PARK RIDGE, N.J.—Hertz and Marriott are introducing electric-vehicle (EV) car sharing at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront and the first EV car rental program in downtown San Francisco. This new hotel amenity enables guests and local area residents to drive a wide range of new EV models made available on an hourly or daily basis through Hertz On Demand car sharing. EVs are available at the San Francisco Airport Marriott Waterfront 24/7 with Hertz self-service technology enabling guests and area residents the luxury of signing up for Hertz On Demand car sharing on the spot and using an...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Grande Lakes Orlando just got a little stickier, and it’s not the August humidity. In its continued commitment to sustainability and conservation, the resort has recently seen the first harvest of honey from a new on-site apiary. Guests of the luxury property, which comprises a JW Marriott and The Ritz-Carlton, can now enjoy the benefits through dining experiences as well as honey-infused spa treatments at the award-winning Ritz-Carlton Spa. The connection with area farmers and use of local ingredients ensures the “food print” at Grande Lakes Orlando is high on taste and low on waste. The citrusy honey joins...

CHICAGO—With four years to go until 2015—the target year for reaching its energy, water, greenhouse gas emissions, and waste reduction goals—Hyatt Hotels & Resorts is making significant progress. According to Brigitta Witt, vice president corporate responsibility for the company, energy, water and waste have been reduced by 10 percent since 2006 at approximately 200 full-service, Hyatt-managed hotels around the world. There have also been substantial cuts in Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas emissions since 2009, the year Hyatt began tracking emissions. “We have been tracking energy and water since 1994,” Witt says. “We saw there was a...

CHICAGO—NEWH The Hospitality Industry Network, the not-for-profit business networking and education organization in hospitality, will host its quarterly NEWH Regional Tradeshow in Chicago on October 26, 2011, at the Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers. Each NEWH Regional Tradeshow provides a unique opportunity for suppliers to visit with existing clients and meet new prospects in key major metropolitan areas, while showcasing their newest products and services in an intimate business casual tabletop format. This is a great opportunity for those development, architectural, design, and purchasing firms that do not send their staff members to the major national and international shows. A free...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The lineup of renowned speakers for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Greenbuild International Conference & Expo is now live. New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman, medical anthropologist and physician Paul Farmer, and ABC News political commentator Cokie Roberts will address the more than 25,000 attendees at Greenbuild 2011, taking place October 4 to 7 in Toronto. “Each year, we strive to build a program enriched with thoughtful pairings of expert speakers with topical, relevant and inspiring content,” said Kimberly Lewis, vice president, Conferences & Events, USGBC. “This year, as Greenbuild celebrates its...

MAMMOTH LAKES, CALIF.— Britannia Pacific Properties, a Lewis Trust Group company, announced that the town of Mammoth Lakes, Calif., has granted entitlements to build an innovative hotel and residences project called “Handmade Hotel Mammoth View.” With an extensive portfolio of properties, Britannia Pacific Properties has now set their sights on driving business and providing jobs to the town of Mammoth Lakes with their latest initiative, a 5.51-acre project which will feature geothermal heating for purposes of encouraging conservation of natural resources. Handmade Hotel Mammoth View will be an entirely new concept for the hospitality market in the small but...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) has launched a 60-day public comment period for Version 2 of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria that are based on ISEAL guidelines (the ISEAL Alliance is a global association for social and environmental standards). The survey will be open until October 15, 2011. The survey can be accessed through the GSTC website site.  The GSTC Criteria are a universal language defining a minimum standard for sustainability in travel and tourism. Businesses, organizations and governments use the Criteria to create sustainability programs. The GSTC Criteria fall under four main pillars: Sustainability Management, Social...

SAN RAMON, CALIF.—Even though it is based in California and funded by California rate payers through Pacific Gas & Electric (PG&E), the Food Service Technology Center (FSTC) offers a wealth of information for any commercial food service operation. In fact, it is FSTC’s goal to provide helpful information at no cost. First opened in 1987, FSTC tests commercial kitchen appliances for energy efficiency. Manufacturers, hotel and restaurant companies all work with FSTC to test product performance. FSTC is the primary information resource for the EPA’s Energy Star program for commercial food service and it has contributed significantly to the...

HUNAN PROVINCE, CHINA—The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) and China have opened a third Sustainable Tourism Observatory to monitor the environmental and socio-economic impacts of tourism. The Zhangjiajie Observatory, located in Hunan Province, is part of a network of observatories assisting policy makers to ensure sustainable tourism growth. It will gather and report data on the environmental, social and economic impacts of tourism in the area based on UNWTO sustainable tourism indictors. The Observatory is located at the entrance to the Zhangjiajie National Park, China’s first national park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The park was also the...

MCLEAN, VA.—Embassy Suites Hotels, the upscale, all-suites hotel brand, announced that its Embassy Suites Denver-Downtown/Convention Center location achieved LEED Silver certification, as recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the first hotel in the City of Denver and the first within the Embassy Suites brand to have earned this prestigious certification for sustainable building design, construction and operations. “We are extremely proud to introduce the Embassy Suites brand’s first LEED Silver certified property,” said Jim Holthouser, global head of Embassy Suites Hotels and full service brands, Hilton Worldwide. “This significant certification recognizes the proactive efforts the...