BOSTON—David Gibbons has been appointed general manager of The Lenox, a 212-room four-diamond hotel in the heart of Boston’s historic Back Bay. The Lenox, one of the greenest hotels in the United States, is the flagship property of The Saunders Hotel Group (SHG). Gibbons joins The Lenox at a time when SHG is putting the final touches on a top to bottom $15 million capital improvement program at the property, including guestrooms, public spaces and restaurants. “With his global perspective and experience in luxury hotels, we are pleased to have David leading the hotel into its second century,”...

NEW YORK—Starwood’s new aloft brand, a vision of W Hotels, has announced a “see green” program with guest awareness in mind. The program was created to introduce and promote ecologically friendly products and services, and highlights options both inside and outside each hotel. The aloft landscaping plan takes what used to be the standard parking lot and re-imagines it as an outdoor park-like environment, with a variety of deciduous trees and shrubbery. A special area of parking spots will be reserved specifically for hybrid cars, raising awareness of the benefits of environmentally friendly vehicles. The aloft team is...

SAN JUAN, P.R.—As part of their commitment to the sustainable development of Caribbean tourism, the Caribbean Hotel Assn. (CHA) and Skyauction.com have agreed to extend their successful room exchange program to Caribbean hotel members who wish to participate in the upcoming Green Globe International & Caribbean Green Tourism Conference. The event will be held November 1 to 3 at the Half Moon Hotel in Montego Bay, Jamaica. “This is great news, especially for the small properties, given the interest many of them have showed, and the potential benefits for them,” says Deirdre Shurland, director of the Caribbean Alliance...

BOULDER, COLO.—Sustainable Travel International (STI) announced that it has expanded is services related to greenhouse gas (GHG)/carbon offsetting in response to growing consumer and industry demand for market-based systems and related programs that help to curb global warming. STI has developed a user-friendly guide called, “Choosing a Greenhouse Gas Offset Program.” Designed for both businesses and consumers who are unsure about carbon offsetting and want to more easily determine the best services available in the marketplace, the guide is available from STI. This informative document includes a synopsis of factors to consider in choosing an offset program, a...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Wednesday, September 27 marks the global celebration of World Tourism Day. Sanctioned by the United Nation’s World Tourism Organization and recognized for the first time by the Travel Industry Association (TIA), this annual event fosters awareness among the international community of the importance of travel and tourism and how this important industry touches us all. Under the umbrella theme “Tourism Enriches,” World Tourism Day provides a platform for countries and communities worldwide to acknowledge the power of travel on all levels: social, cultural, political and economic. This year’s simple, straightforward theme speaks specifically to tourism’s contributions to...

PALM BEACH, FLA.—The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) announced that The Breakers Palm Beach has joined the Florida Green Lodging Program. The voluntary state initiative provides the lodging industry with technical assistance, encouraging hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving green practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources. “By participating in the Florida Green Lodging Program, The Breakers Palm Beach Hotel is raising industry standards,” says Colleen M. Castille, DEP secretary. “In addition, its dedication is conserving Florida’s natural resources for residents and visitors alike.” The Breakers Palm Beach Hotel is reducing water consumption by not...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc. unveiled its new extended-stay hotel brand: Element, a brand extension of Westin Hotels & Resorts. The Element name, new logo and website were unveiled last week at the 2006 Lodging Conference in Phoenix. “With Westin, we recreated the upper-upscale segment in the hotel industry,” says Starwood’s Chief Executive Officer Steven J. Heyer. “Strategically, Element fits into this mold. It is about creating a new category from the ground up. We know that Starwood’s guests are hungry for a new kind of extended-stay experience, and Element fills this white space in our portfolio...

NEW YORK—If you have plans to attend this year’s International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York City and are interested in checking out vendors that sell green products, you may want to bring some comfortable shoes. Suppliers of environmentally friendly products will not be segregated in one spot but located around the huge trade show floor. That is probably a good thing; all of the show’s free food samples justify the miles of walking. “The defining characteristic of the 91st annual International Hotel/Motel and Restaurant Show is ‘new,’ says Christian Falkenberg, show manager. “This show promises to...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Westin Hotels & Resorts has teamed with celebrity jewelry designer Mauri Pioppo to create a talisman necklace in support of smoke-free living. The Renewal Talisman will raise awareness of the benefits of going smoke-free, especially for women and girls, and provide a tangible way for women to share their support for a smoke-free lifestyle with their loved ones. Westin created the piece to celebrate its own commitment to breathing free, made in December 2005 when it announced it would become the first major hotel chain in North America to go smoke-free. While women are embracing...

AMERICAN CANYON, CALIF.—Imagine a hotel with the sound of birds chirping on a green roof, swans gliding across a half-acre lagoon and koi swimming in a pond. Designed to appeal to eco-tourists who want luxury and comfort, Napa Valley’s first environmentally sustainable hotel, Gaia Napa Valley, will open next month. Cutting-edge, environmentally friendly technology was used in its construction and will be applied in the daily operations. Gaia Napa Valley will offer the ultimate experience of harmony with nature. The hotel is pursuing gold LEED certification. The lagoon has its own eco-system, is surrounded by a lush...