SCARBOROUGH, MAINE—National Geographic Traveler magazine has named Scarborough, Maine’s historic Black Point Inn and South Casco, Maine’s Migis Lodge to its first-ever “Stay List.” The list, launched as an annual feature, debuts in the April 2008 issue of the magazine; it features 150 properties which best represent an authentic “sense of place” in the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. The magazine’s Stay List recommends the best places to stay the night that embrace authenticity, are dedicated to giving back to the community, and are mindfully green, according to editorial staff. “It’s thrilling to see how many...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. and the state of Amazonas signed an agreement to support the first project of its kind to help protect 1.4 million acres of endangered rainforest. This innovative partnership between government and the private sector is one of the first in the world to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from deforestation. Marriott has committed $2 million to fund an environmental management plan administered by the newly created Amazonas Sustainable Foundation. By year end, Marriott guests and group customers will also be able to offset the greenhouse gas emissions generated from their hotel stays by contributing to this rainforest...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is asking organizations to join the Energy Star Low Carbon IT Campaign. By enabling the power management, or sleep mode, on their computers and monitors, organizations will help reduce our growing demand for electricity, and save money while fighting climate change. If all office computers and monitors in the United States were set to sleep when not being used, the country could save more than 44 billion kWh or $4 billion worth of electricity and avoid the greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of about 5 million cars each year. “Although the work...

NATIONAL REPORT—Not so long ago, ice machines were not purchased based on energy or water efficiency. That all changed when the economy began to experience some bumps five to 10 years back, which is when most hotel chains began to take a much closer look at their operational costs. In response to concerns about costs, as well as environmental impact, manufacturers of ice machines began producing more efficient equipment. The results have definitely been favorable. In the last five years, according to experts, ice machine energy efficiency has improved by about 15 to 20 percent, and some models are...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Two recently released studies, one by the New Buildings Institute (NBI) and one by CoStar Group, have validated what the green building community has known all along: third party certified buildings outperform their conventional counterparts across a wide variety of metrics, including energy savings, occupancy rates, sale price and rental rates. In the NBI study, the results indicate that new buildings certified under the U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) LEED certification system are, on average, performing 25 to 30 percent better than non-LEED certified buildings in terms of energy use. The study also demonstrates that there is a correlation...

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—The California Hotel & Lodging Assn. (CH&LA) announced the Stars of the Industry award winners at the Sheraton Hotel in Sacramento. The Stars of the Industry awards, presented by USA Today, were given for employee, manager, and general manager of the year, as well as for community service, guest relations, and the environmental category of Good Earthkeeping. Good Earthkeeping awards recognize lodging properties that have developed a culture toward integrating environmental management practices that improve everyday operations and the bottom line, while maintaining quality service and meeting guest expectations. The program must demonstrate success in one or more of...

HONOLULU, OAHU—Ushering in the green of spring, starting May 1, the Outrigger Condominium Collection will present guests with a free amenity—a reusable “green” travel tote—providing an earth-friendly alternative to single-use paper and plastic bags. The new complimentary tote will be presented to guests staying a minimum of two nights at any of Outrigger’s resort condominiums in Hawaii, allowing them to explore the islands in style while protecting and preserving the state’s resources. “Our goal is to help reduce the millions of plastic and paper bags headed for Hawaii landfills while at the same time creating a more convenient vacation experience...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) will host four fast-paced days of business, professional development, and networking at its third annual Summer Summit, June 8-12. Held at The Skirvin Hilton in Oklahoma City, highlights of this year’s comprehensive events program will include new and timely presentations on green initiatives, economic analysis and foresight from industry insiders at the Lodging Industry Summit, specialized certification and educational seminars, and AH&LA’s annual Stars of the Industry Awards ceremony. Summer Summit’s green panel representatives from leading certification programs Green Seal, Green Key, the U.S. Green Building Council, and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Energy Star award winners Lowe’s Cos. Inc., PepsiCo, Food Lion, LLC, Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America Inc., Marriott International Inc., and 3M, are among those showcased in a report released today by EPA for reducing greenhouse gas emissions through energy efficiency. The report, “Profiles in Leadership, 2008 Energy Star Award Winners,” highlights 74 award-winning organizations across many sectors of the U.S. economy, including schools, hospitals, real estate, manufacturing, chemicals and home building. “EPA applauds these organizations for preserving our environment and our energy resources,” said EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “Whether you are running a business or...

SAN FRANCISCO—Michael Pace, general manager of W San Francisco, announces the kickoff of ECOLICIOUS—the first of a number of new eco-fun programs designed to put W San Francisco’s best green foot forward in 2008. ECOLICIOUS puts the W spin on organic-chic cocktailing, with a groovy green organic drink menu and delicious farm-to-table bites. San Francisco scenesters and green-thumbs alike will delight in this hip new eco-chic cocktail mixer. “We know that people in San Francisco like to have a good time when they get off of work, but we also understand that they like to do what they can...