ARCOLA, ILL.—Agri-Fab Holding Company (AFHC) and Bob McElwee announced that they are developing about 100 acres into a green village near Arcola, Ill. This resort, called Green Mill Village (GMV), is set to open in the fall of 2009 and will include a lodge/conference center, spa, restaurants, retail center and education center—all operated on wind power and solar power. “It will be an unprecedented midwestern sustainable project, from both an environmental and an economic standpoint,” McElwee says. The resort lodge, to be called the Green Mill Hotel, will have 200 rooms and guestrooms will feature furniture made locally. McElwee says there...

NEW YORK CITY—The importance of HVAC&R as it applies to a range of building types is highlighted in the winning entries for the ASHRAE Technology Awards. Designers of systems for a hospital, a poultry slaughter house, a community center, a school and a hotel were recognized for incorporating elements of innovative building design in the areas of occupant comfort, indoor air quality (IAQ) and energy conservation. Winners have applied ASHRAE standards for effective energy management and IAQ. The awards were presented at ASHRAE’s 2008 Winter Meeting held earlier this month in New York City. “While each project was unique in...

SINGAPORE—Royal Plaza (RP) on Scotts, Singapore’s first completely smoke-free business hotel, continues to get positive results from its move to promote the health of its employees through its nonsmoking program first implemented in early 2007. When the hotel decided to go nonsmoking, 96 percent of its employees had successfully quit smoking or had cut down significantly. Employees were continuously encouraged to make a conscientious effort to either reduce the number of cigarettes smoked or kick the habit completely. To further promote the health of the hotel’s staff, RP on Scotts has implemented initiatives with Singapore Wellness Medical Clinic and Changi...

MINNEAPOLIS—Carlson Hotels Worldwide announced the appointment of Carmen Baker to the newly created role of vice president of Responsible Business. Baker, who served most recently as vice president of diversity for Carlson, will lead the company’s initiatives in the areas of corporate social responsibility including environment sustainability, charitable giving and community relations. The appointment was announced by Jay Witzel, president and CEO of Carlson Hotels Worldwide. “As we strive to build respected brands and admired reputation with all of our stakeholders, this appointment reflects the importance of Responsible Business initiatives in achieving this goal,” Witzel said. “Such areas as environmental...

NAPLES, FLA. —The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently welcomed the Hilton Naples to the Florida Green Lodging Program. The Hilton is the first hotel in Naples to be designated and the second in Collier County. The Florida Green Lodging Program is a voluntary state initiative that provides the lodging industry with technical assistance, encouraging hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving “green” practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources. “We are delighted to receive this certificate because we are committed to providing an eco-friendly hotel and services to our guests,” said Clark Hill, the hotel’s general manager. The...

AUSTIN, TEXAS—Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP) and the GUESTROOM 2010 Task Force, a group of hospitality technology leaders and experts, are conducting a comprehensive global search for the hospitality industry’s most innovative technologies to be exhibited in GUESTROOM 2010. The 2008 version of GUESTROOM 2010, a model guestroom of the future featuring some of the latest and near-future technologies for the modern hotel room, will be unveiled at the 2008 Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC) and will be on display at the Austin Convention Center in Austin, Texas from June 16 to 19. “Since its inception in...

DES PLAINES, ILL.—How safety, health and environmental (SH&E) professionals are working to eliminate or reduce risks connected to greening efforts are featured in the new American Society of Safety Engineers’ (ASSE) Hospitality Branch’s Safety Implications of Greening white paper. “Safety, health and environmental professionals must understand the implications of this increased focus on environmental concerns,” ASSE Hospitality Branch Chair David Natalizia, of Costa Mesa, Calif., said. “Efforts to make an operation more green can also result in improved safety and health for workers involved and for the general public. Greening efforts eliminate or reduce some traditional risks, but may increase...

NATHROP, COLO.—Real West Travel Inc., a Colorado-based Internet travel service, will go "live" on February 15 with an online booking system for eco-friendly lodging based in the western United States. The company will provide end consumers the option of booking direct with eco-friendly lodgers while promoting the benefits of becoming eco-friendly to other lodging businesses. The new reservation system will list qualified properties that show they are making a positive effort to help the environment. Real West Travel works on a commission-based model, and listing and setup are free. All hotels, B&Bs, ranches and other lodges in...

NATIONAL REPORT—Somewhere between 60 percent to 70 percent of U.S. hotels now use compact fluorescents (CFLs), one lodging industry expert estimates. There is no doubt that number is going to grow. On December 18, President Bush signed the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007. Within that bill, there is a call for the phaseout, beginning in 2012, of the incandescent bulb. It is only a matter of time before CFLs totally replace the technology invented by Thomas Edison. Given the inevitability of CFLs, where do they stand today in regard to pricing? Quality? Technology? What can hoteliers expect in...

CHICAGO—The Hilton Chicago is hosting a hospitality “Green Day” on Friday, February 1 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the Northeast and Northwest Exhibit Halls which will allow more than 140 vendors to showcase their environmentally friendly products and services. The exhibits will be broken down into the following categories: chemicals, maintenance and janitorial supplies, paper products, office supplies, energy conservation and consumer food products. All hospitality organizations within the Chicagoland area, Hilton properties nationwide, along with the general public are encouraged to attend and participate in the showcase. The idea of going green has gone from a trend...