ITHACA, N.Y.—Restaurateurs need to inform customers of their sustainable restaurant practices both to strengthen menu prices and encourage patronage. Based on a study of 393 residents of Taiwan, research findings published in the August 2010 issue of Cornell Hospitality Quarterly (CQ) indicate that a substantial percentage of respondents would be willing to pay more for menu items that are produced using sustainable restaurant practices. The article, “The Dynamics of Green Restaurant Patronage,” by Hsin-Hui “Sunny” Hu, H.G. Parsa, and John Self, is available in a free download as the featured article in the August CQ issue. The researchers found a...

LOS ANGELES—The Boutique & Lifestyle Lodging Association (BLLA), a newly formed association dedicated to uniting the world’s boutique and lifestyle properties and the suppliers that sustain them, announced plans for developing a universal standard and criteria for defining boutique and lifestyle lodgings. Initiated by BLLA’s founder and hospitality industry veteran Frances Kiradjian, and in coordination with its Board of Advisors, hospitality industry leaders, and worldwide boutique property owners and suppliers, the new classification will create a differentiation for this fragmented sector within the hospitality industry. “Having a special classification specifically for this sector will allow boutique hotels to compete on...

LITTLE ROCK, ARK.—The Arkansas Department of Parks and Tourism has launched www.greentravelarkansas.com. The new website contains sections featuring Arkansas green lodging, dining, and attractions including a list of LEED certified buildings. Targeted toward the individual traveler, a section offering ideas to help the tourist find wellness options such as yoga studios and running trails is also included. The Department has even added a tool to help travelers keep a little green in their wallets. Special promotions offering green discounts and packages are available by clicking on the Arkansas Green Deals and Packages tab. “We added this to our website offerings...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—New Orleans restaurateur Ralph Brennan testified on Tuesday this week before a House congressional subcommittee, providing details about the BP oil spill’s devastating impact on tourism and restaurants in the Gulf Coast region. Brennan is a former chairman of the National Restaurant Association and is president of the Ralph Brennan Restaurant Group, LLC. He joined other tourism representatives and Gulf Coast Claims facility administrator Kenneth Feinberg before the House Subcommittee on Commerce, Trade and Consumer Protection. “Across the affected areas, restaurants report a range of experiences and concerns,” Brennan said. “Those located seaside or in beach communities are decimated...

BETHESDA, MD.—The Courtyard Charleston/Summerville in South Carolina will be the first hotel built using Marriott International’s green hotel prototype, in partnership with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). This will dramatically accelerate the company’s goal to have 300 LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) hotels by 2015. Marriott is the first in the hospitality industry to launch a green hotel prototype that has been pre-approved by USGBC as part of its LEED Volume program, meaning that any Marriott hotel that follows these plans will earn basic LEED certification, or possibly higher, upon USGBC final approval. The new Courtyard hotel...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hampton Hotels, the international brand of nearly 1,800 mid-priced Hampton Inn, Hampton Inn & Suites, and Hampton by Hilton Hotels, announced that the Hampton Inn and Suites Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport achieved LEED Silver certification, as recognized by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). It is the first Hampton Hotel property to earn this recognition for sustainable building design, construction and operations. “This is a wonderful accomplishment for Hampton Hotels, and we are proud to add the Hampton Inn & Suites Sarasota/Bradenton International Airport with LEED Silver certification to our Hampton family,” said Phil Cordell, global head, Focused Service and...

Periodically, print trade publications go through the process of asking their subscribers to renew their subscriptions (the reason no e-mail newsletter was delivered to subscribers this week). This is a very common practice. It is an important step for publications to take. There are all kinds of reasons addresses change: businesses move offices, people change jobs, some people go to that great zip code in the sky. Green Lodging News just turned four years old. In the four years that Hasek Communications has been publishing Green Lodging News, it has not asked its readers to renew their subscriptions to the...

LOUISVILLE, KY.—The Bed & Breakfast Association of Kentucky has become the first lodging organization in Kentucky and one of the first in the nation to introduce a Green Lodging Certification Program. Launched in celebration of the 40th Anniversary of Earth Day on April 22, 2010, BBAK’s Green Lodging Certification Program (GLCP) is being run in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Environmental Protection (KDEP) that reviews, designates and recognizes lodging facilities that make a commitment to conserve and protect Kentucky’s natural resources. The program’s environmental guidelines allow lodging facilities to evaluate their operations, set goals and take specific actions...

NATIONAL REPORT—Going blue is not only about cheering for the University of Michigan. Going Blue is also about becoming more water efficient, and is as important a component of the greening of the lodging industry as any other. The hotel industry has made great strides in managing water consumption—changing faucet aerators and showerheads, and replacing older toilets—but there are still more opportunities for additional savings.  A water audit can help to find them. Why Pay Such Attention to Reducing Water Use? Water may still be cheap, but that does not mean it is plentiful. In many parts of the country water...

DENVER—Four Seasons Hotel Denver, set to open this fall, will showcase nearly 1,200 original works of art by contemporary Colorado artists, enhancing the hotel’s modern design concept. The unique collection will be on display throughout the 45-story building, creating a gallery-like setting that will rival a private art museum. “We are thrilled to support the local arts community and showcase amazing works created by artists from across the state of Colorado,” says Thierry Kennel, general manager of Four Seasons Hotel Denver, noting that 90 percent of the pieces on display are by local artists. The collection's 1,180 pieces showcase varying...