WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced the opening of the fifth public comment period for the proposed update to its LEED green building program. The comment period, which will close on December 10, enables the building community to view the most recent draft of the rating systems and provide comments where any substantive changes have been made.“LEED v4 will have the greatest impact of any rating system we’ve developed by focusing on building performance and rewarding innovative product manufacturers who offer best in class products,” said Scot Horst, senior vice president, LEED, USGBC. “LEED v4 will help...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—The InterContinental Hotel Cleveland is the first hotel in Northeast Ohio to install an on-site bee apiary, with the purpose of generating natural honey for use in the Table 45 restaurant and furthering the hotel’s sustainability initiatives. An estimated 35 pounds of pure honey will be harvested annually from the beehive. The honey can also be bottled, labeled and used as guest amenities, and possibly sold in the hotel gift shop.The apiary installation follows the recent recognition of Table 45 as a two-star Certified Green Restaurant from the Green Restaurant Association. Table 45 and the other InterContinental Cleveland...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Trump SoHo New York has partnered with Orlando-based social enterprise Clean the World to collect and recycle hotel soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions and gels to help fight the global spread of preventable diseases. The soaps collected by Trump SoHo will be shipped to Clean the World for recycling and distribution to communities and countries in greatest need through the efforts of Clean the World Foundation. Trump SoHo has a total of 391 rooms and is projected to provide nearly 35,000 bars of soap and bottled amenities—more than two tons—to Clean the World annually, which is enough to provide hygiene...

DALLAS—The LEED Gold pursuing NYLO Dallas South Side hotel, a five-story, 76-room property, opened late this past summer and joins NYLO’s collection of three other eco-friendly hotels—two in the Dallas-Fort Worth market. The new urban-loft boutique NYLO is the result of the conversion of the 101-year-old Dallas Coffin Co. Building. During the conversion, every possible part of the original building was incorporated into the hotel. For example, the hotel’s guestrooms feature original concrete floors and exposed ceilings. Celebrating the vibrant local arts community, original artworks from local artists are showcased throughout the property, complementing the hotel’s chic interior...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Anthony Melchiorri of the Travel Channel’s “Hotel Impossible” will lead the Hospitality Leadership Forum Keynote discussion on Saturday, November 10, 2012, preceding the 97th annual International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show. “Back to the Basics with Anthony Melchiorri” will feature the 20-year hospitality industry veteran and three leading technology executives, highlighting the full-day conference for senior hospitality executives.The keynote presentation will focus on the emergence of new technology and its importance in earning guest satisfaction, while not replacing “The Basics.” Melchiorri will help participants learn from the experts about how to optimize today’s technology, while reviewing key...

Environmental awareness otherwise known as “going green” is a broad philosophy deeply rooted in the concept of environmental conservation and improvement. In recent years, the concept of going green has certainly made its mark on popular culture, and as direct consequence has revealed a darker side to the movement. Cultural myths have made it difficult for the average consumer to discern fact from fiction. This is especially the case when it comes to the green cleaning industry. Below is a list of three commonly held misconceptions related to green cleaning. Myth 1: All cleaning products labeled “green” are non-toxic. Reality: Words like...

CHEVY CHASE, MD.—The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is the recipient of a Condé Nast Traveler World Savers Award as the winner in the large hotel chain category. In the September 2012 edition of Condé Nast Traveler magazine in the United States, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company was cited for several innovative and highly successful social and environmental initiatives.“I could not be more proud to receive this award on behalf of our 40,000 Ritz-Carlton ladies and gentlemen around the world; all of whom are committed to making a difference to these lives of others in their communities” said Hervé Humler, president...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide launched a carbon offset program for events and meetings held at select properties across Southeast Asia. At no additional cost to customers, Hilton Worldwide will measure carbon generated by all events at 11 of its properties in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand, and purchase carbon credits to offset their environmental impact. The carbon credits will be used to fund renewable energy projects in Borneo and Cambodia. “Sustainability is a priority to Hilton Worldwide and a central part of how we do business,” said William Costley, vice president, operations—Southeast Asia, Hilton Worldwide. “For us, it is not just...

NATIONAL REPORT—Two-thirds of CFOs say they are involved in driving sustainability strategies in their organizations, and more than half say their involvement has increased over the last year, according to a global survey, “Sustainability: CFOs Come to the Table,” launched by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (DTTL). The survey—representing 250 CFOs in 14 countries across five continents—provides global insight into how increasingly more CFOs are engaging with sustainability to support their business goals, and operationalizing sustainability to gain a competitive advantage.“Companies are sitting up and taking notice that sustainability is not just a brand or a corporate responsibility element—it is...

HONG KONG—Burba Hotel Network (BHN), Horwath HTL, and Stiles Capital Events, co-hosts and organizers of the annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), announce the winners for the HICAP 2012 Sustainable Hotel Awards. The 23rd annual HICAP will be held this week at the InterContinental Hong Kong.Winners of the HICAP 2012 Sustainable Hotel Awards are: •    Sustainable Project Design—Jetwing Vil Uyana, Sigiriya, Sri Lanka—Jetwing Vil Uyana embodies what can be accomplished in providing a luxurious resort guest experience in a truly environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. Twenty-seven luxurious dwellings are integrated into a wetland reserve in an area of just...