WASHINGTON, D.C.—Washington D.C.’s Willard InterContinental Hotel, a leader in sustainable hospitality, has released its second Sustainability Report. The new report, summarizing its 2008 activities, follows Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC). The report highlights the results of the hotel’s strategy based on the “triple bottom line” of economic prosperity, social responsibility and environmental protection. The report examines the Willard’s environmental and social performance against the previous year’s report of the hotel’s sustainable development initiatives which began in 2005 as “Willard InterContinental, The Next 100 Years.” The new report also benchmarks against the hotel’s first Sustainable Development (SD) Report for...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. and its eco-chic Element Hotels brand announced a partnership with Carbon Day Automotive to install a ChargePoint Networked Charging Station at Element Lexington, Starwood’s first Element property which opened in July 2008. The ChargePoint Networked Charging Station was developed by Coulomb Technologies and is distributed by Green Power Technologies. Both guests and travelers in the area can simply swipe a keyfob, plug in and charge up their electric vehicles at the station. A first in the hotel industry, travelers will be able to locate the charging station and even determine whether it...

FREESTONE, CALIF.—Osmosis Day Spa Sanctuary announces the completion of their new greywater system and constructed wetlands. With water becoming as prized as gold, Osmosis is striving for efficiency, recycling its greywater, while creating a spa-like sanctuary for nearby Northern California wildlife. More than 14 months in the making and considered a landmark project, the new Osmosis constructed wetlands is the first of its kind completed in Sonoma County. Saving nearly 1,000 gallons of water per day, Osmosis’ latest green milestone also paves the way for other local businesses seeking to transform used water into sustenance for thriving gardens. “Greywater is...

TETIAROA, FRENCH POLYNESIA—Located on the French Polynesian atoll of Tetiaroa and a product of the late Marlon Brando’s vision, construction on The Brando has officially begun with completion slated for late 2011. Construction of the luxury eco-resort has commenced with the official authorization from the Tahitian government after several years of studying the impact of construction on the environment. The Brando will feature: 47 deluxe bungalow villas (each with private plunge pools), a spa, fitness center, community pool, as well as various island activities including scuba diving and archaeological tours of royal Tahitian sites. Construction of The Brando began with...

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF.—As of July 20, the owners of the Embassy Suites Lake Tahoe Hotel & Ski Resort had spent $250,000 less than they had expected to spend on energy this year. According to David Hansen, director of engineering at the 400-suite property, the hotel could come close to a total of $500,000 in energy savings by the end of 2009. When comparing the first six months of this year against the first six months of last year, electricity consumption dropped by 575,000 kilowatt hours ($98,902 savings) and natural gas consumption by 9,314 dekatherms ($67,709 savings). The hotel...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Advance registration is now open for the 94th annual International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS), North America’s largest showcase of hospitality products including amenities, food & beverage, fixtures, furnishings, linens, sustainable products, tabletop, technology and more. A discounted registration fee of $30 is available through October 10, 2009, with the rate increasing to $50 per person on October 11. Taking place November 7 to 10, 2009, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, the IH/M&RS features 1,000 exhibitors and attracts some 35,000 in total trade attendance. The $30 early registration rate is applicable to events taking...

TORONTO—As part of the brand’s focus and commitment to sustainability, more than 22 Fairmont locations worldwide are reducing their waste disposal costs and supporting the switch to a cleaner economy by manufacturing used kitchen oils into biodiesel, a domestic and renewable fuel derived from natural oils. No one method or solution is universal and biodiesel initiatives vary by property. At The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa, the hotel gets the job done by partnering with Yokayo Bio-Fuels, a local biodiesel firm, to gather approximately 150 gallons of kitchen grease each quarter, turning it into tallow or feed. The Fairmont...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Looking down on the roof of Wyndham Worldwide’s new headquarters on a sunny day could be hazardous to your eyes. The 83,000 square feet of white roofing on the top of the company’s new corporate headquarters building in Parsippany just might reflect the sun back at you. The white roof, which helps keep the building cool during the summer, is just one of the many green features found at Wyndham’s three-level corporate office. According to Faith Taylor, vice president, sustainability and innovation for Wyndham Worldwide, the complex opened earlier this year in February and more than 800 employees...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new 226-room Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Chevy Chase, Md., on the Maryland/Washington, D.C. border is now open to the public. Grosvenor Americas, the international property development and investment company, has completed a $35 million renovation and re-branding of the original 39-year-old building. The new Courtyard by Marriott Chevy Chase is designed to meet the criteria for the Gold LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). LEED is an internationally recognized certification system that measures how well a building performs across a number of areas that matter most: energy...

NEW ORLEANS—More than 200 non-biodegradable fiberglass trash cans, once destined for a landfill, have found a new life as bright yellow-green recycling bins at the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center. In an effort to be more environmentally-friendly, the Convention Center sought to replace their existing trash cans with 210 new recycling bins for paper, plastic, and waste. As the trash cans were about to be put out to pasture, enterprising Convention Center employees stepped in with an innovative idea for repurposing the 25-year-old trash cans. During a brainstorming session, operations staff members suggested that the Convention Center’s existing...