WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—The city striving to become the world’s greenest metropolis by 2020 is getting a hotel to match. Greater Vancouver will become the site of Canada’s first Element, a trailblazer in eco-conscious hospitality from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. Set to welcome guests in 2014, Element Vancouver Metrotown is owned by Bosa Properties and will be managed by Atlific Hotels. Element hotels are green by design and inspired by nature. Element hotels’ energizing, eco-chic environment offers bright public spaces, smart design, and modern touches. Every Element property is also a high-performance building where sustainable practices reduce waste and...

PHILIPSBURG, ST. MAARTEN—St. Maarten recently established its first national marine park—the Man of War Shoal Marine Park. The aquatic area is the first step St. Maarten has taken towards preserving the area known as the Proselyte Reef, the island’s most important underwater habitat. “The development of the marine park has been long in the making and we are pleased to have begun the first and most crucial phase of the process,” said Honorable Franklin Meyers, Minister of Economic Affairs, Tourism, Transportation and Telecommunications. “By creating the marine park, St. Maarten is taking steps to preserve the local environment as well...

WAKEFIELD, QUEBEC—Less than three months remain before the July 1 opening of the new 10,000-square-foot addition to the Wakefield Inn Mill & Spa. The 13-room addition, named the Eco River Lodge, is being built to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. “It is conceivable we might make Silver,” says innkeeper Robert Milling, adding that his goal is the first tier of certification. What will help the inn qualify for LEED is its passive solar design, use of local materials, and highly efficient geothermal heating and cooling system. Set within Gatineau Park, within a 25-minute drive of...

ESCRIBANO BAY, PANAMA—Set to premier July 2011, Panama’s Coral Lodge eco-resort will offer families spacious over-the-water bungalows set in a pristine natural setting with coral reefs, golden beaches, a tropical rainforest, and the fascinating Kuna culture. The newest member of the Desires Hotels International collection of independently created boutique hotels, Coral Lodge’s thatch-roof bungalows will have 650 square feet of living space featuring local art. Coral Lodge will make every effort to preserve and protect its host environment, while working with local people to prove that luxury and conservation are not mutually exclusive. Considered a model for eco-development in the...

BOSTON—When the 424-room InterContinental Boston opened in November 2006, its recycling rate was just 8 percent. Tim Kirwan, general manager, admits recycling was not a top priority at first. In October 2007, with the assistance of Charlestown, Mass.-based Save That Stuff, everyone at the hotel finally got serious about recycling. By 2008, the rate had increased to 32 percent. In 2009 the rate reached 38 percent. From January through March of this year, the rate, according to Fabienne Eliacin, the hotel’s engineering coordinator, reached 61 percent. The InterContinental Boston’s focus on waste reduction, in addition to its other green initiatives,...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—A group of leading Swedish meeting industry organizations has formed the Swedish chapter of the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC), a global organization that focuses on environmental and sustainability issues in the meetings industry. GMIC, a not for profit organization with members in more than 20 countries, has a mission to advance meetings industry innovation through knowledge sharing, education, and research. GMIC Sweden is founded with the support of some of Sweden’s leading actors in sustainable business practices: Arenabolaget in Linköping, Gothenburg Convention Bureau, Kistamässan, Luleå Convention Bureau, MCI Sweden, Stockholm Visitors Board, Stockholmsmässan, Svenskamässan, Visit Sweden and Visit...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The International Ecotourism Society (TIES) and Planeterra, a leading nonprofit foundation dedicated to sustainable community development and environmental conservation through travel, are collaborating to develop a set of criteria that will help international voluntourism providers plan and manage their programs in a responsible and sustainable manner. An increasing number of travel companies are adding volunteer opportunities to their tour itineraries worldwide, and the trend, which is now commonly known as voluntourism, is growing rapidly. The 2008 Condé Nast Traveler/MSNBC poll, for example, stated that the number of regular volunteer vacationers has doubled since 2002, and the number of those...

NEW YORK—Tourism entrepreneurs and travelers who want to explore tourism that benefits local communities, respects cultural diversity and contributes to conservation can now take a tour of a virtual SmartLodge. Developed by the Rainforest Alliance, an international sustainability organization, the SmartLodge is an interactive hotel room packed with practical advice on the simple steps that tourism companies and travelers can take to advance toward sustainability. “The SmartLodge is the perfect complement to the training and technical assistance that the Rainforest Alliance already provides tourism businesses,” said Ronald Sanabria, the Rainforest Alliance’s vice president of sustainable tourism. “It’s a tool that...

MINNETONKA, MINN.—Carlson’s Country Inns & Suites brand, a major player in the limited-service, midscale segment of the lodging industry, is getting serious about reducing the volume of waste produced at its approximately 500 properties worldwide. By October 31 this year, disposable tableware will be eliminated in breakfast areas. About 20 hotels have already taken this step. Steve Mogck, executive vice president and COO, Country Inns & Suites by Carlson, says approximately 200 hotels will make the transition by June 1. Disposable plates, bowls, cups and utensils will be replaced with washable counterparts. Mogck says a large volume of the waste produced in a typical...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is honoring 111 Energy Star partners who have demonstrated leadership and commitment in protecting American’s health and the environment through energy efficiency achievements. Energy Star award winners include one hotel company, manufacturers, retailers, public schools, hospitals, real estate companies and home builders. Organizations are recognized in one of three award categories: Sustained Excellence, Partner of the Year, and Excellence. HEI Hotels & Resorts was recognized as a Partner of the Year. “Year after year, Energy Star award winners reflect American ingenuity at its highest level,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “The innovations...