TECATE, MEXICO—The Second Annual Green Spa Network Fall Congress will be held November 1 to 5, 2009, at the historic Rancho La Puerta in Tecate, Mexico. As the premier spa sustainability event of the year, the four-night, five-day GSN Fall Congress will provide professionals with the opportunity to respond to the planetary imperative for sustainability—while increasing profitability and customer loyalty. Internationally known Paul Hawken will be the keynote speaker. Paul is a leading voice in the world of sustainable business and the search for a whole, nurturing society. He is co-founder of Smith & Hawken and author of “Natural Capitalism:...

LAS VEGAS—Dan Bena, who spearheads international sustainability efforts for food and beverage giant PepsiCo, will be the opening keynote speaker for the WaterSmart Innovations Conference and Exposition, October 7 to 9, 2009, in Las Vegas. Bena, PepsiCo’s director of sustainability, health, safety, and environment, will address the conference’s opening session on October 7. PepsiCo’s “Performance with Purpose” operating model has environmental sustainability as a cornerstone and includes minimizing environmental impacts of operations, and extending across supply chains and communities. In 2007, PepsiCo adopted rigorous enterprise-wide global metrics to track its environmental footprint, and was one of the first...

THE WOODLANDS (HOUSTON)—Benchmark Hospitality International announced that eight of its properties have achieved Platinum, Gold or Silver recognition in the new Code of Environmental Sustainability introduced recently by the International Association of Conference Centers (IACC). The new Code of Sustainability provides for 59 best practices in environmental sustainability. IACC-member properties must adhere to at least 75 percent of the tenets of the Code, and join other member organizations that have signed the Code in a global, association-wide effort to strive for greater sustainability. Wingspread, a private conference center Benchmark operates for the Johnson Foundation located in Racine, Wis., and Frank...

PORTLAND, ORE.—PDX travelers can leave their cars at home next time they head to the airport—Pollin Hotels’ new Aloft Portland Airport at Cascade Station has got them covered. The bike friendly airport hotel has unveiled its “Bike & Fly” program, an eco-friendly twist on traditional “Park & Fly” programs. Departing guests can leave their bikes in the locked bike parking storage area at Aloft for up to 14 days at no cost with a one-night stay. The Bike & Fly program is not the first time Aloft Portland has impacted the city’s biking scene. In May, the hotel raised...

ROCKVILLE, MD.—The United States Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) 2009 Green Power Purchaser list identified The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre as one of only three hotels in the nation as 100 percent powered by green energy resources. In October 2008, The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre launched its Turn On program in partnership with Clean Currents and the EPA, integrating greener hotel products, clean energy, and inviting guests to offset the carbon footprint of their stay. “We are very proud of this accomplishment,” says Eric Siegel, executive vice president of Cohen Companies, the owner group of The Legacy Hotel &...

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—The Hilton Asheville, scheduled to open later this month, is one of the first major hotels in the United States to include a solar water heating system atop its roof. This system will be one of the largest installations in the Western North Carolina region. Water throughout the hotel, including the pool, will be solar heated, eliminating 25 tons of carbon dioxide per year, the equivalent of planting 7,377 trees. The solar water heating system is just one of the hotel’s many environmentally focused features. The 165-room hotel is set in the heart of Biltmore Park Town Square, the...

MEMPHIS, TENN.—Executives of Memphis-based Cooper Hotels, the largest multi-unit operator of Tennessee hotels, announced that two of the company’s hotels are the first Tennessee hotels to utilize solar power. Installation of state-of-the-art solar thermal systems that will provide hot water is now underway at the Hilton Knoxville Airport and the Doubletree Hotel Oak Ridge. “We are proud to be on the leading edge of sustainable tourism in Tennessee,” said Pace Cooper, Cooper Hotels president and CEO. “Our company has been committed to sustainability for years, with all five of our Florida hotels earning green designations by the Florida Department of...

PARADISE, TEXAS—Garrett Creek Ranch Conference Center in Paradise, Texas, has become the first property in Wise County to undertake native grass restoration. Through this effort, more than 100 acres have begun to return to the grasses, such as Big and Little Bluestem, Lometa Indiangrass, Blackwell Switchgrass, Sideoats Grama, Canadian Wildrye, Green Sprangletop and Eastern Gammagrass, which fed the region 100 years ago. The property’s remaining 300 acres will be added to the program over the next two years. Additionally, a complete inventory of plants and wildlife has begun through which more than 450 species of plants have been identified...

(This is the first article in a two-part series of articles on green cleaning.) Many hotels are turning to green cleaning products and practices to improve indoor air quality, reduce risk to building occupants, improve environmental performance and obtain a marketing advantage. This document is intended to help hoteliers determine whether to follow suit at their properties and how to do so. 1. What are the problems associated with traditional cleaning products and practices? The rise of the green cleaning movement stems from health and environmental concerns associated with the traditional cleaning industry and its practices. There is a growing recognition that...

(This is the second article in a two-part series of articles on green cleaning. To read the first article, click here.) 4. How well do green cleaning products work? How much do they cost? The cleaning capability of green products can best be measured by testing them in one’s facility. Still, there are reasons to believe that they hold up well when compared to traditional products. Certifying agencies, such as Green Seal, EcoLogo, or EPA’s Design for the Environment Program test products for effectiveness, besides health and environmental considerations, and only approve products with high marks. Also, the widespread adoption...