WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Starwood is switching off on March 26—but just for one hour, and for a great cause. The global hospitality leader will once again join the worldwide movement of people and businesses planning to turn off the lights for Earth Hour 2011 in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common—our planet. This year will mark Starwood’s third annual participation in Earth Hour, making it one of the biggest companies to create a statement with a voluntary hour of darkness. Hundreds of hotels in the Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. portfolio will take part...

ITHACA, N.Y.—In one of the first empirical studies of the effects of energy saving treatments on hotel guests’ satisfaction, Cornell University researchers have found that carefully designed conservation treatments do not diminish the guest experience. The study, sponsored by Philips, was conducted at the Statler Hotel, the four-diamond hotel operated as a teaching and research laboratory by the Cornell School of Hotel Administration. Conducted by Associate Professor Alex Susskind and Professor Rohit Verma, the study tested reduced television power levels and alterations in bathroom lighting in the guestrooms. The study, “Hotel Guests’ Reactions to Guest Room Sustainability Initiatives,” by...

WAIKIKI, HAWAII—Halekulani, located in Honolulu, is now offering menu items free of genetically modified organisms (GMO). As of March 2011, Halekulani is the first luxury hotel in the United States to offer guests this pedigree in organic gourmet cuisine. “Halekulani is introducing its new ‘GMO-Free Cuisine’ in response to its clientele’s growing desire to be provided this option in an era of increasing focus and awareness on product choices and wellness,” said hotel COO Peter Shaindlin. Halekulani’s GMO-Free Cuisine is available at the hotel’s oceanside open-air restaurant, Orchids, as well as through in-room dining. Menu items, as conceptualized by executive chef...

NEW YORK—A leader in the New York sustainable hospitality scene, the 100 percent wind energy-powered InterContinental New York Barclay has unveiled its signature Green Engage Meeting. The hotel hosts more than a thousand groups and meetings annually, ranging from gatherings of up to 10 to larger conferences of 200 or more guests. With the Barclay’s no-extra-cost signature Green Engage Meeting, the hotel assists planners in minimizing the negative environmental impacts of a meeting, while raising awareness in a positive way. The Green Engage Meeting offers sustainable food, beverages, supplies, amenities and team-building eco-opportunities, all within a luxurious, urban environmentally-friendly hotel...

SAN FRANCISCO—Honoring its 30-year commitment to environmental responsibility and care, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants will celebrate Kimpton EarthCare Week from April 15 to 22, 2011. From pop-up eco art exhibits to organic spa packages and recycling drives, this national celebration builds upon Kimpton’s devotion to environmental responsibility and will inspire guests to give back to local communities when they stay, eat and play with Kimpton. Local community members, hotel guests and restaurant diners can participate in Kimpton EarthCare Week events and offers in 23 cities nationwide. Activity examples include: • Pop-Up Eco Art Exhibits: Select Kimpton hotels will partner with local...

CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND—The Accor hotel group and its hotel owners announced that they will donate $1.50 for every room sold at its 29 hotels and resorts across New Zealand through March 31 in order to raise urgent funds in aid of the Christchurch earthquake relief effort. Accor will donate $1.50 per room per night for 35 days between the February 25 and the March 31. Vice President for Accor Hotels New Zealand, Paul Richardson says, “It’s important to note that this is not a guest levy but a direct donation being contributed by each hotel, and we hope to raise...

SYRACUSE, N.Y.—The 58-room Hotel Skyler, set to have its soft opening here in Syracuse on April 1, could soon join the exclusive club of hotels that have earned LEED Platinum certification. There are just two other U.S. properties that have earned such a distinction—the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C., and the Bardessono in Yountville, Calif. Hotel Skyler, which is pursuing the top-level LEED designation, is truly unique; it was first a synagogue constructed in 1921 and later a home for a theater group. According to Tom Fernandez, director of marketing for the Syracuse-based Woodbine Group, which owns Hotel Skyler,...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC), is a one-of-a-kind annual conference focusing on sustainable business strategies and solutions that inspire innovative change in the global tourism industry. This year, the ESTC is co-hosted by the Hilton Head Island (Hilton Head Island Visitor & Convention Bureau) and being held on Hilton Head Island, S.C., from September 19 to 21, at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. Organized by TIES (The International Ecotourism Society), a 20-year-old leading industry association dedicated to promoting tourism as a viable tool for sustainable development, the ESTC serves as an industry-wide platform to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—To help its members expand environmental sustainability efforts, the National Restaurant Association announced that it is working with the Atlanta-based Zero Waste Zone program to identify best practices, create resources and measure the impact of perishable organics waste management efforts. Celebrating its second anniversary today, the Zero Waste Zone program is administered by Elemental Impact. The collaboration is part of the Association’s Conserve: Solutions for Sustainability initiative. “Atlanta’s Zero Waste Zone program has been incredibly successful, and we are now looking to expand that success to communities nationwide,” said Scott DeFife, executive vice president for policy and government affairs...

SEATTLE—Two Columbia Hospitality managed properties—Salish Lodge & Spa and Bell Harbor International Conference Center—announced the results of each property’s participation in the Greening Washington’s Lodging Industry pilot program. Spearheaded by the Washington Lodging Association (WLA) and Cascadia Consulting Group, Inc. (Cascadia), results of the program are intended to provide a roadmap to industry peers, guests and the public for adopting positive environmental practices throughout Washington State. The Greening Washington’s Lodging Industry program was funded by a $53,000 Public Participation Grant from the Washington State Department of Ecology, one of only 13 such grants funded in 2009. In January 2010, WLA...