SINGAPORE—The award-winning publication Condé Nast Traveler has named Banyan Tree Hotels and Resorts as a winner of the prestigious 2010 World Savers Awards. Honoring the airlines, cruise lines, resorts, hotel chains and tour operators that are dedicated to saving their communities and the world, Condé Nast Traveler selected Banyan Tree as the overall winner among large hotel chains in the ‘Doing It All’ category. Additionally, the brand was also named runner up in the category of “Health Initiatives” and received honorable mention in the following categories: “Environmental/Cultural Preservation,” “Wildlife Conservation” and “Education Initiatives.” Among large hotel chains, Banyan Tree was...

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Rhode Island is the first state to adopt the International Green Construction Code (IGCC). The Rhode Island Green Buildings Act identifies the IGCC as an equivalent standard in compliance with requirements that all public agency major facility projects be designed and constructed as green buildings. The Rules and Regulations to implement the Act take effect in October. “It’s very exciting to me as building code commissioner to see that we are the first,” John P. Leyden, C.B.O., and Rhode Island State Building Code commissioner said. “I think that we are very fortunate in being a smaller state in...

RALEIGH-DURHAM, N.C.—Concord Hospitality Enterprises, one of the nation’s top-ranked hotel developer/owner/operators, has opened the first LEED-designed Courtyard by Marriott.  Located in Settlers Ridge in west suburban Pittsburgh, the state-of-the-art property design, created by Concord with support from Marriott, will be the prototype for all future LEED-compliant Courtyards. The new design is expected to reduce energy usage at Courtyard hotels by an average of 24 percent annually and save more than 300,000 gallons of water per year, the equivalent of 21 swimming pools. This improved energy efficiency is expected to produce average annual operating savings of $50,000 at current energy costs,...

NATIONAL REPORT—On September 14, 2010, ISO 26000, which gives organizations guidance on implementing social responsibility (SR), was approved for publication as an ISO International Standard. Its target release date is November 1, 2010. The publishing of ISO26000 will prove to be a tipping point in worldwide implementation of SR practices. Up until now there has been no “official” definition or framework for social responsibility. So what does it all mean for the hotel industry? For those hotel groups that already have SR or corporate social responsibility (CSR) programs in place, it offers a definitive guideline for benchmarking and gap analysis....

CURACAO, NETHERLANDS, ANTILLES—Whether serving indigenous fare such as grilled ostrich or presenting dishes on hand-carved tableware created by locals, the Hyatt Regency Curaçao Golf Resort, Spa and Marina is making sure to provide guests with an unforgettable dining experience. The resort’s award-winning culinary team has rolled out three unique restaurant concepts, partnered with local farmers and reached out to community organizations to make this 350-room resort a unique Caribbean foodie destination. In order to boost Curaçao’s agriculture industry, the resort is leveraging relationships with local farmers and, on some level, introducing indigenous ingredients that guests may not have the chance...

CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA—Crowne Plaza Canberra celebrated the arrival of its first guest with an electric car and the inaugural use of its newly-installed electric car recharge station recently. Among the first hotels in the world to offer an electric car charging facility, Crowne Plaza Canberra was the final destination on a historic non-stop drive of the new electric Tesla Roadster sports car. Taken by Tesla Motors’ general manager Australia, Rudi Tuisk, the 290-kilometer Sydney-to-Canberra journey marked the first time an electric car had been driven between two Australian capital cities without recharging en route. Tuisk was greeted on arrival at the...

DURANGO, COLO.—The Strater Hotel, established in 1887, announced that it will begin adding the Energy Star rating—the most recognized national metric for evaluating building energy efficiency—to its Durango, Colorado property. “We believe that with the help of Energy Star our commercial building will continue to achieve a higher level of energy efficiency, which also leads to an increase in the financial value of the property,” said Michelle Thom, general manager for the New Strater Corp.  According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Energy Star-labeled hotels are independently verified to meet strict energy efficiency performance levels set by the agency. Hotels...

CHICAGO—The annual Greenbuild International Conference and Expo is less than two months away. The event will be held November 17 to 19 in Chicago at McCormick Place West—the site of Greenbuild 2007 but with twice as much space this year. Every year, Greenbuild is packed with timely, innovative education from throughout the industry, the world’s largest green building expo floor, inspirational speakers, networking opportunities, special events, tours and recreational opportunities. This year is no different. More than 800 exhibiting companies will be on hand, including companies from American Dryer Inc. to Zurn Industries, LLC. Notable speakers will include Paul Hawken,...

SAN FRANCISCO—The California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) joined California business leaders earlier this month to launch a 2010-2012 Zero Net Energy Action Plan designed to help California commercial building owners take advantage of the latest technologies and financial incentives to help reduce building energy use to “net-zero” through greater efficiency and on-site clean energy production.“This is an innovative action plan to transform the state’s commercial buildings into clean energy powered, energy-efficient structures by 2030,” said CPUC commissioner Dian M. Grueneich. “Zero net energy isn’t just a big, bold goal—it’s a reality today. By tapping into the innovation and entrepreneurialism...

RIVIERA MAYA, MEXICO—Sandos Caracol Eco Resort & Spa and the Pelopidas Foundation, in association with The Climate Institute, has become the first resort in the world to offer guests the Magic Planet, an exclusive educational tool developed by the National Oceanographic Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to teach guests the impact that our daily activities have on the land, ocean and atmosphere. The Magic Planet device provides an interactive multimedia platform that can run simulations, display live streaming media from any region of the world and offer real-time games which engage participants in a friendly environment. Using a touch screen module, guests...