WASHINGTON, D.C.—In response to the nation’s honey bee shortage and as part of the hotel’s environmental stewardship program, The Fairmont Washington, D.C. recently welcomed 105,000 Italian honey bees to their new home. The rooftop of The Fairmont Washington, D.C. is now abuzz with three honey beehives and their residents. The bees will enhance the hotel’s culinary program along with its interior courtyard garden that already provides fresh herbs and flowers such as edible pansies, and the plants, trees and flowers in the surrounding West End neighborhood. Executive sous chef Ian Bens and executive pastry chef Aron Weber will share the...

ST. LOUIS, MO.—The board of directors of the International Association of Conference Centers introduced a rigorous Code of Sustainability at the 28th annual conference in March to encourage member properties around the globe to demonstrate their commitment to sustainable practices in nine areas: education and awareness, waste management, recycling, reuse, water conservation, purchasing, energy management, air quality, and food & beverage. According to Lois Berg, chair of IACC’s Sustainability Committee (director of administrative services at The Johnson Foundation, Inc. – at Wingspread Conference Center), the Code will “allow member properties to commit to sustain and support IACC’s Environmental Policy, adhere...

NEW YORK—With Memorial Day as the kickoff to the summer season, more Americans are taking some time to relax and refresh with the economy only slightly impacting their summer travel plans, according to a new study released today by Deloitte. Nearly one-third (29 percent) of respondents are taking vacations this Memorial Day weekend. This is up slightly from the 24 percent who said they took a Memorial Day vacation last year. In addition, nearly two-thirds (64 percent) said they are taking a summer vacation this year, although half of them said they will likely change some aspect of the trip...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The National Restaurant Association launched a new campaign—the National Restaurant Association Conserve/EPA Energy Star Challenge—and is encouraging the nation’s nearly one million restaurants, their 13 million employees, as well as their suppliers and guests to reduce energy and water use in establishments. “There are many different ways to reduce energy and water consumption in restaurants,” said Association president and CEO Dawn Sweeney. “We hope that our Conserve/EPA Challenge campaign will motivate those within our industry to continue their journey toward a more sustainable future. Many of the small steps recommended on our Conserve website will make a significant difference...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The International Ecotourism Society’s website has gone through a major makeover this spring, redesigned and re-branded with a new look and a number of new and improved features. Among the key highlights of the new site is Ecotourism Explorer, an interactive map of all TIES members around the world. Providing up-to-date information on businesses and organizations engaged in ecotourism, Ecotourism Explorer makes searching for responsible travel options easy and fun for travelers, while at the same time providing significant marketing opportunities for businesses and destinations. “Our new site, with its diverse options for more interactive user experiences, will...

LAS VEGAS—Approximately 125 people attended Hospitality Design’s Green Day here at the Sands Expo and Convention Center on Wednesday, May 13. Attendance was down more than 50 percent when compared to last year’s turnout of 270. Those hoteliers, architects, designers and others who did attend were treated to a strong group of presentations by some of the lodging industry’s leading experts on green design, operations and product certification. Specific projects in focus ranged from MGM MIRAGE’s CityCenter to Starwood Hotels & Resorts’ recently opened Element hotels. The day kicked off with a presentation by Jake Kheel, environmental director...

ZURICH, SWITZERLAND—As part of its corporate development, which is geared towards sustainability, Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts decided to set up an integrated management system conforming to internationally recognized standards. It has now succeeded in reaching its first milestone. At a recent event, Hubert Rizzi, chief auditor at the Swiss Association for Quality and Management Systems (SQS), handed over the official ISO certificate for Swissôtel Management GmbH to Meinhard Huck, president of Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts. The certificate was granted for compliance with ISO 9001 (quality management), ISO 14001 (environmental management) and OHSAS 18001 (occupational health and safety) standards, through which...

BETHESDA, MD.—In support of its environmental strategy to address climate change, Marriott International has announced that its global headquarters building and more than 30 of its hotels in design, development or under construction are expected to achieve LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). Marriott was the first major hotel company in the United States with a LEED certified hotel—The Inn and Conference Center by Marriott at the University of Maryland in College Park. “LEED certification gives these hotels a ‘green’ stamp of approval that our customers recognize and look for,” says...

FRIANT, CALIF.—The Specialty Sleep Association (SSA) announced that it has joined the Sustainable Furnishings Council (SFC) according to Dale T. Read, president, SSA. “As the SSA undertakes its step-by-step ‘green initiative’ to identify existing terms, standards and certifications, and to define and set standards for how mattress manufacturers and retailers as well as natural sleep products label ‘green,’ creating a relationship with the SFC is an important step in achieving our goals,” Read said. The ultimate goal of the SSA will be to create a certification program based on existing legitimate standards and programs as well as sleep industry-specific terms...

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, WYO.—Xanterra Parks & Resorts, operator of lodges, gift shops, restaurants and activities in Yellowstone National Park, will convert its gift shop in the Mammoth Hot Springs Hotel into an interpretive facility dedicated to informing park visitors about climate change and offering environmentally friendly products. “Although other stores may offer some of these products, we believe this is the first retail operation—in a national park or elsewhere—devoted to interpreting climate change,” said Beth Pratt, director of environmental affairs for Xanterra’s Yellowstone operations. “Our goal for this store is to connect the park visitor to the threats climate change...