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Fairmont San Jose Begins Upgrade of Toilets, Urinals
SAN JOSE, CALIF.—The Fairmont San Jose, in partnership with the Santa Clara Valley Water District (SCVWD), has initiated an extensive exchange program that will upgrade more than 600 toilets and urinals to high-efficiency (1.28 gallons per flush for the toilets and .5 gallons per flush for the urinals) models over the next several weeks.By partnering with the SCVWD, the toilet installation supports Fairmont’s focus on improvements in waste management, sustainability and energy and water conservation. By upgrading to the approved high-efficiency toilets, the hotel anticipates an annual water savings of 2,368,669 gallons beginning with the first flush.“Supporting the governor’s...
Two Las Vegas Sands Resorts in Asia Earn ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System Certification
LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands Corp. announced that two of its properties in Asia have become the first integrated resorts in the region to receive a prestigious sustainability certification. Marina Bay Sands and the Venetian Macao, Las Vegas Sands’ integrated resorts in Singapore and Macao, have both earned the ISO 20121 Event Sustainability Management System certification. ISO 20121 is developed by International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the world’s largest developer of voluntary international standards. The standard provides meeting venues and event planners a framework of policies, procedures and processes that have been designed to address the management of environmental, economic...
Arizona Office of Tourism Unveils EV Visitor’s Guide
PHOENIX—The Arizona Office of Tourism (AOT) recently launched the state’s first Electric Vehicle Travel Guide. As ownership of fully electric vehicles (EV) gains speed and the infrastructure to support EVs continues to grow throughout the state, Arizona is poised to be a destination for EV drivers looking to travel with zero tailpipe emissions.“We want to take the guess work out of traveling Arizona with an electric vehicle and show EV drivers how they can enjoy our great state,” said Sherry Henry, AOT director.AOT’s Electric Vehicle Travel Guide is tailored specifically for all-electric vehicle travelers and filled with valuable, downloadable...
Grande Lakes Orlando Announces Enhanced Sustainability Practices Throughout Resort
ORLANDO, FLA.—In keeping with its dedication to employ environmentally sound practices at the 500-acre property, Grande Lakes Orlando announces a boost to its growing eco-positive actions at its 18-hole golf course, and surrounding natural preserve as well as a significant recycling and waste reduction initiative in collaboration with Harvest Power.The green practices carried out on the golf course and towards the protection of its natural surroundings have earned the course the designation of “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” as well as a certification from the Golf Environment Organization (GEO). Most recently, it received the International Association of Golf Tour Operators...
Parking Council Launches Program to Certify Parking Garages
DALLAS—Responding to the growing desire for more livable communities and rising concern about our planet, the Green Parking Council (GPC), an affiliate of the International Parking Institute (IPI), has launched the Green Garage Certification program. There is an increasing demand for quality garages in homes and buildings which meet environmental and economical sustainability standards. Steel garages are one of the environmentally and economically sustainable types of garages.
The Green Garage Certification program is the parking industry equivalent of the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification, and recognizes and inspires high standards in sustainable parking...
Hilton San Diego Named Most Sustainable Hilton in U.S.
SAN DIEGO—Hilton San Diego Bayfront has been named the number one most sustainable Hilton hotel in the United States of America by Hilton Worldwide. Hilton San Diego Bayfront has recently received a number of green sustainability awards for the property’s multitude of recycling and energy conservation efforts. These notable recognitions come from a national and local level. In addition to being named the most sustainable Hilton property in the United States, City of San Diego has awarded the hotel with the 2014 Director’s Recycling Award, and San Diego Gas & Electric (SDG&E) recently recognized the hotel as the Energy...
Caribbean Groups Join to Address Environmental Concerns
BRIDGETOWN, BARBADOS—The Caribbean Tourism Organization (CTO)—the region’s tourism development agency charged with leading the Caribbean’s sustainable tourism development—and the Caribbean Public Health Agency (CARPHA), the regional public health agency established by CARICOM, have agreed on a plan to address health, safety and environmental (HSE) issues that threaten the sustainability of the Caribbean tourism industry.This partnership will benefit member countries through greater mutual understanding and collaboration, as well as strong public-private sector partnerships at national and regional levels between tourism, health and environment stakeholders supporting a cohesive and coordinated approach to combatting adverse health, safety and environmental incidents, the two...
Starwood Unveils Inaugural Global Citizenship Report
STAMFORD, CONN.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced the publication of its inaugural corporate responsibility report, “Global Citizenship at Starwood.” The narrative provides an update on Starwood’s recent Global Citizenship initiatives, and outlines the company’s ongoing commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship, community involvement, opportunities for associate development, and best practices in corporate governance.Frits van Paasschen, President and Chief Executive Officer of Starwood, said, “At Starwood we believe being a good corporate citizen makes good business sense, and helps us offer our guests ‘A Better Way to Experience the World.’ Working closely with experts, NGOs, community partners, suppliers, and...
1 Hotels Partners with Chefs Waxman, Colicchio, Mullen
NEW YORK—1 Hotels, a new hotel brand from Starwood Capital Group launching in fall 2014, will feature “farm-to-table” restaurants from critically acclaimed chefs Jonathan Waxman, Tom Colicchio and Seamus Mullen. 1 Hotels will open three distinct hotel and restaurant destinations: New York City’s Central Park; Miami’s South Beach in Miami Beach; and Brooklyn Bridge Park in Brooklyn, N.Y.1 Hotels is the first luxury hotel brand to focus on sustainable living. The goal is to celebrate nature, its beauty, its perfection and purity with natural and sustainable materials. Each of the 1 Hotels will be LEED certified and every hotel...
MSU Denver’s SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown & Hospitality Learning Center earns LEED Gold Certification
DENVER—Metropolitan State University of Denver announced that its SpringHill Suites Denver Downtown at MSU Denver and the attached Hospitality Learning Center have been certified LEED Gold for New Construction by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), a nonprofit organization dedicated to sustainable building design and construction. Managed by Denver’s Sage Hospitality, the 150-suite hotel is metro Denver’s first LEED Gold hotel.The public-private partnership between MSU Denver and Sage Hospitality created a vibrant hotel that opened in 2012, as well as the state-of-the-art HLC, the first of its kind in the Rocky Mountain region and one of only 11 in...