC. The 110-room resort, VieVage Napa Valley, will be the first developed under a new lifestyle hospitality brand and infused with the Auberge ethos. The new VieVage concept will bring contemporary themes of design, community, locally sourced food, sustainability, fitness and wellness together...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is announcing safer alternatives to the flame retardants now used in consumer and commercial products, including building insulation and products with flexible polyurethane foam. “EPA’s findings for safer alternatives is great news for consumers and industry,” said Jim Jones, Assistant Administrator for EPA’s Office of Chemical Safety and Pollution Prevention. “We will now have safer alternatives for use in our products from furniture to car seats to building insulation.”   Flame retardant chemicals such as hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) and pentabromodiphenyl ether (pentaBDE) raise concerns for human health and the environment including potential reproductive, developmental, and...

ITHACA, N.Y.—The second annual industry study of sustainability performance benchmarking is now open for participation. Entities that own, operate, or franchise hotels and timeshares are invited to participate in this industrywide collaboration to produce credible benchmarks using hotel-specific parameters and metrics. This year’s study seeks to publish eight benchmarks across 50 markets covering energy, water, and carbon emissions, including the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI).Cornell Hotel Sustainability Benchmarking (CHSB) 2015 is a collaborative effort among the Cornell University Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), the Cornell Center for Real Estate and Finance (CREF), Greenview, and an industry advisory group. Nine...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Shalom Baranes Associates, OTO Development, LLC, Perseus Realty, and Turner Construction Co. recently celebrated the completion of the construction of the Hilton Garden Inn at 2201 M Street in Washington, D.C.’s West End. The restaurant below the hotel, Cafe Deluxe, also has opened.The new 167,888 square foot Hilton Garden Inn is a 238 room, LEED Silver, upscale Hilton Garden Inn hotel. Two levels of subsurface structure accommodate one level of parking for 53 cars and one level of office space. Building amenities include a 24-hour fitness center, heated rooftop pool, and a garden terrace. Within the hotel is...

SEDONA, ARIZ.—El Portal, Sedona’s premiere boutique hotel located in the heart of the red rock country of Arizona, announces the installation of its new green rooftop garden. With a longstanding history of dedication to local farmers through hosting open garden spaces to produce vegetables and herbs for fresh and local meals, El Portal Sedona Hotel strives to be at the forefront of supporting sustainability initiatives in its community. The hotel continues this commitment to going green by using its rooftop to install a living green space for guests and hotel staff to visually enjoy, and reduce its carbon footprint.Green...

SAINT PAUL, MINN.—A new restaurant and lodging show will make its mark in Minnesota this year—the Minnesota Hospitality Expo on Tuesday, September 16, at Saint Paul RiverCentre. The expo is sponsored by the Minnesota Restaurant Assn., the Minnesota Lodging Assn., and the Minnesota Resort & Campground Assn. through its coalition organization, Hospitality Minnesota. The event includes an exhibit floor, educational sessions for foodservice and lodging professionals and networking opportunities. Attendees will include buyers of all hospitality segments in the state including restaurant owners, managers and chefs, caterers, hotel/motel owners and managers, management company executives, resort/campground owners, purchasing managers and...

MILWAUKEE, WIS.—Marcus Hotels & Resorts, a division of The Marcus Corp., announces the installation of Tesla High Power Charging Stations at the majority of its owned and managed properties across the United States. The Tesla charging stations will provide a convenient and fast charging solution for Tesla Model S owners staying at a Marcus Hotels & Resorts property during the busy summer travel season.“By offering convenient destination charging services to Tesla owners, Marcus Hotels & Resorts is replicating the convenience our owners have become accustomed to at home,” said Brian Burton, Vice President, Revenue Generation for Marcus Hotels &...

BOULDER, COLO.—SERI announced the R2 Leader program, which is designed to support efforts by companies and organizations to advance the responsible reuse and recycling of used electronics. R2 Leaders launches with a coalition of 10 partners including DIRECTV, Goodwill Industries International, Greeneye Partners, Keep America Beautiful, Microsoft, Panasonic, Sony America, SourceAmerica, Wistron Corp. and Xerox.“Since the creation of the R2 Standard for responsible electronics recycling in 2008, we have consistently heard from companies and organizations that wanted to support reuse and recycling efforts,” said John Lingelbach, Executive Director of SERI. “Our partners in launching this program have taken on...

TORONTO—With research indicating solitary bee populations continue to show signs of decline, and loss and fragmentation of habitat cited as a leading factor, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is stepping up to provide solitary bees with a place to rest their wings with the introduction of its first pollinator bee hotel at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York.“Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is extremely excited about the addition of our new pollinator bee hotel and we look forward to providing these pint-sized ‘guests’ with the five-star treatment they so deserve for keeping our ecosystems resilient,” said Alexandra Blum, Vice President, Public Relations, FRHI...

RALEIGH, N.C.—Concord Hospitality Enterprises, one of the nation’s leading hotel developer/owner/operators, its affiliate hotels and Feed the Children, one of the largest charities based in the United States, with the mission of providing hope and resources for those without life’s essentials, raised a personal best $100,000 for its sixth annual Share Day volunteer event, with events staged in six cities across the United States.  Share Day brings together some 200 hotel employees utilizing seven trucks to distribute approximately 235,200 care packages to local families in need where Concord operates hotels. Funded by donations, the care packages contain non-perishable food...