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Whether an industry announcement, or a hotel accomplishment, Green Lodging News reports on the most up-to-date news and offers a unique perspective on trends—all with the purpose of making your company more profitable. Got news or a story idea to share? We frequently post contributed articles here. Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

News & Features

Home News & Features
Whether an industry announcement, or a hotel accomplishment, Green Lodging News reports on the most up-to-date news and offers a unique perspective on trends—all with the purpose of making your company more profitable. Got news or a story idea to share? We frequently post contributed articles here. Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Recently Opened Hotel Indigo Athens in Pursuit of LEED Gold Certification

ATLANTA—Hotel Indigo recently announced the opening of its newest hotel, Hotel Indigo Athens University Area. Slated to achieve LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) later this year, the hotel will be the first private development in Athens to achieve LEED certification and one of only five hotels in the nation to achieve Gold status. The LEED green building certification system is the nationally recognized standard for the design, construction and operation of high performance green buildings. By using less energy, LEED-certified buildings save money for families, businesses and taxpayers; reduce greenhouse gas emissions; and...

Maryland Launches Green Travel Program, Includes Certification Component

BALTIMORE—As an extension of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s “Smart, Green and Growing” agenda, the Office of Tourism—in partnership with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Maryland Tourism Council—is launching “Maryland Green Travel.” The new initiative will encourage environmentally-friendly practices throughout the state’s tourism industry and promote Maryland as a “green” destination to eco-minded travelers. The initial stage of the program will create an online, self-certification application for the lodging sector that uses environmental guidelines adopted by the American Hotel and Lodging Association and the best practices of MDE’s Green Registry. A similar process will be implemented for restaurants,...

Rocky Mountain Institute Releases Green Footstep Online Carbon Calculator

SNOWMASS, COLO.—Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) has unveiled Green Footstep, a free online carbon calculator for reducing carbon emissions in building construction and retrofit projects. While many carbon calculators are available online, none address multiple building emissions over the building lifetime. “Green Footstep makes it easier for design professionals to set the design targets they’ll need to achieve a carbon neutrality that includes not just operation, but also embodied carbon and others,” said Victor Olgyay, AIA, principal at RMI. “Just as a life cycle cost analysis of a green building design shows the operating costs you are saving over time,...

Agenda Set for Second Annual Green Lodging & Hospitality Conference

ORLANDO, FLA.—The final agenda has been set for the second annual Green Lodging and Hospitality Conference. The event, hosted by the TREEO Center, University of Florida, will be held December 9 to 11 at the Rosen Centre Hotel in Orlando, Fla. (note new venue). The theme of the conference is “Greener Roads Ahead.” The theme acknowledges the continuing need for the lodging industry to increase profitability by both reducing costs and increasing property revenues—all while minimizing environmental impact. The event is open to owners and operators of any lodging establishment—inside and outside of Florida. Vendors are also welcome to...

Sustainable Hotel Awards Presented at HICAP in Hong Kong

HONG KONG—Winners of the Sustainable Hotel Awards were presented at the 20th annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), held October 14 to 16, at the InterContinental Hong Kong. HICAP is hosted by Horwath HTL and Burba Hotel Network (BHN). The 56-room Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi in Koh Yao Noi, Phang-nga, Thailand, was the winner in the Sustainable Project Design category. The hotel is owned by Six Senses Resorts & Spas/EHY Company Limited and operated by Six Senses Resorts & Spas. The hotel was recognized for its use of recycled and natural materials, sensitivity to the surrounding natural...

South Carolina Launches Certification Program for Hotels, Motels

COLUMBIA, S.C.—South Carolina’s hotels, motels, restaurants and other hospitality facilities now have the opportunity to show how green they are and what they are doing to help protect and preserve the state’s environment through a new partnership, the state Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and South Carolina Hospitality Association announced last week. The South Carolina Green Hospitality Alliance is a free, voluntary program designed to help the hospitality industry reduce the environmental impact of its operations. The program, developed in partnership between DHEC and the South Carolina Hospitality Assn., recognizes and certifies facilities for environmentally friendly efforts with...

Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund Names 2009 Heroes

BURBANK, CALIF.—Disney Worldwide Conservation Fund (DWCF) has announced the recipients of the “Disney Conservation Heroes” award for 2009. The award program recognizes heroes who have made a positive impact on the environment and their communities. Eight award recipients from around the globe were nominated by nonprofit environmental organizations for their tireless efforts to save wildlife, protect habitats and educate communities. “Disney recognizes that these heroes are role models who hold the keys to successful conservation initiatives in areas of critical concern,” said Dr. Beth Stevens, senior vice president for Disney’s Environmental Affairs. “Conservation efforts around globe and in our own...

Solar Panels to Supply Hot Water at 408-Room Abu Dhabi Aloft Hotel

ABU DHABI, U.A.E.—The Abu Dhabi National Exhibitions Company (ADNEC) has revealed that more than 90 percent of the hot water at its 408-room Aloft Hotel will be supplied through energy harnessed from solar panels. Aloft Hotel became the first hotel in Abu Dhabi to make such use of solar energy when it launched on October 25. A total of 560 solar panels, covering an area of 2,300 square meters, have been installed on the roof of ADNEC Car Park A. These panels heat water for the hotel’s 408 guestrooms, two production kitchens, food and beverage outlets, hotel offices and the...

Graves Hospitality Launches ‘Giving Room’ Package

MINNEAPOLIS—Graves Hospitality Corporation, which owns and manages hotels nationwide, recently announced an overnight-stay, room package initiative called the “Giving Room,” designed to give back to local communities. This room package caters to the growing number of socially conscious guests, and for each overnight stay booked under the Giving Room package, Graves Hospitality Corporation will donate the cost of an overnight stay for a homeless child or family in need at a local shelter. Every day, a limited number of packages will be available on each of the hotel’s websites, based on availability, and they will be priced exactly the...

Survey Shows Gap in Consumers’ Green Attitudes & Behavior

BLACKSBURG, VA.—A significant gap lies between consumers’ attitudes towards “green” initiatives in the hospitality industry and their actual behavior, says a recent study by two hospitality and tourism management graduate students at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business. Moreover, consumers who engage in environmentally friendly behavior at home behave differently when staying at a hotel, their study found. Master’s students Melissa Baker, of Marshfield, Mass., and Eric Davis, of Lorton, Va., in a project supervised by hospitality and tourism management professor Pamela Weaver, say that while more hotels are adopting green practices, few scholars have examined the relationships between such...