SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA—Revolution LLC, the company created by AOL co-founder Steve Case, has launched Revolution Places, an original approach to sustainable destination resort communities. In support of the launch, Costa Rican President Óscar Arias Sánchez and Revolution Chairman Steve Case jointly announced at a press conference in Costa Rica the first development, Cacique, Costa Rica, a first-of-its-kind 650-acre luxury resort community scheduled to open in 2010. Revolution Places will bring together premiere hospitality partners and innovative lifestyle brands to develop a new authentic vacation experience that retains the local environment and culture. With a full complement of sustainability principles...

LONDON—What do a hip boutique hotel in west London, a luxurious Scottish train and a Welsh B&B—whose owner lives in a trailer called Tracey Puddingstone parked in the back garden—have in common? They are all featured in a new independent guide to eco-friendly places to stay in the U.K. which has just been launched by the website www.ecofriendlytourist.com. It provides details of thousands of rooms in hotels, hostels, guest houses, self-catering and bed and breakfast accommodation—plus some other unusual places—throughout the U.K. and across all price ranges. The new guide is the brainchild of former TV producer Eric Rowan and...

NATIONAL REPORT—Guestroom energy management systems that use keycards to activate or deactivate electrical power in the guestroom are very common in Europe and Asia. In the United States, however, acceptance of these types of systems has been slow and they are almost never found in hotels. However, with increasing concern about climate change, saving energy and cost cutting, this is beginning to change. Properties representing brands such as Kalahari Resorts, Orchard Garden, Embassy Suites, Westin, Holiday Inn and others are finding that keycard-based systems are not so bad after all. “Over the last year, there has been so much play about...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—The Editors’ Choice Awards competition at the 92nd annual International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS) is going green, as an eco-friendly counterpart is added to each of the five categories presented annually—décor, essentials, luxury, restaurant and technology. A total of 10 Editors’ Choice Awards will be presented at the 2007 IH/M&RS, recognizing the most innovative new products—and environmentally-sound products—for the hospitality industry. In addition, the Kenneth F. Hine “Best of Show” Award will spotlight the overall best new product introduced at the market, taking place November 10-13, 2007, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center. “The...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—EPA has updated its Top Green Power Purchasers list highlighting organizations committed to purchasing green power. The National Top 25 list of Green Power Partners accounts for more than 6 billion kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year of green power purchasing, more than 60 percent of the total kWh in the Green Power Partnership; reducing greenhouse gas emissions equivalent to those of more than 700,000 vehicles. “America is shifting to a ‘green culture,’ with more and more businesses understanding that environmental responsibility is everyone’s responsibility,” says Marcus Peacock, EPA’s Deputy Administrator. “EPA commends the leading Green Power Partners for making...

ATLANTA—IHG (InterContinental Hotels Group), the world’s largest hotel group by number of rooms, announced plans for a 100-room new-build Hotel Indigo in Athens, Ga. Construction is anticipated to begin in the fall of 2007, with an expected opening date of spring 2009. The four-story new-build property will be owned by Rialto Property Partners, LLC, under a license agreement with a company in the InterContinental Hotels Group, and will be managed by IHG’s Americas operations division, The Hotel Management Group. Rialto will pursue LEED certification for the new hotel. “We are excited to be expanding the Hotel Indigo brand to Athens,”...

NATIONAL REPORT—Almost a year ago, Green Lodging News updated its readers on the progress states have made in creating and supporting green lodging efforts. At that time, it identified seven states with active green lodging programs. Today, at least eight states have one form of program or another. Each program is unique in its own way. These initiatives have become increasingly important over the past year; Florida’s governor, for example, will require his state’s employees to stay at Green Lodging Program hotels beginning January 1, 2008. Here is a state-by-state summary of green lodging programs: California—This state’s Green Lodging Program is...

TORONTO—A firm advocate of sustainable energy, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has announced its continued involvement with the Pembina Institute, a leading non-profit environmental organization that actively promotes sustainable energy solutions. As part of this ongoing commitment, Fairmont is expanding the program in 2007 to include all of its corporate office computers across North America. Since 2006, Fairmont has purchased an equivalent of 390 MwH of wind power to offset the greenhouse gas emissions generated by all of its front desk check-in computers. Made possible by purchasing Eco-Logo certified wind power, Fairmont will now have a total of 837 computers...

ANNAPOLIS, MD.— In an industry that provides staff to meet every possible customer need, Thayer Lodging Group, a privately held real estate investment company with a portfolio of 14 hotels and over 2,800 guest rooms, has created a job position to focus solely on the health and well-being of all their hotel guests. Thayer Lodging Group recently promoted Haley Payne, a hotel executive with more than 10 years experience in the hospitality industry, to its new director of wellness. “Our goal is to give the customer a feeling of security and well-being just as if they were at...

BOSTON—The Doubletree Guest Suites Boston has earned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s prestigious Energy Star, the national symbol for protecting the environment through superior energy performance. By earning the Energy Star, the Doubletree Guest Suites Boston is using at least 35 percent less energy than average buildings, while still providing quality service and comfort to its hotel guests and employees. Located near some of the nation’s finest universities overlooking the scenic Charles River and Boston Esplanade recreational trails with panoramic views of the Boston and Cambridge skylines, this upscale, 308-suite hotel joins approximately 930 buildings nationwide that earned the Energy...