ORLANDO—The Peabody Orlando announced progress in its efforts to become one of the most eco-friendly hotels in the United States with the addition of ChargePoint electric vehicle chargers in its self-parking garage, which will be fully installed by early May. ChargePoint stations offer a convenient location for guests to charge electric vehicles during their stay.The Peabody Orlando has nurtured collaborations to reduce consumption and waste, and promote environmentally friendly practices throughout the hospitality industry. Through its participation in the ChargePoint America program sponsored by Coulomb Technologies and NovaCharge, The Peabody Orlando will be part of a growing network of...

SHELBURNE, VERMONT—Using data on 46,000 U.S. hotels provided by Northstar Travel Media, and building energy data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration, sustainability technology company Brighter Planet has applied its own lodging model to determine the best and worst performing hotel chains when it comes to energy efficiency and carbon footprints. Brighter Planet’s model predicts natural gas, fuel oil, district heat, and electricity use based on local climate, number of rooms, number of floors, construction year, and air-conditioning coverage, and adjusts for the presence of various amenities such as swimming pools, hot tubs, and minibars.Matt Kling, science analyst for...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) announces the release of their Criteria for Destinations. The criteria are a set of guiding principles and performance indicators designed to lead destination managers, communities, and businesses on a path to sustainability: maximizing social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits while minimizing negative impacts. The Destination Criteria complement the existing GSTC Criteria for Hotels and Tour Operators, which have become a worldwide standard for tourism sustainability.“While many destinations have been impacted by unsustainable development in the past, more and more destinations are now realizing the importance of sustainable tourism and are seeking outside...

ITHACA, N.Y.—A new tool from the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research (CHR) at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration gives hotel operators specific strategies for explaining their sustainability efforts to customers, employees, investors, and other stakeholders. The hospitality industry has taken great strides toward sustainability, but in many cases those initiatives go unnoticed, or (worse) unheeded. The new tool offers a framework for creating a communications strategy to publicize and promote a hotel’s green operations. The tool, “Telling Your Hotel’s ‘Green’ Story: Developing an Effective Communication Strategy to Convey Environmental Values,” co-written by Daphne Jameson and Judi Brownell, contains...

COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO.—On Saturday, May 5, Charles Court restaurant at The Broadmoor is going back to its roots to host a “Farm to Table Experience” by partnering with Colorado farms, wineries and distilleries. The event includes a Saturday afternoon farmer’s market followed by a Farm to Table Dinner at Charles Court that evening.Arkansas Valley Organic Growers (AVOG), a group of farmers who have come together to create a distribution system for restaurants, schools, and other businesses in the Colorado Springs and surrounding areas, will sample and sell their fresh produce to at the market. The Broadmoor’s chef Barnhill will...

NEW YORK—Alfred Pisani, founder and group chairman of Corinthia Hotels and Corporate Patron of Just a Drop, the international water aid charity, has dedicated company funds to sponsor a project in Tanzania. The project will create water boreholes for the 30,000 inhabitants of Tabata-Bima in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, including 10,000 primary and college students, who will benefit from the clean water availability. The project started last month and is expected to be completed by June 2012. “Corinthia wanted its first year of commitment to directly support community driven projects in Africa,” Pisani said.Pisani announced the Tanzania water project while...

TRENTON, N.J.—The Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), in concert with several other state and federal agencies, is launching a program designed to help New Jersey hotel owners and operators increase energy efficiency and cost savings through the utilization of green practices. Participating hotels in the DEP’s Garden State Green Hotel Project will have the opportunity to learn of profiting through sustainability in several workshops and training sessions scheduled in the coming months. In addition, 120 hotels will receive no-cost and no-obligation environmental and energy reviews that could serve as a first step to green certification from various programs...

CHICAGO—An independent panel of judges has selected the finalists for the National Restaurant Association’s inaugural Operator Innovations Awards. Three finalists in each of five categories—Sustainability, Technology, Food Safety, Health & Nutrition, and Menu Development—will be brought to Chicago for the Association’s 2012 Restaurant, Hotel-Motel Show this May. The winners in each category, plus an Innovator of the Year selected from all finalists, will be announced live during Destination: Celebration on Saturday, May 5. “The Operator Innovations Awards is designed to celebrate and encourage continued advancement in the restaurant industry, while shining a spotlight on industry-leading innovators who inspire other...

ORLANDO—IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), one of the world’s largest hotel groups, announced a partnership with Clean the World to recycle partially-used soaps and bottled amenities from hotel guestrooms and distribute them in communities with limited access to hygiene products. Through this partnership, IHG has the potential to add 3,274 properties in the United States and Canada—representing 407,840 rooms—to Clean the World’s growing list of more than 1,400 hospitality partners throughout North America. IHG brands that can participate in the program include: InterContinental Hotels & Resorts, Hotel Indigo, Crowne Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Holiday Inn Hotels and Resorts, Holiday Inn...

NEWTON, MASS.—TripAdvisor announced the results of its eco-friendly travel survey of more than 700 U.S. travelers. The green travel trend is gaining momentum among TripAdvisor members, as 71 percent said they plan to make more eco-friendly choices in the next 12 months compared to 65 percent that did so in the past 12 months.Fifty-seven percent of travelers said they “often” make eco-friendly travel decisions, such as their choice of hotel, transportation, or food source. Forty-four percent of travelers said they are more environmentally conscious at home than while traveling. Forty-seven percent of travelers said they are equally eco-friendly at...