DALLAS—Motel 6 recently announced the opening of its 1000th Motel 6/Studio 6 property and the first corporately-built and owned location to feature the new “Phoenix” room design. The property in Biloxi, Miss., showcases the chain’s room of the future, with a modern, European boutique-style design. This event also represents a rebirth for Motel 6 in Biloxi, as the original location was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In addition to its modern styling, the Phoenix design also incorporates a number of green and environmentally friendly features, such as wood-effect laminate flooring made of 80 percent pre-consumer recycled material, as well...

TORONTO—The Delta Chelsea Hotel in downtown Toronto was selected as the winner of the 2008 Energy & Environment Award by the Hotel Association of Canada. This award is given to a lodging property that has developed a culture towards integrating environmental management practices that improve everyday operations and the bottom line, while maintaining quality service and meeting guest expectations. The Delta Chelsea has been at the forefront of hotel waste management through its strong partnership with Turtle Island Recycling. It has exceeded both industry standards and municipal targets in landfill diversion. While the City of Toronto set a target of...

MCLEAN, VA.—The demand for affordable meetings is increasing, especially with continued budget cuts due to the current recession. Today planners are dependent on reliable and affordable partners as they are still tasked to produce high-quality events while often working with a smaller budget. Planners will find these partners and other affordable solutions at the Ninth Annual HSMAI’s Affordable Meetings Mid-America at Chicago’s Navy Pier, April 1 to 2, 2009. Affordable Meetings offers attendees the opportunity to choose from 24 educational seminars and workshops designed to offer in-depth coverage of important industry topics including sustainability, budgeting, contracts, event planning, and...

SUNNY ISLES BEACH, FLA.—Put a Trump International Beach Resort hat on a walking planet and what have you got? Globie, the resort’s new mascot who is helping to lead the property’s Planet Kids and Planet Little Kids programs. Unlike some mascots who do not talk, Globie is a speaking mascot and helps educate the resort’s young visitors about environment-related issues ranging from recycling to pollution to non-native plants. Along with Planet Kids counselors, Globie participates in skits and there are plans to send the mascot to area schools, events and camps. Tom Card, director of recreation at the resort in...

TORONTO—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has confirmed its participation in Earth Hour 2009, a global environmental awareness event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF). On Saturday, March 28, 2009 at 8:30 p.m., all 56 of Fairmont’s world-class hotels and resorts from Dallas to Dubai will go dark by turning off their lights for one hour—Earth Hour—and in doing so will reinforce the company’s pioneering commitment to operational sustainability and help draw further attention to one of the world’s single largest environmental issues: climate change. In addition to switching off principal lighting, a number of Fairmont’s properties will also mark this...

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.—The 2009 Green Travel Summit, “The Business of Responsible Travel,” will be held March 23 to 24 at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach, Calif. The summit will focus on exploring green travel strategies and the impact on business travel and meetings. Experts on green travel will share information, best practices and case studies in an interactive conference format. Keynote speakers will include David Refkin, former director of sustainable development, Time, Inc.; Olivia Zaleski, host, “Business of Green,” CNN; and Auden Schendler, executive director, sustainability, Aspen Skiing Company. Also speaking will be Harry Lewis, attorney advisor, U.S....

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Clinton Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) expanded their partnership to radically reduce CO2 and other greenhouse gas emissions from the built environment on a global scale, with an initial focus on accelerating efforts to drive efficiency in existing buildings. Homes, schools, offices and other buildings account for 38 percent of CO2 emissions globally, according to the U.N. Environment Program. In the United States alone, the “low hanging fruit” in building efficiency could save the economy more than $160 billion by 2030, according to McKinsey & Company. Looking ahead, new program development is underway...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Heathman Hotel, Portland’s independent luxury arts hotel, will complete a 99 percent landfill-free remodel in late April. The renovation, involving the historic hotel’s 155 guest bathrooms, was planned in accordance with the property’s commitment to sustainability which includes ensuring energy efficiency, utilizing local resources, and re-using existing materials whenever possible. The renovation is projected to reduce gas usage by 20 percent and water consumption by 50 percent. “We are proud to lead the hospitality industry in our commitment to sustainability,” said Chris Erickson, general manager of the Heathman Hotel. “We find that our guests appreciate our effort to...

NATIONAL REPORT—If you have a top 10 list of “to do” items to green your property, there is a good chance key cards are not on that list. Traditional plastic (PVC) cards carry a high environmental price tag. PVC, of course, is an oil-based product and when incinerated releases harmful dioxins. In the environment, dioxins tend to accumulate in the food chain. The higher in the animal food chain one goes, the higher the concentration of dioxins. Left to rot in a landfill, PVC cards can take centuries to biodegrade. Fortunately, a number of suppliers have emerged in the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) has released its official set of 10 Recommended Steps Hoteliers should take in today’s economy to protect their bottom line and run their properties more cost-efficiently. From leveraging trends and innovations, having a viable press strategy, and more, the AH&LA website expands these guidelines to provide actionable strategies for hoteliers to achieve immediate results. AH&LA’s online tactics will be further supplemented with two upcoming webinars. The first webinar, Using AH&LA to Protect Your Bottom Line , scheduled March 4 from 2 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. (EST), is free for members and...