LUDLOW, VERMONT— Okemo Mountain Resort’s Jackson Gore Inn was recently designated as a Green Hotel in the Green Mountain State by the environmental business partnership between the Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation and the Vermont Small Business Development Center. This designation is based on the Inn’s voluntary commitment to sound environmental excellence through the placement and achievement of high environmental standards. The Jackson Gore Inn is one of 64 Green Hotels in Vermont to earn the distinguished designation. “This is an evolving commitment and we believe that eco-friendly operation can be accomplished with no negative impacts on the quality of...

ATLANTA—As ASHRAE, USGBC and the Illuminating Engineering Society of North America (IESNA) move forward in developing the nation’s first standard for high-performance, green commercial buildings, membership on the committee developing the standard is being reconstituted. Proposed Standard 189.1, Standard for the Design of High-Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, will provide minimum requirements for the design of high-performance new commercial buildings and major renovation projects, addressing energy efficiency, a building’s impact on the atmosphere, sustainable sites, water use efficiency, materials and resources, and indoor environmental quality. It is being developed by ASHRAE, IESNA and USGBC. To better address the...

BOSTON—LEED 2009, the long-awaited update to the internationally recognized LEED green building certification program, has passed member ballot, and will be introduced in 2009 as the next major evolution of the existing LEED rating systems for commercial buildings. It includes a series of major technical advancements focused on improving energy efficiency, reducing carbon emissions, and addressing other environmental and human health outcomes. LEED 2009 will also incorporate highly anticipated regional credits, extra points that have been identified as priorities within a project’s given environmental zone. LEED has also undergone a scientifically grounded re-weighting of credits, changing allocation of points among...

ITHACA, N.Y.—Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and the Johnson Graduate School of Management have joined forces with HEI Hotels & Resorts to create a course in which students will work with hospitality industry leaders to devise innovative and more cost-effective solutions to social and environmental issues. This pioneering collaboration is being led by the Leland C. and Mary M. Pillsbury Institute for Hospitality Entrepreneurship at the Cornell Hotel School and by the Center for Sustainable Global Enterprise at the Johnson School. Funding and strategic guidance is being provided by HEI Hotels & Resorts, a hotel investment and operating...

OTTAWA, ONTARIO—The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) announced that Green Key rated hotels can now include their Key ratings in AAA/CAA travel guides. AAA/CAA will now be supporting green certified hotels that are also “Diamond-rated” properties by encouraging promotion of their Key rating in TourBook advertising both in Canada and the United States. “We are very pleased that AAA strongly supports environmental management and sustainability throughout the lodging industry and we look forward to extending this benefit to all Green Key hotels in North America,” said Tony Pollard, HAC president. “The consumer numbers show that the greening of hotels across...

NEW YORK—At its recent Women in Lodging (WIL) luncheon, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and Dress for Success announced a national partnership to build awareness of and solicit donations to support the organization’s primary mission of promoting the economic independence of disadvantaged women. Joi Gordon, CEO of Dress for Success Worldwide, and Vicki Gordon, chair of AH&LA’s Women In Lodging Executive Council, officially kicked off the new flagship initiative of AH&LA’s WIL Connect membership category, which will include a series of fundraising events and suit drives at hotels across the United States in 2009. AH&LA will kick off...

SAN DIEGO—Constellation Property Group is introducing domus STAY; a bold alternative to the traditional hotel and extended stay experience. The first property; domus@STELLA, will open in San Diego in early 2009. The Stella blueprint is stamped by Marchese + Partners International, a fresh class of designer born out of Australian lifestyle. Designed as a contemporary urban chic project, Stella consists of two low-rise linear buildings containing 84 modern and minimalistic one- and two-bedroom units. The building facades are framed in clean lines and are regularly broken with warm timber screens and large expanses of glazing, creating an appeal of functionality...

MINNEAPOLIS—Newly tabulated results from a carbon-offset campaign conducted earlier this year by Carlson Hotels Worldwide report the initiative generated sufficient donations from members of Carlson’s goldpoints plus frequent-guest program to offset 340,436 pounds of carbon dioxide emissions. To date, members have converted 709,000 Gold Points into contributions for carbon-reduction projects operated by The CarbonNeutral Company. Carlson has matched the donations, doubling the overall value. The goldpoints plus program includes all Carlson hotel brands: Regent Hotels & Resorts, Radisson Hotels & Resorts, Park Plaza Hotels & Resorts, Country Inns & Suites By Carlson, and Park Inn. Carlson invited goldpoints plus members to...

ENGLEWOOD, CO.—Destination Hotels & Resorts, the fourth largest independent hotel management company in the United States, launched Destination Earth throughout its collection this year. Destination Earth is an environmental sustainability program. Since the program’s inception, properties have implemented more than 60 eco-friendly measures ranging from energy efficient lighting and reduction of water usage to property-wide recycling and purchasing eco-friendly products in all areas. Although the company has set operational benchmarks for various eco-friendly measures, the cornerstone of the program is property-based Green Teams who implement these practices and also create customized initiatives that work well in their particular operating...

ARLINGTON, VA.—During the holidays, it seems it is always better to give than it is to receive. Inspired by Shel Silverstein’s timeless children’s classic “The Giving Tree,” Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Arlington at Waterview announces a unique eco-conscious package. Ideal for eco-savvy guests visiting the Washington metro area, “The Giving Tree” is a budget-conscious package that reminds us that there is no better time to give green than during the holiday season. Guests who stay at the Hotel Palomar Arlington and book “The Giving Tree” package receive: • A one night stay in a king deluxe room. • A young...