AUSTIN, TEXAS—With the worldwide economic downturn on the forefront of everyone’s minds, businesses across the globe are incorporating creative methods to work towards financial recovery. A panel of hospitality technology experts, representing large to small properties, will discuss the state of the hospitality industry and the economy during the 2009 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) General Session “Useful Tech Weapons for Economic Battles.” The session is Tuesday, June 23 at 8:30 a.m. at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, Calif. “The hospitality industry is no exception when it comes to being affected by the economic downturn,” said Frank...

NATIONAL REPORT—Last summer, when oil prices were at record highs, thieves were actually stealing yellow grease—used vegetable oil—from storage bins outside of restaurants. Since that time, oil prices have fallen of course but used fryer oil has remained a valuable commodity. Some is still picked up and ultimately used in fertilizers, as animal feed, or in cosmetics, but waste vegetable oil is beginning to be used as a biofuel in cogeneration systems to generate electricity and useable heat. For quite some time it has been converted into biodiesel to power automobiles or even trains. Hoteliers and restaurateurs around the...

SAN FRANCISCO—One of San Francisco’s eco-chic hotels now ranks as its greenest according to the industry standard set by the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) internationally recognized Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system. Hotel Carlton, a Joie de Vivre boutique property, has earned the prestigious LEED Existing Building Operations and Maintenance (LEED-EB O&M) Gold certification from the USGBC. The hotel is the first in the country to earn the rigorous Gold certification under the USGBC’s newly-revamped LEED-EB O&M rating system which debuted last year and was designed specifically to address the needs of existing buildings. ...

NAPERVILLE, ILL.—Following an extensive evaluation process, Naperville’s Hotel Arista has received official LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), becoming the state of Illinois’ first hotel to achieve this status in green design. “We are thrilled to have accomplished this certification, which not only demonstrates that being environmentally friendly is how we were constructed from the ground up, but also as the way we operate and the very core of what Hotel Arista stands for,” says Jeff Wardlaw, general manager, Hotel Arista. Located in Naperville, a 45-minute drive west of downtown...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI) began testing candidates who wish to pursue the new LEED Green Associate credential or the new LEED Accredited Professional (AP) Operations and Maintenance (O+M) credential. The LEED Green Associate credential is intended for individuals seeking to propel their professional journey into the green building industry. It represents the demonstrable knowledge and skills needed in the allied professions and non-technical fields of practice related to green design, construction and operations. It is also the first step for professionals if they later choose to become a LEED AP. “LEED APs have become a force...

BETHESDA, MD.—Through Marriott’s Spirit to Preserve program, the company announced It is rolling out “Green Events” at all Continental Europe JW Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Marriott Hotels & Resorts, Renaissance Hotels & Resorts and Courtyard by Marriott Hotels. The largest hotel industry initiative of its kind, this program builds on Marriott’s aggressive environmental strategy, applying the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle to all events and meetings in Continental Europe, making them more eco-friendly and helping guests and meeting planners reduce their environmental impact. Last year, Marriott hotels throughout the United States began to offer green meetings and it...

DELRAY BEACH, FLA.—Hotel operating and development company Ocean Properties Ltd. has successfully earned Green Lodging Certification for 28 of its 30 hotel and resort properties in Florida. Administered by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the voluntary Green Lodging program encourages hotels to adopt cost-saving practices that reduce waste, conserve natural resources and prevent pollution. To date, fewer than 10 percent of Florida’s 4,000-plus hotels, motels, resorts and inns have met the stringent guidelines necessary to earn the certification. “We are committed to being good stewards of the communities we serve, and put that commitment into action by adopting new...

SAN DIEGO—When the Hotel Indigo San Diego-Gaslamp Quarter opens August 1, it will be the first InterContinental Hotels Group hotel to open with LEED certification as a goal. It will also be the first hotel in San Diego to pursue LEED and the first Hotel Indigo to open in that city. There is currently just one other Hotel Indigo in California—in Rancho Cucamonga. The 12-floor, 210-guestroom property was built where an auto repair shop once stood. Non-hazardous material from the building site was recycled and diverted from the local landfill. The hotel is located close to the active Gaslamp...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Florida solidified its position as a front-runner in sustainability late last month with the unveiling of the Orange County Convention Center’s new one-megawatt photovoltaic (PV) system, the largest rooftop solar installation in the Southeast. Solar panels span the length of five and a half football fields, generating 1,300 megawatt-hours of electricity per year—greatly reducing the center’s carbon footprint and electricity costs. The new PV system was made possible by a $2,500,000 grant provided by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Florida Renewable Technologies Grant. Additional support for the project was provided by the OUC, EDC and U.S. Dept. of...

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—NYLO Providence/Warwick has received Green Hospitality Certification from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (DEM). In a ceremony before Rhode Island’s hospitality industry elite, the 163-room, urban loft hotel was honored for its outstanding conservation and recycling programs. NYLO Providence/Warwick is the state’s first hotel to run on 100 percent renewable energy. Through a partnership with People’s Power & Light, the property offsets its entire electricity usage with a mix of local and regional solar, wind, biomass and hydroelectric power sources. “Despite New England’s high energy costs, NYLO is deeply committed to sustainability,” says Christine Nevers, general manager,...