ITHACA, N.Y.—Why should hospitality leaders embrace uncertainty, disruption, and risk when the world (and perhaps a boss or two) prizes confidence, calmness, and security? Does innovation really pay? And does sustainability? These questions and many more will be answered at Hotel Ezra Cornell (HEC), April 12-15, 2007. The theme of this year’s conference is rather fitting for an 82-year-old organization: “Sustainability Through Innovation.” When the student leaders of HEC chose the theme, they aimed to answer the question, “What must innovative hospitality organizations do in order to survive and to thrive?” The theme includes, but is certainly not...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Marriott International Inc. announced the winners in the first phase of the company’s Energy and Water Resource Management Contest, open to more than 350 hotels outside of the United States. Marriott challenged these hotels to reduce the percentage of total consumption of energy (kilowatt hours per occupied room) and water usage during a six-month period in 2006 in comparison to the same timeframe in 2005. Creativity, innovation and associate teamwork were vital to the success of the three hotels named as winners of the challenge: the London Marriott County Hall, Renaissance Chemnitz Hotel, and Surfers Paradise Marriott Resort...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—More than 3,200 top performing buildings have earned the Energy Star for powerful cuts to their energy bills and greenhouse gas emissions. These award-winning buildings represent almost 575 million square feet, save an estimated $600 million annually in lower energy bills, and prevent almost 11 billion pounds of greenhouse gas emissions, equal to emissions from almost 900,000 vehicles. “Through Energy Star, President Bush and EPA are brightening our nation’s future, and I applaud these buildings for being America’s energy all-stars,” says EPA Administrator Stephen L. Johnson. “Whether you are running a grocery store, a school, or an office building,...

NEW YORK—Top trends that will influence the global hotel industry in the year ahead include rising energy costs, the stabilizing of the U.S. lodging market, increasing capital flows into the hospitality sector from a broad range of investors, including offshore funds, and superior performance among luxury hotel brands, according to a report released by Ernst & Young LLP. “In this report we’ve identified 10 key macro trends that, taken together, we believe will shape the hospitality sector this year and for years to come in the U.S. and in major hospitality markets around the world,” says Michael Fishbin,...

DALLAS—Lodging Hospitality Magazine and Pineapple Hospitality have finalized the agenda for their first Green Hospitality Conference. The event will be held on March 14 at the Hilton Anatole Hotel in Dallas. The conference will precede Lodging Hospitality’s annual Hospitality Operations & Technology event. The day-long event will begin with an introduction and welcome from Gary Dietz, publisher of Lodging Hospitality, and Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News. From 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m., Ed Watkins, editor of Lodging Hospitality, will moderate a “Green Hospitality—Past, Present, Future” session that will include the following participants: Wen Chang,...

SILVER SPRING, MD.—Choice Hotels International has announced that its 433 Comfort Suites hotels in the United States will go 100 percent nonsmoking as of May 1. The 433 properties represent 34,000 rooms. According to Kimberly Shells, Senior Director, Brand Strategy for Choice, the decision to go smoke free was driven by research. “We conducted research among guests and franchisees,” Shells says. “The vast majority of them supported it. It really is for our guests. We found that the vast majority of guests prefer a smoke-free environment.” Ten percent of U.S. Comfort Suites hotels already are 100 percent nonsmoking. The other properties...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Marriott International Inc. announced that more than 85 hotels will earn the Energy Star label—signifying 35 percent less energy use than average buildings—from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) this year. With more than 200 Energy Star-labeled hotels currently, Marriott continues to lead the hospitality industry in energy management and has set a goal to certify at least eight hotels per month with the Energy Star award. Recently, 12 hotels in Boston were recognized at the Boston Marriott Quincy. The 12 Boston hotels earning the Energy Star label include: Boston Marriott Quincy; SpringHill Suites Peabody; SpringHill Suites...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Greenbuild International Conference and Expo, the premiere green building conference in the world, is moving to Chicago for its 2007 show, which will be held on November 7-9, 2007, as previously announced. “Chicago is welcoming us with open arms” says Peter Templeton, Vice President of Education & Research, USGBC. “Chicago is not only one of the greenest cities in the country, Mayor Richard Daley has set a high bar for sustainable leadership and green building is a significant part of his commitment.” Templeton acknowledged that the move from Los Angeles...

PORTLAND, ORE.—A little more than 100 meeting planners, hoteliers, vendors, convention and visitors bureau representatives and others gathered here last week for the 2007 Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference. The event was held at the Green Seal-certified Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center and organized by the Portland, Ore.-based Green Meeting Industry Council (GMIC). The purpose of this event, according to GMIC, was to “encourage the meeting industry as a whole to embrace environmental responsibility in order to reduce the impacts of our activities as well as capitalize on the opportunities and benefits reduced waste presents.” Sustainable...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Cleveland, Ohio-based Lodging Hospitality magazine, Saint Charles, Mo.-based Pineapple Hospitality and Boulder, Colo.-based Sustainable Travel International (STI) have announced that the Green Hospitality Conference (www.greenhospitality.net) being held March 14 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas will be carbon neutral. “Carbon neutral” represents the point at which greenhouse gas emissions have been identified, measured and, where possible, reduced, and remaining emissions have been offset through high-quality renewable energy, energy-efficiency and/or reforestation projects. “This will be one of the first carbon-neutral Green Hospitality Conferences,” says Brian T. Mullis, STI president. “As an educational-based event, we collaborated with Lodging Hospitality...