PETER ISLAND, BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS—Boaters have known for decades how to harness the power of wind, and, this past spring, Peter Island Resort & Spa followed their lead by becoming the first to install wind turbines in the Virgin Island territory. “We’ve studied the idea for years as a method to better manage our energy needs while maintaining the beautiful, undisturbed landscapes that Peter Island is known for,” said Van Ande, CEO of the property. “These new state-of-the-art turbines are not only environmentally friendly but also energy efficient, which makes them an ideal option for this geographic location. Many people...

NATIONAL REPORT—The great irony of building green is that the very concepts intended to enhance a building’s performance over its entire lifetime are many of the same things that make a building highly susceptible to moisture and mold problems during its first few years of operation. While green buildings have many positive benefits, there is also strong evidence to suggest a direct correlation between new products/innovative design and building failures. Simply put, departing from the “tried and true” often means increasing the risk of building failure. Two strong characteristics of most green buildings are: 1) the use of innovative, locally-produced products...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Advance registration is now open for the 95th annual International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show (IHMRS), North America’s largest showcase of hospitality products including amenities, food and beverage, fixtures, furnishings, linens, sustainable products, tabletop, technology and more. A discounted registration fee of $30 is available through October 8, 2010, with the rate increasing to $50 per person on October 9. Taking place November 13 to 16, 2010, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the IHMRS features 700 exhibitors and attracts some 30,000 in total trade attendance. The $30 early registration rate is applicable to events...

ALBUQUERQUE—In keeping with its commitment of being one of the most eco-conscious hotels in the country, the historic Hotel Andaluz—formerly La Posada de Albuquerque in downtown Albuquerque—used a mere 300,000 gallons of water for the entire month of May this year. That compares with 1.2 million gallons of water that the La Posada used in May 2004 and 730,000 gallons in May 2005—the last two years it was open. Since Hotel Andaluz opened in October 2009, the hotel is consuming an average of 770,000 gallons of water less per month than its predecessor, the La Posada. In fact, when comparing...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International is making it easier for guests to volunteer and support the local community while traveling for business or vacation. Beginning August 3, guests who book the “Spirit To Serve New Orleans” voluntourism package can partner with New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity or Second Harvest Food Bank of Greater New Orleans, through the end of the year, to help rebuild homes hardest hit by Hurricane Katrina and provide food to families impacted by the Gulf oil spill. “August 29 marks the fifth anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and the oil spill has created a new challenge; but the...

BANGKOK, THAILAND—Soneva Fushi announced a unique collaboration with Fabien Cousteau, to help highlight the plight of marine conservation concerns in the Maldives. Fabien Cousteau, the 43-year-old grandson of the legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau, will be staying at Six Senses’ flagship resort Soneva Fushi in October 2010 to help improve awareness of mankind’s overuse of marine resources and how we can treat our oceans more sustainably. Fabien will also be offering Soneva Fushi guests the exclusive opportunity to dive and dine with him and hear about his fascinating childhood growing up as a Cousteau. “The overfishing of oceanic and reef species...

YOUNTVILLE, CALIF.—Bardessono restaurant, hotel and spa in Yountville, Calif., the only LEED certified luxury hotel in the world, was named one of the best new hotels by Travel & Leisure’s It List. Says Travel & Leisure, “This 62-room newcomer is upping the ante on green design...it delivers a breath of fresh air amid Yountville’s faux French and Tuscan styles.” The hand of the artist and the soul of the activist are evident in the Bardessono aesthetic. All buildings are sculpted from salvaged wood found within a 100-mile radius of the hotel. Redwood wine barrels have been repurposed to create ceilings;...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Eco-chic boutique Element Hotels, which is the first major hotel brand to mandate that all its properties pursue the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification, has achieved LEED Volume Pre-certification from USGBC for its prototype design which will automatically qualify new build hotels to pursue LEED designation. With the Volume Pre-certification approval, Element Hotels makes it more simple, faster, and less costly for developers and partners to pursue LEED certification of new properties, according to Paul Sacco, senior vice president of development for Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide. “Building from a prototype...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has named the 50 green power partners using the most renewable electricity. The Green Power Partnership’s top purchasers use more than 12 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) of green power annually, equivalent to the annual carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions from the electricity use of more than 1 million average American homes. Green Power helps to prevent emissions from conventional power sources that are linked to harmful air pollution and climate change. The top 10 on the list are Intel Corp., Kohl’s Department Stores, Whole Foods Market, City of Houston, Dell Inc., Johnson & Johnson, Cisco...

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.—Wen-I Chang, founder and president of Atman Hospitality Group, Inc., has published a book that profiles 23 green hotels—both pre-LEED pioneer green hotels and the LEED certified hotels that followed. The creator of the book, called "World's LEED Hotels: Innovation, Renovation & Development," is Ling Ling Chang, project manager with Atman Hospitality Group. Twenty of the hotels profiled in the hard cover book are in the United States, one is in the U.S. Virgin Islands, one is in Sri Lanka, and the other is in Chile. Hotels profiled include: Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, Calif.; Maho Bay Camps,...