TAMPA, FLA.—Tampa-based BayStar Hotel Group is implementing environmentally friendly standards and practices in its hotels to earn Green Lodging certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). All of the properties managed by BayStar Hotel Group are involved. The hotels include: Holiday Inn-State Capitol East in Tallahassee; Holiday Inn Express-Lake Buena Vista; Hampton Inn & Suites in downtown Largo; Holiday Inn Lakeland I-4 Hotel & Conference Center in Lakeland; and Best Western Brandon Hotel & Conference Center. To qualify for Green Lodging certification, hotels must document efforts to reduce energy and water consumption, improve air quality and pass a...

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—Rhode Island will soon have its own green lodging certification program. The program is being put together by the state’s Department of Environmental Management (DEM), the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Assn., Providence Warwick Convention and Visitors Bureau, and several other organizations. According to Ron Gagnon, chief of the Office of Technical and Customer Assistance, Department of Environmental Management, January is the target month for the program’s launch and it will be run by his office. The certification program will mirror Maine’s Green Lodging Certification Program. Participants will be asked to complete surveys that ask them about efforts being...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Emma Duncan, deputy editor of The Economist and an expert on the evolving economic state of going green, will share her global insight and environmentally-friendly development strategies at the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), January 28–30, 2008. In her keynote address, “Business & Climate Change,” Duncan will advise an audience of hotel executives, investors, developers, and professional financial advisors of the challenges and opportunities posed by climate change and how their businesses can help solve this intractable problem. ALIS, the lodging industry’s annual premier investment conference addressing the unique needs of the hotel investment community, has made eco-friendly business...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A newly incorporated entity, the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI), has been established with the support of the U.S. Green Building Council to develop and administer credentialing programs related to green building practice and standards. “Credentialing programs support the application of proven strategies for increasing and measuring the performance of buildings and communities as defined by industry systems such as the LEED Green Building Rating Systems,” said Peter Templeton, Vice President of Education & Research, U.S. Green Building Council. GBCI will ensure that the LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) program will continue to be developed in accordance with best practices...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Willard InterContinental, under the leadership of general manager Hervé Houdré, was awarded the IH&RA Environmental Award for Hospitality Sustainable Development for “Willard InterContinental—The Next 100 Years.” The holistic plan is comprised of interwoven sustainable projects designed for a luxurious urban hospitality experience in harmony with social and ecological consciousness and economic viability. The myriad programs that comprise the sustainability program include the conversion to 100 percent wind energy power—making the Willard the first hotel in the nation’s capital and one of the first urban luxury hotels in the United States to achieve this. Other projects include a complete...

LONDON—Few holidaymakers in the United Kingdom are prepared to part with their cash in order to fulfill green travel aspirations, according to a new study. And the Spanish are putting the rest of Europe to shame, boasting a population far more inclined to fund sustainable travel than any others. According to the TNS Travel & Tourism study, 7 percent of the British have gone so far as to make a payment towards minimizing the impact of their travel—such as a carbon offsetting scheme—compared with 12 percent of Spaniards. With almost a fifth of British people claiming they expect to change...

OTTAWA, CANADA—The Hotel Association of Canada (HAC) is pleased to announce the launch of the French component of its nationally recognized Green Key Eco-Rating Program. A mirror image of the English site, the new French portal serves as an important resource for the program’s expanding French member base. In commenting on this development, HAC President Tony Pollard stated, “HAC has continued to further expand the Green Key Program, and the development of the French website demonstrates our commitment to the bilingual market we operate in.” “HAC will continue to further develop the Green Key website in both official languages and...

CHICAGO—In a presentation at Greenbuild earlier this month, Destiny USA founder and chairman Robert J. Congel introduced the initial design of a hotel and conference facility that will be the next phase of the Destiny USA project in Syracuse, New York. The hotel, which will feature more than 1,300 rooms, is being designed to LEED Platinum standards and will serve as a showcase for sustainability. “Five years ago, Destiny USA was still learning what it takes to build a living laboratory for environmental stewardship, renewable energy and innovation,” Congel said. “Fortunately, we were ahead of the curve. Today we are...

ATLANTA—How low can you go when it comes to energy reduction in buildings? Try net zero. Guidance on how to get there is featured in the technical program at ASHRAE’s 2008 Winter Meeting, January 19-23, at the New York Hilton, New York City. For complete meeting information, including abstracts on all technical program sessions, visit www.ashrae.org/newyork. “This technical program is ASHRAE’s most ambitious ever,” promises Mo Hosni, chair of the ASHRAE Program Committee. “First, the technical program is filled with sessions that focus on the hottest issues facing the industry—sustainability and net-zero energy buildings. Second, the program is structured to...

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) recently welcomed the Staybridge Suites to the Florida Green Lodging Program. The hotel is the second designated in Leon County and 52nd for the state. The Florida Green Lodging Program is a voluntary state initiative that provides the lodging industry with technical assistance, and encourages hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving green practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources. “Staybridge Suites has shown great environmental leadership by becoming a Florida Green Lodge,” says DEP Director of Sustainable Initiatives Deas Bohn. “They are helping conserve and protect Florida’s natural resources for...