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...

LEXINGTON, KY.—The National Tour Association (NTA) announced that it will donate one dollar to the Arbor Day Foundation’s National Forest Replanting project for each delegate who registers for its Annual Convention on opening day. For every delegate who registers May 19 to attend the 2009 NTA Annual Convention, November 14 to 18, in Reno, Nevada, NTA will make a donation to help America’s national forests. The Arbor Day Foundation says that every dollar donated will result in one tree planted. As a result of last year’s contributions, NTA delegates helped to plant more than 600 trees. “NTA is...

NATIONAL REPORT—Alternatives to the traditional 100 percent cotton or cotton/polyester blend towels are becoming more common in the lodging industry—especially at luxury and boutique properties. In fact, many suppliers now offer organic cotton towels, organic cotton towels with a blend of bamboo fibers, or 100 percent bamboo towels. One can also find 100 percent cotton towels with super-fine, Extra-Long Staple (ELS) cotton. Each of these new towel styles are more environmentally friendly in their own way when compared to the towels the lodging industry has been using for so long. There is a cost premium to buying “green” alternatives—sometimes a...

BOSTON—Thirteen Massachusetts citizens and fourteen Massachusetts groups were honored on Earth Day in Boston’s Faneuil Hall as EPA presented its annual Environmental Merit Awards for 2009. Recognizing significant contributions to environmental awareness and problem solving, the Massachusetts awardees included five lifetime achievement awards, six individual merit awards (including a director of engineering and director of rooms and environmental programs from two Boston hotels), three business/industry/ professional organization recipients, eight environmental/community/academia/ nonprofit organization winners, and three awards for efforts by local, state or federal governments. Given out by EPA since 1970, the merit awards honor individuals and groups who have...

HONOLULU, OAHU, HAWAII—General manager Dean Nakasone announced today that the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber has received an Energy Star designation by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Energy Star is the national symbol for superior energy efficiency and environmental protection, and is awarded to qualified commercial and industrial buildings that rate in the top 25 percent of facilities in the nation for energy efficiency. “In the rebuild of the OHANA Waikiki Beachcomber, energy efficiency was a core component; today we continue to strive towards reducing our carbon footprint in every way possible,” Nakasone said. “The Energy Star achievement is great...

WARRENTON, VA.—Kevin Carter, general manager of the Airlie Center, recently announced that the Airlie Conference Center received the Green Seal Certification-Silver for compliance with the Green Seal Standard for Lodging Properties (GS-33, 2008). Airlie received original certification in August 2004 and was recently awarded the Silver Certification based on Green Seal’s compliance monitoring evaluation for environmental and performance requirements, according to Mark T. Petruzzi, vice president of certification for the Washington, DC-based Green Seal. Founded in 1989, Green Seal is devoted to setting the standards for environmental certification. In 1995, Green Seal partnered with the lodging industry (the nation’s...

CLEARWATER BEACH, FLA.—Clearwater Beach’s Sandpearl Resort, developed by locally-owned JMC Communities and managed by Coral Hospitality, has been awarded LEED Silver Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council. Sandpearl is the first resort or hotel in Florida to achieve this distinguished honor and one of only 15 worldwide. Sandpearl Resort opened in August 2007 and is also a designated member of the Florida Green Lodging Program. “This certification is the culmination of extraordinary efforts by the entire JMC Communities development team, and proves Clearwater Beach’s commitment to caring for its natural resources,” said Michael Cheezem, CEO of JMC Communities. “We’ve...

MIAMI BEACH, FLA.—Cambean Hospitality, a Miami Beach-based hospitality group that owns and manages four boutique hotel properties in the historic South Beach area, announced that it plans to install solar panels and a wind turbine on the roof of the Clifton South Beach Hotel. Cambean also announced that it will purchase carbon offsets and renewable energy credits (RECs) from Boulder, Colo.-based Renewable Choice Energy to offset its fuel and electricity consumption. “While many hospitality companies have embraced being ‘green,’ their involvement, and the involvement of their guests, is purely a voluntary or opportunistic approach and is not mandated by corporate...

BIG SUR, CALIF.—Post Ranch Inn, recognized throughout the world as a leading green coastal property, has switched on a 990-panel solar installation, the largest hotel solar project in California and one of the largest in the United States. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the system is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 611,000 pounds annually. That is equivalent to removing more than 50 vehicles from the road or serving nearly 39 U.S. households’ electricity needs. The solar array is owned and operated by Recurrent Energy, a distributed power company and leading provider of onsite solar energy. Post...