NATIONAL REPORT—The Pollution Prevention Resource Exchange (P2Rx) announces the launch of the “National Sustainable Lodging Network,” an online community of sustainable hospitality practitioners and an information clearinghouse to support the work of this community. Public interest in “going green,” personal ethic, and market demand have led to a growing community of practice in the sustainable hospitality area. As a result, there has been an explosion of state and local sustainable hospitality programs in recent years and a proliferation of information on how to “green up” hospitality operations. Ryan Hamel, of Kansas State University’s Pollution Prevention Institute, notes, “In the last...

ROCKVILLE, MD.—Foulger-Pratt Companies and Choice Hotels International recently celebrated the groundbreaking of the new headquarters building for Choice Hotels in Rockville, Md. When completed, more than 400 Choice Hotels associates will move to the new 190,907-square-foot Class A office building. Leaders from state, county and local government worked closely with Choice Hotels and Foulger-Pratt to finalize the negotiations for the relocation, which keeps hundreds of job opportunities in the local economy and will result in continued economic growth and stability for the Rockville area. The groundbreaking event was celebrated with speeches by Congressman Chris Van Hollen, Montgomery County Executive Ike...

GRAND RAPIDS, MICH.—Charter House Innovations (CHi) has opened its second green CityFlats Hotel—this time in the heart of Grand Rapids, Mich. The Holland, Mich.-based company, which also manufactures sustainable furniture, is pursuing LEED for New Construction certification at the Gold level for the 28-room property. CHi also has a CityFlats Hotel in Holland, Mich., that opened almost four years ago and, according to Chuck Reid, owner of the CityFlats Hotel brand, investors have expressed interest in developing additional CityFlats properties in Michigan and on the East Coast. CityFlats Hotel Grand Rapids, which includes the CitySen Lounge on the main floor,...

VICTORIA, B.C.—When the iconic Oak Bay Beach Hotel was torn down in 2007, it was not without controversy. Since the late-1920s, the Oak Bay Beach Hotel was a major fixture of Victoria, drawing both local regulars to its cozy Snug Pub and travelers from around the world to the waterfront grounds, manicured gardens and its traditional British charm. So in 2006, when the building was declared in a state beyond repair and was slotted for teardown, sadness was palpable throughout the community within British Columbia’s capital city.  Owners, Kevin and Shawna Walker, had a long process with City Council to...

TORONTO—As part of its ongoing climate change strategy, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced that it has cut its CO2 output by 8.4 percent. As a member of the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) Climate Savers program, Fairmont has pledged to reduce its operational CO2 emissions by 20 percent below 2006 levels by 2013, and was the world’s first luxury hotel group to commit to reducing its greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). The more than 8 percent decline, based on 2010 year-end data, means the hotel company is almost halfway to its ambitious reduction target. “Everyone can agree that the debate on climate...

OAKLAND, CALIF.—The Homewood Suites by Hilton Oakland-Waterfront announced it has received Energy Star certification from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The hotel scored 43 points higher than the average hotel and 18 points higher than the Energy Star requirements. In a study conducted by California Travel & Tourism Commission and San Francisco State University, 37 percent of travelers specifically seek out green service providers and one in four travelers stated they use green service providers. The Oakland Homewood Suites is only the second hotel in Oakland to earn Energy Star certification from the EPA. “Creating a thread between team members...

NASHVILLE, TENN.—A year and three months after its launch, the Tennessee Hospitality Association’s Tennessee Green Hospitality Program now has 42 certified establishments. The businesses range from the Chattanooga Choo Choo resort in Chattanooga to the Doubletree Hotel Jackson in Jackson, Tenn. While most of the certified destinations are hotels, some like the Knoxville Convention Center in Knoxville and Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga are non-lodging businesses. “The program is going very well,” says Dobbin Callahan, president of Skye Con, the company that audits businesses pursuing Tennessee Green Hospitality certification. “An increasing number of meeting planners, tour guides and travelers are looking...

MADRID, SPAIN—The Hotel Energy Solutions (HES) e-toolkit, the main output of the Hotel Energy Solutions project, provides hoteliers with a report which shows their current energy use and recommends appropriate renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies and actions. It further sets out what kind of savings on operational expenses hotels can expect from their green investments through a return on investment calculator. Testing of the toolkit was finalized in August in more than 100 European properties in four different pilot destinations: Haute-Savoie, in France, Palma de Mallorca, in Spain, Bonn, in Germany, and Strandja, in Bulgaria, with very positive feedback...

LEESBURG, VA.—The National Conference Center (NCC), located in Leesburg, Va., is one of the largest conference training centers in the United States. Several years ago, the Conference Center decided to go green and implemented a wide array of energy saving programs. Last year, the site also began making a large, concerted effort to serve locally grown food—quite a challenge for NCC’s executive chef Craig Mason who serves upwards of 2,000 meals a day for NCC guests. So, they invited all of the region’s farmers over for networking and an opportunity to discuss the community’s needs as well as NCC’s...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) will present its Lifetime Achievement Award to ecotourism pioneer Stanley Selengut, known by many in the tourism industry as “the father of sustainable resort development,” at the September 19 to 21 Ecotourism and Sustainable Tourism Conference (ESTC), on Hilton Head Island, S.C. The TIES Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes the distinguished achievements of those who have demonstrated a lifetime commitment to promoting ecotourism. The ESTC will host an award ceremony and reception with honoree Selengut from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. September 19 at the Westin Hilton Head Island Resort & Spa. Selengut will also...