TORONTO—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, an industry leader on environmental sustainability and responsible tourism for more than two decades through its Green Partnership Program, announced that it will further its commitment to greening with the introduction of a new Sustainable Design Policy. Establishing a formalized, worldwide policy, which addresses highly recognized environmental certifications such as the United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) for new development projects and renovation programs, also supports the brand’s larger pledge to reduce operational CO2 emissions as a member of World Wildlife Fund’s Climate Savers program. “When it comes to greening...

NEW YORK—The Princeton Review, in collaboration with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), has released the second annual edition of its free guidebook saluting the United States and Canada’s most environmentally responsible “green colleges.” The Princeton Review’s Guide to 311 Green Colleges: 2011 Edition profiles 308 institutions of higher education in the United States and three in Canada that demonstrate notable commitments to sustainability in their academic offerings, campus infrastructure, activities and career preparation. Forty of the schools appearing in the guidebook also appear on the Council on Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education’s (CHRIE) Guide to College Programs in...

LAS VEGAS—For the third consecutive year, Caesars Entertainment Corp. is distributing 45,000 energy efficient light bulbs such as Compact Florescent Light Bulbs (CFLs) to low-income residents in the communities they serve across the United States. Energy saving light bulbs are environmentally friendly and reduce energy costs substantially when compared to conventional incandescent light bulbs. Many of these bulbs last 10 times longer and produce 75 percent less heat, reducing home cooling costs. “We recognize the most incremental changes often make the biggest difference at our resorts and in the communities we serve,” said Gwen Migita, corporate director Sustainability and Community...

MINNEAPOLIS—Carlson, a global hospitality and travel company, announced on Earth Day that it has registered for the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Silver Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the company’s corporate headquarters in Minneapolis. Carlson is pursuing LEED certification for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance, which helps building owners and operators measure operations, improvements and maintenance on a consistent scale, with the goal of maximizing operational efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts. LEED for Existing Buildings: Operations & Maintenance addresses whole-building cleaning and maintenance issues including chemical use, recycling programs, exterior maintenance programs, and systems upgrades. Below...

BOWEN HILLS, QUEENSLAND—Ecotourism Australia has released its Green Travel Guide Australia 2011/2012. “Ecotourism Australia celebrates its 20th birthday this year, and this year’s Green Travel Guide Australia is a tribute to the growth of responsible and sustainable tourism in Australia,” says Kym Cheatham, CEO of Ecotourism Australia. “The 2011/2012 Green Travel Guide Australia features more than 1,000 Australian tourism experiences.” The Green Travel Guide Australia 2011/2012 also features the newly launch Eco Lodges of Australia brand, a marketing initiative of Advanced Ecotourism Certified accommodation experience in Australia. “Australia is globally recognized for outstanding ecotourism experiences,” Cheatham says. “Eco Lodges of Australia...

GLEN ALLEN, VA.—Just in time for Earth Day, the Wyndham Virginia Crossings Hotel & Conference Center will share a different kind of “green” with its guests traveling in hybrid and electric vehicles. With its new “Go Green, Get Green” package, guests who arrive at the Wyndham Virginia Crossings Hotel in a hybrid vehicle and stay for two nights or more through September 1, 2011, will receive a $25 Visa gift card. The Go Green, Get Green package includes deluxe, overnight king- or double-bedded accommodations, a $25 Visa gift card, and wireless high-speed Internet access. The package is based on qualifying...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and Clean the World, a social enterprise committed to saving lives and protecting the planet, today announced a corporate agreement to collect and recycle hotel soaps, shampoos, conditioners, lotions and gels to help fight the global spread of preventable diseases. An estimated 1.6 million pounds of hotel soap may be recycled each year through this partnership. The agreement, potentially involving 500 Starwood hotels in North America, is the first corporate agreement for Clean the World, which now has hospitality partnerships in place with more than 1,000 hotel properties around the globe. Starwood brands...

SILVER SPRING, MD.—Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced a number of efforts it has undertaken to underscore its ongoing commitment to the environment. These initiatives are in support of the company’s Room to Be Green environmental protection program and in honor of the 41st anniversary of Earth Day, being celebrated Friday, April 22. At the hotel level, the company has significantly increased the number of hotels in its Room to Be Green program to more than 1,300 hotels. Since the program launched in 2009, these hotels have achieved significant reductions in energy and water usage, measurable in billions of kilowatt hours...

TORONTO—As part of Earth Week, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts is making a global commitment to plant 10 million trees as part of its long term efforts to support sustainability. The initiative will now form the cornerstone of the company’s substantial existing corporate social responsibility program. “For 50 years, our company logo has depicted the annual cycle of a tree, and as we look to the future, its symbolism will translate into concrete action,” says Kathleen Taylor, president and CEO, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts. “In cultures throughout the world, trees represent growth, prosperity and longevity. They also play a...

NEW YORK—Hilton Worldwide Inc. has become the latest hotel company to take a strong stand against the commercial sexual exploitation of children by signing the tourism Code of Conduct (The Code), ECPAT-USA announced. The Code specifically focuses on the protection of children from sexual exploitation in the travel and tourism industries. While The Code has been signed by almost 1,000 travel industry members worldwide, Hilton Worldwide is the fourth U.S. company to agree to work with ECPAT-USA, a nonprofit organization that advocates for policies to protect sexually exploited children. Just last month, Delta Air Lines became the first U.S....