OCEAN CITY, MD.—Executives at Real Hospitality Group (RHG), one of the nation’s largest third party hotel management firms, announced the launch of their Corporate Responsibility platform. Recently, RHG become the first hotel management company in the United States to sign the Tourism Child-Protection Code of Conduct with ECPAT, USA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies to protect sexually exploited children.“As a leader in the hospitality industry, Real Hospitality Group is proud to use our sphere of influence to do whatever we can to protect the most vulnerable,” says Rick Day, COO at Real Hospitality Group. “Responsibility to our...

NATIONAL REPORT—At the Bardessono in Yountville, Calif., wood from reclaimed Claro walnut and Bay laurel trees form desks and doors. At the new Jekyll Island Convention Center in Jekyll Island, Ga., reclaimed pine from South Georgia was used to create the flooring in the Ben Porter Salon event room. When the Hotel Vermont opens next April in Burlington, Vt., the hotel lobby will feature reclaimed antique red oak flooring. Using reclaimed wood in flooring, furniture and for other uses is becoming increasingly common in projects as more suppliers collect and revitalize this wood from sources ranging from deconstructed barns...

SAN FRANCISCO—Registration is now open for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo. Taking place this year in San Francisco at the Moscone Center, Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building. Record attendance of 35,000 is anticipated from across the green building sector, spanning commercial and residential professionals, architects, building owners and operators, students, advocates and educators.“We are thrilled to bring the energy of Greenbuild to San Francisco, home to some of the world’s leading minds in both sustainability and technology,” said Kimberly Lewis, senior vice president, Community Advancement,...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Corp. announces the launch of a new menu, “For Kids By Kids,” which provides more nutritious, fresh and interactive offerings for the three million children served annually in all full-service Hyatt hotels and resorts throughout the United States, Canada and the Caribbean. The menu is grounded in Hyatt’s philosophy of Food. Thoughtfully Sourced. Carefully Served.—promoting healthy people, a healthy planet and healthy communities—and has been developed in association with the Partnership for a Healthier America (PHA). As part of the rollout, separate from its PHA commitment, Hyatt hotels will offer a three-course organic meal for children developed exclusively...

NORWALK, CONN.—HEI Hotels & Resorts announced a 9 percent reduction in lost-time accidents, with corresponding improvements in claim costs and total claims, through 2011 compared to 2010, underscoring the company’s commitment to employee safety and well-being. “There’s nothing more important than the safety and well-being of our associates,” said HEI Hotels & Resorts chairman Gary Mendell. “The new tools and increased training are sound investments in the future for our associates, their families and our communities.”In addition to safety programs, HEI launched a nation-wide wellness initiative in February in which almost 2,000 associates pledged personal commitments toward improving their...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Costa Dorada Associates, Miami, is behind an effort to install six 40-foot, 4 kilowatt wind turbines on the roof of its 375-key Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort. The turbines will be positioned on each corner and center of the hotel’s rooftop. Installation is expected to begin in September with completion by the end of the year. The estimated cost is $500,000, part of which Costa Dorada Associates hopes to pay through rebates from state and federal government.Andreas Ioannou, general manager, Hilton Fort Lauderdale Beach Resort, said the wind turbines are part of a larger effort to increase...

TORONTO—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced that it has formally removed shark fin from all of its hotel menus in Asia, effective immediately. The move, which also spans the luxury hotel brand’s global culinary operations, is in line with Fairmont’s commitment to environmental stewardship and supports an earlier pledge to offer sustainable seafood choices in an effort to conserve precious marine species.“We’re proud to be at the forefront of the movement to stop serving shark fin,” said Jean Michel Offe, Fairmont’s vice-president, food & beverage. “It’s a logical step for Fairmont, given our decades long work in greening our hotels...

MADRID, SPAIN—World Tourism Day (WTD) 2012 will be celebrated under the theme “Tourism & Sustainable Energy: Powering Sustainable Development,” inviting everyone involved in tourism—from governments to businesses and tourists themselves—to learn more about the sustainable energy initiatives in place in the tourism sector, debate what more should be done and advance the use of sustainable energy in tourism.“Tourism is leading the way in some of the world’s most innovative sustainable energy initiatives,” says United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Secretary-General, Taleb Rifai, in his official WTD message. “Energy efficient upgrades to aircraft, the shift to renewable fuel for aviation...

MIAMI—The JW Marriott Marquis Miami announces that it has been welcomed by The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to the Florida Green Lodging Program. The voluntary state initiative provides the lodging industry with free technical assistance in an effort to encourage hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving, “green” practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources. “It is an honor to be designated into the Florida Green Lodging Program,” said Florencia Tabeni, general manager of the JW Marriott Marquis Miami. “We pride ourselves in engaging in as many green practices as possible. It is extremely important to us...

CHICAGO—A multi-hotel complex and convention center planned for development near Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport aims to set the standard for eco-friendly architecture and design in the hospitality industry, and boost the city’s efforts to be a global leader in the green movement. A Chicago Convention Center development promises to be the world’s first zero carbon platinum LEED convention complex, aiming for zero carbon emissions and a 100 percent allergen-free structure. Plans call for the greenest building standards, including state-of-the-art technology that supports “guestrooms of the future,” equipped with high-tech amenities that encourage sustainable behavior. Business guests will be able...