SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA—Emirates Hotels & Resorts has announced the start of a major habitat regeneration project at its first luxury Australian conservation resort, Wolgan Valley Resort & Spa. The first step in the long-term conservation program commenced with the planting of more than 1,000 indigenous trees. The reforestation project aims to regenerate ecologically sensitive areas within Emirates’ Wolgan Valley Reserve and is part of Emirates Hotels and Resorts’ carbon offsetting initiative and its commitment to the protection of biodiversity. The first resort to be developed by Emirates Hotels & Resorts outside the United Arab Emirates, Wolgan Valley includes an extensive conservation...

ATLANTA— As designers and consumers become more involved in the eco-friendly movement and wish to purchase products that protect the health and well-being of their families and building occupants, one product they focus on is paint. To assist in the purchase decisions, the Greenguard Environmental Institute (GEI) wants to educate consumers on the difference between volatile organic compound (VOC) content and VOC emissions. VOC content is the amount (by weight) of VOCs that are in the formulation of paint, while VOC emissions are the amount of VOCs released into the air following the application of paint. The difference between the...

SANTA MONICA, CALIF.—Santa Monica-based hotel developer, The Ambrose Collection, has won two awards for its latest concept, Hotel Ray. Having pioneered environmentally responsible practices long before “going green” was in fashion, The Ambrose Collection, with these two new honors, has once again proven that sustainability can—and should—seamlessly coexist with luxury. Winning a Finalist Award at Hospitality Design (HD) magazine’s fourth annual Hospitality Design Awards (HD Awards), and the Los Angeles Architectural Awards’ 2008 Award of Excellence in the Commercial Design Concept category, Hotel Ray serves as a model of sustainability for future development, marrying the luxuries of an...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts was honored recently by Conde Nast Traveler as a leader in social responsibility in the travel industry as a winner of the magazine’s 2008 World Savers Awards in the category of environmental protection. As one of only six global travel companies handpicked from 142 applicants by an elite and prestigious judging panel for Conde Nast Traveler’s environmental leadership awards, Vail Resorts was recognized for its commitment to renewable energy, its aggressive and innovative “energy layoff” conservation program and its successful forest conservation partnership with the National Forest Foundation, a nonprofit associated with the U.S. Forest Service. “The...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—RockResorts, a luxury hotel company with a long-standing tradition of embracing the natural settings of its resort locations, has recently launched Appetite For Life, a brand-wide program showcasing cuisine created with local/regional organic and sustainable ingredients. The program is being rolled out across all its resort properties. The RockResorts collection of eight luxury hotels has implemented the Appetite for Life program in all food and beverage operations. The program involves a variety of sustainable food elements including: offering Horizon Organic dairy products; implementing the use of sustainable seafood and fish; eliminating all artificial trans fats; using Coleman...

SCOTTSDALE, ARIZ.—Deep-fried foods may not be so good for your waistline, but at least you could be helping the environment when ordering those French Fries at the Fairmont Scottsdale. The resort has launched a new program to convert its kitchen grease into biodiesel, one of the world’s fastest-growing new alternative fuels. Partnering with local manufacturer AZ BioDiesel, the Fairmont Scottsdale will help to prevent more than 100,000 pounds of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere with the new program. By collecting more than 700 gallons of used cooking oil from the resort’s kitchens, AZ BioDiesel will be able to...

CHICAGO—For the first time in its five-year history, the Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC) is branching out with a local chapter. It will be located in Chicago. It is an outgrowth of a meeting that took place earlier this year at GMIC’s national conference in Vancouver, B.C. It was there that a group of Chicago area meeting professionals got together to discuss the possibility of a chapter and the need for Chicago’s hospitality and meeting community to be more proactive in seeking out and hosting green meetings. GMIC is also pursuing other chapters in the United States and internationally...

MIAMI—Site activity is now underway at One Bayfront Plaza, announced Florida East Coast Realty, Inc. (FECR). Borings have been completed on the $2 billion development in downtown Miami that will comprise a 70-story mixed-use tower. At 1,049 feet, the One Bayfront Plaza tower is poised to be the tallest building in Miami. Adjacent will be a 43-story hotel, the first to be built north of the Miami River in 25 years. Together, the project will total 4 million square feet. FECR is pursuing Silver level LEED certification for the buildings. According to FECR’s construction manager, Alan Krause, the...

NATIONAL REPORT—Going green is no longer a passing trend but an important initiative for every business to consider. Today’s customers are becoming more environmentally conscious consumers and looking toward companies that are both responsive to their needs and environmentally aware. Some consumers are going as far as to change their shopping behaviors to only purchase from “green” companies. In the hospitality industry, where customer satisfaction drives the success of an establishment, hoteliers understand the importance of going green. From energy efficient lighting to limited laundry services, there are numerous ways that hoteliers have implemented green practices to provide a more...

FREEPORT, ME.—As the final numbers for the Maine Innkeeper’s Assn. (MEIA) fifth annual Hospitality for Habitat program are tallied, it is clear that visitors to Maine appreciate the opportunity to ‘give while getting away’. Hospitality for Habitat was designed to raise money for local Maine chapters of Habitat for Humanity, and since its inception in 2003 the program has grown each year. This year Hospitality for Habitat attracted more than 40 MEIA members and raised over $12,000 to help fund housing for Maine families. Hospitality for Habitat runs in May, and participating Innkeepers offer a designated number of their rooms...