BOULDER, COLO.—Kristen Nowakowski was studying in Costa Rica when she heard rumors that a nearby “sustainable” hotel was not practicing what its website preached. That inspired her to investigate, and she found evidence buttressing the rumor. So she asked broader questions about Costa Rica’s certification system for sustainable tourism. And that became the basis for her honors thesis, which, along with her academic record, allowed her to graduate summa cum laude from the University of Colorado Boulder with majors in geography and environmental studies. Nowakowski was also named the Outstanding Graduate of the College of Arts and Sciences for the fall...

LAS VEGAS—Hospitality Design Exposition & Conference (HD Expo) will take place at its new location at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center from May 15 to 17, 2013. Over three days attendees can gain insight and inspiration while experiencing what’s new and how to maintain success in the ever-evolving and ultra-competitive world of hospitality design. The show will feature idea-generating and fully accredited educational sessions, awards ceremonies and special events focused on the latest and most innovative products and services.“2013 will be an exciting year for us,” said Liz Sommerville, group show director for The Hospitality Design Group. “Not only...

WISCONSIN DELLS, WIS.—Kalahari Resorts, home to one of America’s most successful family-owned indoor water parks, has begun planning and development on a proposed expansion in the Pocono Mountains—a $350 million, 150-acre complex in Monroe County at Pocono Manor, tentatively scheduled to open in late 2014 or early 2015. The project would be completed in three phases. The first phase includes a resort with 450 luxury guestrooms and suites, a 100,0000-square-foot indoor water park, a two-acre outdoor water park, a 65,000-square-foot convention center, a 30,000-square-foot indoor theme park/arcade and 6,000 square feet of retail space including two full-service restaurants. Currently,...

GENEVA-ON-THE-LAKE, OHIO—The Lodge at Geneva-on-the-Lake was recognized recently for its conservation and recycling efforts by the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) with its inaugural Encouraging Environmental Excellence (E3) award. The Ohio EPA award was presented to The Lodge in recognition of its recycling program, energy efficiency and water conservation.Of particular note was The Lodge’s participation in the Delaware North Companies GreenPath program, an environmental management program which resulted in the annual recycling of an estimated 23,600 pounds of paper, plastic and other materials and 8,100 gallons of cooking oil. The Lodge also saved more than 238,000 gallons of water...

NEW YORK—In a significant acknowledgment of tourism as a tool for promoting sustainable development, the UN General Assembly recently unanimously adopted a resolution stressing ecotourism’s role in the fight against poverty and for the protection of the environment.The resolution, entitled, “Promotion of ecotourism for poverty eradication and environment protection,” calls on UN Member States to adopt policies that promote ecotourism highlighting its “positive impact on income generation, job creation and education, and thus on the fight against poverty and hunger.” It further recognizes that “ecotourism creates significant opportunities for the conservation, protection and sustainable use of biodiversity and of...

CHICAGO—The National Restaurant Association announced that attendee registration for its 2013 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show and International Wine, Spirits & Beer Event (IWSB) is now open. NRA Show 2013 will be held at Chicago’s McCormick Place, May 18 to 21. The event is the restaurant and hospitality industry’s premier trade show and an opportunity to gain inspiration from renowned experts, innovative suppliers, celebrated chefs and tens of thousands of industry professionals. The co-located IWSB 2013 will take place May 19 to 20, and is the only beverage alcohol event exclusively focused on growing restaurant and hospitality bar programs. Now in its...

BOSTON—In recent years, 4 Star Certified Green Restaurants across the country have engaged in a lively competition to secure the esteemed title of the World’s Greenest Restaurant. Chicago’s Uncommon Ground held this title from December 2011 to March 2012, and has continued to make environmental changes across their operations. The 4 Star Certified Green Restaurant has now earned more than 447 GreenPoints based on the rigorous certification standards of the Green Restaurant Association (GRA). With more GreenPoints than any restaurant in the world, the GRA has once again crowned Uncommon Ground as the World’s Greenest Restaurant.“I’m proud to have...

DULLES, VA.—In the spirit of inspiring and promoting environmental responsibility, the Washington Dulles Airport Marriott’s all-green meetings initiative has taken root now that the Virginia Department of Environmental Equality has awarded the hotel its Certificate of Environmental Commitment.The Washington Dulles Airport Marriot demonstrates its Earth-friendly attitude while providing meeting attendees with 100 percent recycled note pads, pens made from recycled materials, eco-friendly water service, organic flowers, linen-free tables, paperless billing, online event menus and a recyclable box lunch program. All office paper, plastic and glass from events are recycled as well as grease and cooking oil from the hotel’s...

NATIONAL REPORT—Invisible coatings available through several vendors and applied by trained technicians are making it easier for hoteliers to clean and maintain guestrooms and other areas while also creating more healthy spaces. These coatings, some of which are created using nanotechnology, can eliminate odors, viruses, bacteria and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) while preventing the formation of mold and mildew. The coatings can also help extend the life of hotel assets. Each company’s product and application process is somewhat different and so are the benefits but the end result, vendors say, is something that can be marketed by a hotel...

DALLAS—The Hotel Association of North Texas announced the winners of its Stars of the Industry awards given out each year at its association gala, the HOSPY’s Awards Dinner. A “HOSPY” is awarded by the association by an individual, hotel or organization in recognition of a contribution they made to the hotel industry over the past year.The awards were presented at the gala on Friday night December 7, 2012. This year’s event was held at the Sheraton Dallas hotel located in downtown Dallas. More than 600 hoteliers and their guests saw HOSPY awards given in 13 categories. Presenting sponsor for...