GATLINBURG, TENN.—The Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg, adjacent to The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, is on its way to becoming the first LEED certified hotel in Tennessee. The 118-unit property opened on May 28. According to Logan Coykendall, part owner of the hotel and owner of Hospitality Management Solutions, the Sevierville, Tenn.-based management company that operates it, the Hilton Garden Inn should achieve a “solid Silver” LEED rating later this year. LEED, a certification program for new and existing buildings run by the U.S. Green Building Council, offers four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum. The decision to...

SAN DIEGO—Demonstrating its commitment to San Diego, Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp Quarter is investing more than $300,000 in the local arts community and is taking hotel art to a new level—12 stories up, in fact. Following more than a year of design work and two weeks of installation, Hotel Indigo San Diego unveiled its first piece of public art in advance of the hotel opening on July 13, 2009. Aptly named “Indigo Waters,” the 40-foot exterior wall sculpture made up of 33 hand-painted, laminated and tempered blue-colored glass panels is positioned on the western facade of the hotel...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is commending the House of Representatives for passing landmark energy and climate legislation that includes several significant provisions to incentivize and accelerate the benefits of green building across the country. “From programs that would generate billions of dollars to spur and scale green retrofitting of our existing building stock to inclusion of the GREEN Act, which would create new opportunities for green affordable housing, this bill recognizes that green building is a major part of the solution to our economic and energy challenges,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, USGBC. “With...

DUBAI, U.A.E.—The Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) has launched an initiative to reduce carbon emissions (CO2) in the region’s hospitality industry by 20 percent by the year 2011. The launch is together with the Dubai Green Tourism Award which will be in line with World Environment Day. The initiatives are all part of the department’s sustainable tourism agenda for the emirate. The Dubai Green Tourism Award, to be presented in December 2009, is expected to attract 200 hotels from three, four and five stars and deluxe hotel apartments that are eligible to compete for the annual honors. ...

CHICAGO—Sears Tower announced plans for a renovation that will result in unparalleled energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions. The tallest building in the Western Hemisphere will reduce its base building electricity use by up to 80 percent, which includes a combination of energy savings and cogeneration. The energy savings equal 68 million kilowatt hours annually or 150,000 barrels of oil every year. The sustainability plans will also drive economic development in the West Loop, creating more than 3,600 jobs, and are part of a broader initiative to transform the global icon. Another aspect of the transformation is a proposed new,...

TORONTO—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced a comprehensive sustainability plan to address its technology infrastructure and information technology (IT) operations. Green IT becomes the latest component of the Fairmont Green Partnership program, the company’s award-winning environmental platform. Aimed at limiting waste, purchasing responsibly, conserving energy and reducing the company’s overall carbon footprint, Fairmont’s Green IT plan includes the introduction of a workstation power down schedule, electronic waste diversion in markets where programs exist and the development of donation standards aligning with qualified and respected recycling companies and charities. In addition, Fairmont will optimize purchasing efficiencies, including crafting a green procurement policy...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Sustainability will have a prominent place on the agenda at the Meeting Professionals International’s (MPI) World Education Congress, to be held July 11 to 14 at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City. Eight educational sessions will touch on topics such as corporate social responsibility and green meetings, and attendees will have an opportunity to participate in a community service project. MPI has incorporated the principles of the first sustainable event standard, British Standard 8901, into the Salt Lake City event. This includes planning for the event, on-site implementation of the event, and a...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. announced it has been named one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity by Black Enterprise magazine for the fifth consecutive year. The July feature article recognizes Marriott for its board of directors and employee base. “We are honored to be recognized as one of the 40 Best Companies for Diversity,” said Jimmie Paschall, global diversity officer and senior vice president, external affairs for Marriott International, Inc. “With 146,000 employees in 66 countries, we know that our global workforce is our competitive advantage. It is also reflective of our company’s culture—rich and inclusive of varying...

NATIONAL REPORT—For the breakfast area, employee break rooms, meetings, weddings, and instances when “to go” type utensils are needed, biodegradable, compostable spoons, forks and knives should be an option. Many vendors now sell these types of utensils. They are an environmentally favorable alternative to petroleum-based plastics because they are made from renewable resources such as corn, rice, sugarcane, and potatoes. Billions of plastic utensils are sent to landfills every year—destined to remain unchanged for hundreds or even a thousand years. Utensils made from plant-based products, however, can biodegrade in less than 100 days under the right conditions—in a commercial...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—As part of LEED v3, the latest version of the U.S. Green Building Council’s program for green building design, construction, operations and maintenance, buildings seeking LEED certification will begin submitting operational performance data on a recurring basis as a precondition to certification. “Today there is all too often a disconnect, or performance gap, between the energy modeling done during the design phase and what actually happens during daily operation after the building is constructed,” said Scot Horst, senior vice president of LEED, U.S. Green Building Council. “We’re convinced that ongoing monitoring and reporting of data is the single best...