NATIONAL REPORT—The American Hotel & Lodging Association is about to release the results of its 2010 Lodging Survey. Green Lodging News was provided with a copy of the survey results prior to the survey’s official release. The survey, which is conducted approximately every two years, was funded by the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation and prepared by Smith Travel Research. A total of 48,954 hotels were polled. The response rate was 18 percent (more than 8,500 participants). The survey report covers 14 green-related areas: Allergy-Free Rooms, Air Purifiers, Liquid Soap Dispensers, Linen/Towel Reuse Program, Energy Management Sensors in...

NEW ORLEANS—Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced the launch of Choice Hotels Music, a new music initiative designed to give artists the opportunity to deliver their music to millions of consumers and retain ownership of their works while, at the same time, drive donations from Choice Hotels to leading nonprofit organizations. As part of Choice Hotels Music, the company will produce original music and offer consumers the chance to download these songs for a limited time for free at ChoiceHotels.com. With each download, a financial donation will be made to a featured cause or charity. Choice Hotels Music has already begun...

VAIL, COLO.—The Green Spa Network (GSN), a nonprofit organization whose mission is to inform, educate, and advise beauty, wellness, and spa-industry professionals and businesses on sustainability issues and green operating practices, announced that it will hold its third annual Congress at the LEED certified Westin Riverfront and Spa Anjali in Vail, Colo. The event, planned for October 3 to 7, 2010, will feature the theme: “Elevate Your Vision; the Sky is the Limit!” “The GSN Congress provides an exceptional opportunity for committed spa and personal-care professionals to respond to the global imperatives for sustainability,” says Michael Stusser, chairman of the...

SAN FRANCISCO—On Thursday, August 26, Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants CEO Mike Depatie, president and COO Niki Leondakis and San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom announced that all of Kimpton’s 10 Bay Area hotels have been awarded the GS-33 Green Seal Silver certification in their pursuit for environmental responsibility. With 41 of its 50 hotels in 22 major metropolitan cities having already received certification, Kimpton is on the verge of becoming the first lifestyle boutique hotel company in the United States to attain 100 percent Green Seal certification at the Silver level or higher. On August 26, Kimpton invited San Francisco locals...

HELENA, MONT.—The Montana Innkeepers Assn. (MIKA), soon to be the Montana Lodging & Hospitality Assn., has partnered with Green Directory Montana to launch a Montana Sustainability in Hospitality Program for those owning and operating lodging establishments in Montana. The program was officially launched on August 1 and is the result of the work of a MIKA green lodging committee that had been meeting for more than a year. Stuart Doggett, executive director of MIKA, said that due to Montana’s budget crisis, it became apparent to MIKA that a green lodging program was not going to emerge out of a state...

SHANGHAI, CHINA—Jinjiang Inns, a leading Chinese budget hotel chain, recently introduced a range of new green hotel initiatives that aim to reduce disposable item usage, encourage recycling and reward environmental consciousness. One major new initiative is the “6 Small Pieces” plan, which will offer six different toiletry essentials to guests in rooms. These essentials will be recycled into either plastic or aluminum alloy items after usage, rather than going to landfill. Guests at Jinjiang Inns are also encouraged to bring their own toiletries and supplies, and are actually rewarded for doing so. Non-traditional Approach “We realize that our approach is definitely non-traditional for...

DENVER—Sage Hospitality has upped its own ante on helping the environment with its new Green Choice program. The “opt in” initiative offers guests the choice to decline daily housekeeping to reduce their carbon footprint while saving hotels money on energy, water and other costs. Introduced in March 2010 and currently offered at 18 Sage hotels across the country, such as The Renaissance Blackstone Chicago Hotel and the Nines in Portland, Ore., Green Choice reflects a growing trend as hotel groups seek innovative solutions to save money—and the planet—amid challenging times for the travel industry. Green Choice has seen great success...

TORONTO—Looking for new ways to enhance the guest experience and help travelers stay fit and maintain a balanced lifestyle while away from home, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts recently announced an extension of its partnership with German automaker BMW to provide a complimentary hotel bicycle service featuring BMW Cruise Bikes. Already present in Fairmont’s Canadian properties, Fairmont hotels across the United States will introduce these state-of-the-art bikes as the newest benefit for guests. In addition to having a selection of regular BMW Cruise Bikes available, hotels will also boast some child-sized BMW Junior Cruise Bikes, allowing families to enjoy the...

LAKE TAHOE, CALIF.—Days two and three of the West Coast Green Lodging Conference, held at the Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe—Hotel & Ski Resort, were highlighted by presentations by the following: Kelly May, who is with the California Department of General Services’ California Green Lodging Program; Janine Chicourrat, general manager, Portola Hotel & Spa; and Sara Schoen, LEED AP, commercial real estate associate, U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). In her presentation, May described how more than 200 hotels in California are benefiting from participating in that state’s Green Lodging Program—a program focused on minimizing waste, conserving energy and water, green purchasing,...

BANGKOK—Soneva Fushi’s 70-kilowatt solar photovoltaic (PV) power plant system has achieved eight months of successful operation. It is the largest renewable energy plant currently operating in the Maldives, a country that has brought international attention to the issue of global warming and rising sea levels. Soneva Fushi is Six Senses’ flagship resort. “This is a significant first step in achieving our commitment of a net zero carbon footprint for Soneva Fushi by 2012 as well as supporting the carbon reduction goals of the Maldives government,” said Sonu Shivdasani, CEO and chairman of Six Senses. “We are hoping that our example...