ESTES PARK, COLO.—On February 1, 2011, Rocky Mountain Park Inn debuted a new name, an enhanced commitment to environmentally sound operating practices and a new partnership with the Rocky Mountain Nature Association that gives back to Rocky Mountain National Park in substantive ways. Formerly the Holiday Inn—Rocky Mountain Park, the Estes Park property is a Forever Resort, a family of companies based in Scottsdale, Ariz., with a portfolio encompassing 70 destinations in national parks, recreation areas, national forests and other destinations in North America, Europe and South Africa. Estes Park is home to Forever Resorts’ Rocky Mountain Park Inn and...

MANUEL ANTONIO NATIONAL PARK, COSTA RICA—The push for sustainable tourism was given a boost late last month with the establishment of the Global Partnership for Sustainable Tourism that unites all stakeholders in the industry in influencing policies, developing projects and providing a global communication platform.  The Partnership was established at the first annual General Meeting in Costa Rica, hosted by the Costa Rican Ministry of Tourism and supported by the French and Norwegian governments, together with the UN Environment Program (UNEP) and the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). During the meeting, France was elected President of the Partnership Steering Committee and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Restaurant Association issued the following statement, in response to the release of the government’s new 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans: “We support the Dietary Guidelines’ recommendations around a total dietary meal pattern which focuses on increasing consumption of whole grains, fruits and vegetables,” said Joan McGlockton, vice president for Industry Affairs and Food Policy at the National Restaurant Association. “There has been a growing trend of restaurants offering more whole grains and produce, and we look forward to continuing to work with restaurant operators and chefs to provide even more healthful menu options for adults and...

DALLAS—NYLO Hotels LLC announced plans for a third hotel in the Dallas-Fort Worth market, this one in South Side Dallas, a thriving community just south of downtown. This project marks two “firsts” for the lifestyle hotel brand; it will be NYLO’s first conversion property, and it will be the first NYLO hotel to pursue LEED Silver Certification. The NYLO Dallas South Side will break ground in the first quarter of 2011 and open in the first quarter of 2012. The hotel will be operated by NYLO Hotels and developed by Matthews Southwest. NYLO Dallas South Side will be located three...

FREEPORT, MAINE—Some of Maine’s finest inns and resorts will slash their rates by 50 percent this spring to support Hospitality for Habitat, a Maine Innkeepers Assn. (MEIA) program that raises funds for local chapters of Habitat for Humanity, announced Greg Dugal, executive director of MEIA. Participating Innkeepers all over the state will reduce room rates by half between April 25 and May 27, 2011 for guests willing to write a $35 donation check payable to Habitat for Humanity.  “Every dollar donated goes to help build homes in Maine for deserving families,” said Dugal. “Travelers taking advantage of the Hospitality for...

DALLAS—Following a successful pilot of the Green Key Eco-Rating Program (Green Key) in the United States in 2010, Accor North America has made a commitment for all Motel 6 and Studio 6 properties to be Green Key certified by the end of 2011. With the commitment, 1,100 locations will be ranked and certified according to Green Key’s sustainable practices, which adhere to Accor’s long-standing commitment to the environment and sustainability. “The Green Key program has been beneficial to our Canadian properties for several years, and our participation in the U.S. pilot reaffirmed the business and sustainability benefits of the program,”...

SAN DIEGO—From the floors of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit in San Diego last week, Advaya Hospitality unveiled a global lifestyle hotel brand before an audience of industry insiders. The brand, MODO Hotel, which will have some green features, will make its debut in major markets around the world, starting with a minimum of five properties in India and another five in Brazil. Advaya also is in the early stages of establishing a fund to acquire strategic assets and build new hotels, targeting major U.S. markets like New York, Kansas City and Miami. MODO presents a new take on hospitality...

CHICAGO—The Hyatt Regency McCormick Place’s approach to sustainability is not to make one big splash with one giant investment. Instead, says Roger Martin, director of engineering at the 800-room hotel, “Our focus is to do a lot of the little things that add up to one big green initiative.” That approach is definitely working. The hotel, which is part of the giant McCormick Place complex that attracts close to 3 million visitors annually, reduced its electricity consumption by 12.7 percent from 2009 to 2010 and its water consumption by 24.4 percent. Part of those reductions was a result of...

CONCORD, N.H.—More than 8 million pounds of greenhouse gases were eliminated last year as a result of energy efficient lighting implemented in 57 lodging businesses in New Hampshire.  That is the equivalent of 358 cars being taken off the road according to Michelle Veasey, manager of the New Hampshire Sustainable Lodging & Restaurant Program (NHSLRP). That is just the beginning. Those same businesses conserved more than 7 million gallons of water with water saving devices and guest-directed conservation programs. The NHSLRP asked certified green properties to recertify under a new application that allowed the program to calculate the impact of...

PORTLAND, ORE.—It’s Game On! as the sixth annual Sustainable Meetings Conference convenes senior level meeting and hospitality professionals from Fortune 500 companies, destinations, hotels and leading green industry associations into an immersive and innovative conference design in Portland, Ore., February 20 to 23, 2011. The international delegates, challenged to solve event case studies in a sustainability context, are now able to take their experience one step further with the announcement of GMIC’s keynote speaker of Dr. Karl-Henrik Robèrt of The Natural Step International. “The question of reaching sustainability is not about if we will have enough energy, enough food, or...