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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.

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.

InterContinental Enters LEED Arena with Hotel Indigo in San Diego

SAN DIEGO—When the Hotel Indigo San Diego-Gaslamp Quarter opens August 1, it will be the first InterContinental Hotels Group hotel to open with LEED certification as a goal. It will also be the first hotel in San Diego to pursue LEED and the first Hotel Indigo to open in that city. There is currently just one other Hotel Indigo in California—in Rancho Cucamonga. The 12-floor, 210-guestroom property was built where an auto repair shop once stood. Non-hazardous material from the building site was recycled and diverted from the local landfill. The hotel is located close to the active Gaslamp...

Large Solar Array Up & Running at Orange County Convention Center

ORLANDO, FLA.—Florida solidified its position as a front-runner in sustainability late last month with the unveiling of the Orange County Convention Center’s new one-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) system, the largest rooftop solar installation in the Southeast. Solar panels span the length of five and a half football fields, generating 1,300 megawatt-hours of electricity per year—greatly reducing the center’s carbon footprint and electricity costs. The new PV system was made possible by a $2,500,000 grant provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Renewable Technologies Grant. Additional support for the project was provided by the OUC, EDC and U.S. Dept. of...

Rhode Island NYLO Honored for Recycling, Conservation Programs

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—NYLO Providence/Warwick has received Green Hospitality Certification from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM). In a ceremony before Rhode Island’s hospitality industry elite, the 163-room, urban loft hotel was honored for its outstanding conservation and recycling programs. NYLO Providence/Warwick is the state’s first hotel to run on 100 percent renewable energy. Through a partnership with People’s Power & Light, the property offsets its entire electricity usage with a mix of local and regional solar, wind, biomass and hydroelectric power sources. “Despite New England’s high energy costs, NYLO is deeply committed to sustainability,” says Christine Nevers, general manager,...

Eyeing LEED Gold, Courtyard by Marriott-Portland City Center Opens

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Courtyard by Marriott—Portland City Center opened for guests on May 27 in Portland’s downtown urban core. Developed by Sage Hospitality and designed by Portland-based SERA, the hotel draws inspiration from both Oregon’s natural surroundings and the vibrant artistic community with subtle design details of oceans, mountains, rivers and deserts incorporated into the original artwork, custom designed carpeting and fabric and wall coverings. As part of the ongoing revitalization of downtown, the Courtyard by Marriott—Portland City Center, located in the former Toronto National Building, went through a complete exterior and interior renovation of the derelict space. This major renovation...

New Energy Star Specifications for Commercial Griddles, Ovens Announced

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is announcing new requirements for commercial griddles and ovens to earn the Energy Star label that will help protect the environment and reduce energy costs for businesses. Energy Star labeled griddles and ovens are approximately 10 to 20 percent more energy efficient than standard models. If all commercial griddles and ovens sold in the United States meet the new specifications, the energy cost savings would grow to more than $700 million per year and prevent greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those from more than 660,000 vehicles. The addition of the two new specifications...

Starwood’s Element Hotels Launches Annual Eco-Travel Index

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Tough times may be turning road warriors into eco-warriors. The faltering economy—not the fragile environment—is the biggest motivator for frequent travelers who have become “more conscious of waste” according to a survey commissioned by Element Hotels, which is launching The Element Eco-Travel Index, an annual index of green travel habits among frequent travelers. Element is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.’s newest lifestyle hotel brand and innovation lab for environmentally sustainable construction, building and operational practices. Element is the first major hotel brand to mandate that all its properties pursue the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in...

One Traveler’s Trash is Another’s Chic Eco-tote at Outrigger Waikiki

HONOLULU, OAHU, HAWAII—You’ve spent several glorious days playing in Hawaii and as you pack up to go home, you’re wondering: What to do with the beach floaties and body boards you’ve amassed during the trip? Well, if you’re into being green, and if you’re staying at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach, you should just “dump” them…in your hotel room, not the garbage bin. The oceanfront hotel’s housekeeping staff will gladly collect them as part of its eco-friendly efforts. The hotel donates plastic beverage bottles collected from guest rooms to PACT (Parents and Children Together), a private, nonprofit...

Fairmont’s ‘Green Sheets’ Program Created for Meeting Planners

TORONTO—Launching across Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ 56 properties, meeting planners can now easily identify on-site environmental initiatives through Green Sheets. These pages provide quick and easy access to green information for every hotel and resort in the collection, made available at the Fairmont Meetings website or through Fairmont sales colleagues. Fairmont’s new Green Sheets are a resource for planners looking for green information, and are an asset to showcase Fairmont’s Eco-Meet program, which provides a meetings structure that is both environmentally responsible and informative for delegates. The sheets outline how each individual Fairmont hotel or resort is working within the...

S.C. Hospitality Assn. Prepares for Launch of Certification Program

COLUMBIA, S.C.—The South Carolina Hospitality Association, in partnership with the Division of Waste Management of that state’s Department of Health and Environmental Control, is hammering out the final details of its green hotel and restaurant program. The self-certification program is expected to launch in July, according to Douglas OFlaherty, director of operations for the Association. It will be managed by the Division of Waste Management of the Department of Health and Environmental Control. The program will be open only to those establishments that are members of the Association. There is no cost to participate. OFlaherty says his Association and the...

Bedding Industry Executives Gather to Begin to Define ‘Green’ Products

BONITA SPRINGS, FLA.—Nearly 40 bedding industry leaders from companies like Sealy, Simmons, Serta, Tempurpedic, Foamex, Hickory Springs, Cargill, Natura World, OMI and Anatomic Global agreed during a recent meeting in Bonita Springs, Fla., that the industry needs a common set of definitions to reduce consumer confusion about the environmental benefits of bedding products. The meeting took place under the leadership of the Specialty Sleep Assn. (SSA), a national nonprofit association focused on the sale and promotion of premium sleep products. The conference was the first time industry leaders gathered under one roof for an open dialogue about the need...