SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA—The Cayuga Collection, based in Costa Rica, is looking for qualified interns to help perfect its delivery of higher-end hospitality that combines sustainability, community, and luxury.While age doesn’t matter, attitude does. The Cayuga Collection 2013 eco-internship is possibly the best opportunity for anybody who regrets never having done an internship abroad. And yes, helping with recycling, composting, energy efficiency and community outreach are part of the internship, but so is testing out the softness of the bed linens, quality of the eco-friendly hotel room amenities, sampling as many meals as possible and even partaking in a...

SHELTON, CONN.—VISIT DENVER, The Convention & Visitors Bureau, has become the first convention and visitors bureau in the world certified in a new international sustainability standard designed to promote responsible environmental and social practices in the events industry. VISIT DENVER achieved Level One certification with the ASTM Standard pertaining to the Evaluation and Selection of Destinations for Environmentally Sustainable Meetings, Events, Trade Shows, and Conferences (abbreviated as “E2741-11” and commonly known as the APEX Standard).iCompli, a not-for-profit international auditing organization, developed the certification protocols for the new standards and performed the independent third-party certification of VISIT DENVER’s compliance with...

DURHAM, N.C.—Graduate students from the Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University have teamed up with the National Restaurant Association to examine how best to deploy a zero-waste program for restaurateurs in Durham, N.C.The students, all enrolled in the university’s public policy master’s degree program, have taken on the assignment as a three-month-long consulting project that calls for analytical research and recommendations on implementation of a zero-waste program. They also will explore the challenges and barriers business operators face regarding adoption of zero-waste initiatives.“The Duke team is helping us review and analyze how best to develop a zero-waste...

BERLIN, GERMANY—At the Berlin International Hotel Investment Forum (IHIF), Marriott International has debuted MOXY HOTELS, its first entry into the economy tier, three-star hospitality segment in Europe. Designed to capture the rapidly emerging millennial traveler, the new brand combines contemporary stylish design, approachable service and an affordable price. The brand will debut in Italy, with the first MOXY HOTEL expected to open in Milan in early 2014.The contemporary and stylish 150- to 300-room MOXY HOTELS, which are being designed with the goal of attaining LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council,...

OTTAWA, ONT.—The latest results from the 2013 HAC Canadian Travel Intentions Survey show that 44 percent of business travelers (up 8 percent from 2009) said environmental initiatives such as water recycling and energy efficiency are important to them. Thirty-six percent of leisure and business travelers said it is important for hotels to have green products. Twenty-six percent of leisure travelers and business travelers said a hotel with an environmental certification program is important to them. Twenty percent of business travelers and leisure travelers said the ability to purchase carbon credits is very important to them. Forty-nine percent of travelers...

MAUI, HAWAII—Hyatt Regency Maui Resort & Spa, situated oceanfront on Kaanapali Beach, has become the first commercial business partner in the state of Hawaii to begin testing for Maui Electric’s (MECO) semi-automated Fast DR (Demand Response) Pilot Program. In partnership with Hawaiian Electric, MECO launched Fast DR last year to help business customers control the cost of their electric bills while helping the utility maintain reliability and add more renewable energy to the grid. Fast DR rewards commercial and industrial customers for designating parts of their electricity use that can be turned off during critical energy situations with...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In honor of National Women’s Month, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) has launched a Women in Lodging (WIL) Connect national competition that serves the dual purpose of highlighting women in the industry and urging industry professionals to join the WIL initiative. Beginning in March and continuing each month through the end of the year, three to five women in a variety of operational areas, including general managers, human resources, sales/marketing, and sustainability, will be highlighted. As an added incentive to increase membership, two new WIL members will have the opportunity to have lunch or dinner with...

MONROE, WIS.—Arthur Bartsch, owner of Wisconsin’s Super 8 of Monroe, has spent the last 15 years trying to figure out how to remove inefficiencies from his 54-room property in Monroe, Wis. He is way past the “low hanging fruit” and well on his way to running one of the greenest lodging establishments in Wisconsin and possibly even the entire United States. The Energy Star rating for the Super 8 of Monroe in 2012, the first year he ran his numbers in the Energy Star Portfolio manager? A 95. That means the hotel, from an energy efficiency standpoint, has been...

FORT COLLINS, COLO.— Based on the premise that spas should be green as a part of the culture of the spa industry, The Spa Association (SPAA) has launched a Green Certification Program to define the parameters of “green” within the industry both for spa facilities and product lines.SPAA utilizes the Ecological Footprint model largely set forth by William Rees in 1992 in the effort to compare human demands on nature with the biosphere’s ability to regenerate resources and provide services. The LEED green ideals and principles are also enacted in the SPAA materials and precepts particularly for building and...

NEWTON, MASS.—TripAdvisor announced that it is accepting applications from U.S. accommodations to be considered for its soon-to-be launched TripAdvisor GreenLeaders program. Created in partnership with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Energy Star program, the United Nations Environment Programme and the U.S. Green Building Council, the program will recognize eco-friendly properties and help travelers plan greener trips. Large hospitality companies including Best Western, Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts and Select Registry, as well as independent hotels, are participating in the program.Applications will be reviewed against a set of environmental criteria developed for TripAdvisor by a leading environmental...