MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIF.— Britannia Pacific Properties, a Lewis Trust Group company, announced that the town of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., has granted entitlements to build an innovative hotel and residences project called “Handmade Hotel Mammoth View.” With an extensive portfolio of properties, Britannia Pacific Properties has now set their sights on driving business and providing jobs to the town of Mammoth Lakes with their latest initiative, a 5.51-acre project which will feature geothermal heating for purposes of encouraging conservation of natural resources. Handmade Hotel Mammoth View will be an entirely new concept for the hospitality market in the small but...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has launched a 60-day public comment period for Version 2 of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria that are based on ISEAL guidelines (the ISEAL Alliance is a global association for social and environmental standards). The survey will be open until October 15, 2011. The survey can be accessed through the GSTC website site.  The GSTC Criteria are a universal language defining a minimum standard for sustainability in travel and tourism. Businesses, organizations and governments use the Criteria to create sustainability programs. The GSTC Criteria fall under four main pillars: Sustainability Management, Social...

SAN RAMON, CALIF.—Even though it is based in California and funded by California rate payers through Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the Food Service Technology Center (FSTC) offers a wealth of information for any commercial food service operation. In fact, it is FSTC’s goal to provide helpful information at no cost. First opened in 1987, FSTC tests commercial kitchen appliances for energy efficiency. Manufacturers, hotel and restaurant companies all work with FSTC to test product performance. FSTC is the primary information resource for the EPA’s Energy Star program for commercial food service and it has contributed significantly to the...

HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA—The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and China have opened a third Sustainable Tourism Observatory to monitor the environmental and socio-economic impacts of tourism. The Zhangjiajie Observatory, located in Hunan Province, is part of a network of observatories assisting policy makers to ensure sustainable tourism growth. It will gather and report data on the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism in the area based on UNWTO sustainable tourism indictors. The Observatory is located at the entrance to the Zhangjiajie National Park, China’s first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park was also the...

MCLEAN, VA.—Embassy Suites Hotels, the upscale, all-suites hotel brand, announced that its Embassy Suites Denver-Downtown/Convention Center location achieved LEED Silver certification, as recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the first hotel in the City of Denver and the first within the Embassy Suites brand to have earned this prestigious certification for sustainable building design, construction and operations. “We are extremely proud to introduce the Embassy Suites brand’s first LEED Silver certified property,” said Jim Holthouser, global head of Embassy Suites Hotels and full service brands, Hilton Worldwide. “This significant certification recognizes the proactive efforts the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Since its introduction, the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED Pilot Credit Library has been strongly embraced by LEED users as a flexible, interactive mechanism for testing proposed credits in the marketplace and gaining real-time feedback on their usability as well as their ability to meet a credit’s intent.    “Innovation doesn’t follow a schedule,” said Brendan Owens, vice president LEED technical development. “The LEED pilot credit library provides the thousands of volunteers around the globe who are engaged in LEED development with the ability to introduce credit ideas for testing as they emerge. This unique flexibility allows LEED to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The organizers of the Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC), an annual industry conference focusing on advancing sustainability goals for the tourism industry, have set a hefty goal: reinforcing the roles of tourism in building a sustainable future. With a myriad of challenges facing tourism including climate change threats, political and economic instabilities this is not an easy mission to accomplish.  The ESTC co-chairs Dr. Kelly Bricker and Richard Edwards, representing the board of directors of The International Ecotourism Society (TIES), are optimistic, and not just because the idyllic and cheerful environment that this year’s host, Hilton Head...

ITHACA, N.Y.—When large restaurant companies implement sustainability policies, customers seem to react in a contrary way—and their evaluation of those companies may actually diminish. In a new study from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR), researchers Michael Giebelhausen and Helen Chun examine this contrary behavior to see how large companies could gain the sustainability credibility they deserve. The study, “Reversing the Green Backlash: Why Large Hospitality Companies Should Welcome ‘Credibly Green' Competitors,’” is available at no charge. Assistance for the research study was provided by McDonald’s USA, a CHR senior partner. Noting consumers’ skepticism regarding large chains’ sustainability initiatives,...

GARDEN GROVE, CALIF.—Hyatt Regency Orange County, a recently renovated hotel near the Disneyland Park, includes “green thumb” on its list of eco-friendly hotel initiatives. High above the hotel’s 653 guestrooms and 65,000 square feet of meeting space rests an organic garden on the 17th story rooftop. Fresh-picked garden bounty, including basil, thyme, Italian parsley, tomatoes and sweet peppers, is used in many of the gourmet dishes served at TusCA, the hotel’s signature Italian restaurant. “We are proud to offer a unique experience for our guests by providing fresh, organic herbs picked daily for the TusCA restaurant right from our...

SAN FRANCISCO—Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco and Enterprise Rent-A-Car announced the availability of the city’s first and only electric vehicle (EV) rental program and charging station to be hosted by a hotel, for the Nissan LEAF EV. The program and charging station are located on property and are available exclusively for property guests. Enterprise is continuing the largest EV roll-out in the nation by adding the Nissan LEAF to the Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco rental program. Four Seasons Hotel San Francisco is the first hotel partner in San Francisco to partner with Enterprise to offer EVs to guests. “Four Seasons...