BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International has found the “key” to a greener planet. Effective immediately, the company will begin replacing the 24 million plastic key cards that it purchases annually in the United States with those made of 50 percent recycled material, thereby saving 66 tons of plastic from being dumped in a landfill. The new key card is just one of many advances the company has made to “green” its $10 billion supply chain and reduce its global environmental footprint. As hotels deplete their inventory of existing supplies, they’ll be replaced with new, greener products, preferably developed by the company’s current...

DALLAS—Motel 6 held groundbreaking ceremonies on Monday in Northlake, Texas, for the first corporately-built and owned property to feature the newly-redesigned Motel 6 building and room design. The property, located between Dallas and Fort Worth, will showcase the “Phoenix” prototype, named after the mythical birth of rebirth and renewal. The new design features rooms with a modern, Euro-chic design. “With all the environmentally aware features and the sleek new design, this is truly our greenest motel ever,” said Olivier Poirot, CEO for Accor North America, Motel 6 and Studio 6. “This is the first look at how Motel 6 is...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) members can now apply for the 2009 Stars of the Industry Awards online. The deadline for applications is February 16, 2009, and awards will be announced during the Stars of the Industry Luncheon on June 24 at AH&LA’s Summer Summit in Chicago. A new category in 2009 is the Stevan Porter Emerging Hospitality Leader of the Year award, created in memory of Stevan Porter, former president of the Americas for the InterContinental Hotels Group, and organized in conjunction with the association’s launch of the Under 30 Gateway, AH&LA’s new membership category exclusively...

CHICAGO—The Green Meetings Industry Council (GMIC) announced a strategic online partnership with PlannerWire, the news, information and community website for meeting and event professionals, to promote awareness of the global importance of green meetings, provide social networking opportunities for members, and a platform for sharing information about the GMIC annual conferences. PlannerWire will feature GMIC within the association section of PlannerWire.com. This section will allow for important information for prospective members and links to GMIC’s membership page will be included. GMIC will have the opportunity to provide editorial and video content in the coming months along with featured webinars...

NAPLES, FLA.—In order to further its green lodging endeavors, the Hilton Naples has begun the implementation of a Confederate Jasmine vine garden on the section of the hotel’s roof over the ballroom area. Confederate Jasmine is indigenous to the Naples area and is generally described as a perennial vine with dark green foliage and orange flowers. The hotel has covered the roof of the hotel’s ballroom area in order to eliminate direct exposure to the sun, thereby decreasing the amount of energy necessary to cool the ballroom area. The vine garden will also present an enhanced view from...

LOS ANGELES—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) awarded its highest level of recognition, LEED Platinum certification, to the Conference Center at the newly re-opened TreePeople Center for Community Forestry. TreePeople, an environmental nonprofit, has served the Los Angeles region for 35 years with the goal of “helping nature heal our cities.” The state-of-the-art Conference Center provides a gathering place for local, national, and international leaders to create healthy, sustainable cities. The Conference Center is the focal point for the Center for Community Forestry, a four-acre environmental educational campus located in L.A.’s Coldwater Canyon Park. Furthering TreePeople’s mission to provide...

SAN FRANCISCO—Joie de Vivre’s eco-friendly efforts continue to receive statewide accolades—the most recent from the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) and the City of Berkeley. CH&LA awarded the Hotel Carlton the 2008 Lodging Property Achievement Award for “Good Earthkeeping” and the City of Berkeley gave Hotel Durant the “Expanding Sustainability Award.” The Hotel Carlton, the first Joie de Vivre property to be green certified, was recognized by the CH&LA for “Good Earthkeeping” in a large-sized property. The award is given to a property that has been successful in areas such as energy conservation, waste reduction, water conservation, effluents and...

NAPERVILLE, ILL.—Hotel Arista has opened in Naperville, located 45 minutes from downtown Chicago. It is the city’s first luxury boutique hotel and is slated to receive LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification. The property features 144 modern designed residential-style accommodations, as well as a signature restaurant, SugarToad. The restaurant is led by executive chef Jimmy Sneed. In Greece, a land known for its epic hospitality, Arista means “the best.” Hotel Arista, a member of Preferred Hotels & Resorts, delivers a luxury hotel experience with its customer centric and environmentally friendly practices. Hotel Arista’s 144 guestrooms are expansive, thoughtfully...

ATLANTA—As part of its mission to “transform the global meetings industry through sustainability,” the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) announced its partnership with meeting industry leaders in Atlanta to form a chapter. “We recognized that the meeting leaders in Atlanta were not only aligned with our mission and values but also wanted to make an ethical commitment to a global movement,” says GMIC Executive Director Tamara Kennedy-Hill. “Convention and meeting planners and suppliers in Atlanta have worked together informally for years to share information about how to incorporate sustainability into their events,” said Audrey Davies, Home Depot, Atlanta chapter-in-formation...

NEW YORK—More than 10 New York state organizations are currently working together as part of the New York State Governor’s Initiative: Green Hospitality Partnership to put together a program that would encourage benchmarking and certification for hospitality industry businesses in the Empire State. The effort is being led by the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation. Other organizations participating include: Governor’s Office; Hospitality and Tourism Association; Restaurant Association; Department of Economic Development; Department of Agriculture and Markets; Department of Labor; Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation; Energy Research & Development Authority; and Pollution Prevention Institute. The objectives of...