SONOMA VALLEY, CALIF.—The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa is forging the path in creating green, environmentally friendly weddings. Celebrated romanticist Kelly McLeskey has recently added unparalleled “green wedding” options to her repertoire of distinctly unique nuptial packages. With a reputation for designing inimitable personalized affairs for her discerning clientele, she unveiled this week an “a la carte” menu of environmentally responsible options. Any (or all) of the following green alternatives can be incorporated into her distinct galas: • Recycled paper invitations complete with soy ink printing; • Personalized menus highlighting local organic produce, wines, coffees, and house-made...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts Inc. announced one of the most ambitious green development projects in the North American resort industry to date, to be called Ever Vail. The $1 billion project will transform the 9.5-acre site, currently known as West Lionshead, into a truly green multi-use resort village consisting of residences, a hotel, offices, retail shops and restaurants, mountain operations facilities, a public parking garage, a new gondola and related skier portal, and a public park. The name, Ever Vail, was thoughtfully chosen to reflect the project’s guiding principle of sustainability—that is, pairing Vail Mountain’s enduring preeminent position in the resort...

Commercial buildings across the United States have a common problem: They seldom perform at design level. Optimum level provides the most comfortable and safe indoor environment for the occupants while balancing operation and maintenance costs for the owners. Retro-commissioning (Rcx) is a systematic process that helps solve this problem by allowing a building’s HVAC system and integrated building controls to operate at peak performance. Retro-commissioning building systems can provide significant benefits such as improving occupant comfort, reducing energy cost, improving indoor air quality, enhancing building operations and extending equipment life. The National Environmental Balancing Bureau defines Rcx as “the systematic process...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland-Lloyd Center announced that the property has created an innovative carbon offset program with The Climate Trust. This carbon offset program is the latest accomplishment in the Doubletree’s systematic efforts to build sustainable practices into its entire operations. The 476-room Doubletree is the first lodging property in Oregon to be certified with a Green Seal “green hotel” designation. “Our entire team at the Doubletree Hotel Portland-Lloyd Center clearly understands how our everyday duties throughout our hotel can ultimately have a measurable impact on the world in which we live,”...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—About 10 years ago, David Oakey realized he needed to change. As the founder of David Oakey Designs, an independent design and marketing firm specializing in the carpet and textile industries, Oakey was fed up with the waste that went into the design, production and disposal of his firm’s products. “I had a choice: Either I change the way I looked at designing or I leave the industry,” Oakey says. “I accepted the choice to be environmentally responsible in the design process—to bring the concept of sustainability into everything I do. “We will not have...

LA TANTE, ST. DAVID’S, GRENADA—Paradise Bay Resort, base here, is laying the foundation for an 80-kilowatt, 100-foot-high windmill. According to James Post, a representative of the resort, the wind generator is the first utility-size windmill in the Eastern Caribbean and will be able to supply the resort with almost 100 percent of its electricity needs. The foundation for the windmill will hold 6,000 feet of steel rods and 40 tons of concrete. The propellers for the windmill will span 60 feet from tip to tip. In March, the installation will be completed under supervision of Netherlands-based Wind Energy Solutions BV....

SAN JUAN, P.R.—The Caribbean Hotel Assn. (CHA) and its environmental subsidiary, the Caribbean Alliance for Sustainable Tourism (CAST), have announced the opening of the nomination process for the new 2007 American Express Caribbean Environmental Award. This award recognizes the commitment made to sustainable tourism by Caribbean hotels each year and social performances as demonstrated by their policies, plans and records of activities. The deadline for submission of nominations is March 20, 2007. “This is probably one of the most important hotel awards this year,” says Dianelys Rodríguez, Vice President of Destination Business Development, American Express Company. “In light...

TORONTO—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts announced that it will manage Pittsburgh’s newest hotel to be housed in Three PNC Plaza, a 780,000-square-foot mixed-use “green” building complex now under construction by The PNC Financial Services Group Inc. in the heart of downtown. Fairmont Pittsburgh, expected to open in summer 2009, will be built according to sustainable design and construction guidelines. In addition to the hotel, the complex will include a 326,000-square-foot office building, the first of its kind in 20 years. “We are delighted to place the Fairmont name on this hotel,” says William R. Fatt, Fairmont’s CEO. “The new...

NATIONAL REPORT—Fortunately for the lodging industry, the options for energy-efficient interior lighting have grown substantially over the last several years. Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) have become more affordable and compact, offer better light quality, and include reduced levels of mercury and lead—a real advantage for the environment. Linear fluorescents also have improved and an increasing number of LED lighting products have become available. Green Lodging News recently spoke with a number of lighting companies to uncover the newest energy-efficient hotel interior lighting products. Below is a summary from each company (listed in alphabetical order): Aero-Tech Light Bulb Co.—Ray Schlosser, president...

LONDON—Great Hotels Organization (GHO) will announce the launch of its new Eco Collection at ITB in March. Officially in operation in November, the new collection will complement the brand’s existing portfolio by offering hotels the chance to uniquely distinguish themselves for being ecologically friendly, while also meeting consumer demand for alternative eco-friendly accommodation in one simple directory. Following a year of research, GHO’s Eco Collection will include a range of strict and monitored membership prerequisites. In addition to the basic requirement of member hotels operating and auditing a comprehensive energy management system, other criteria include: • Conservation...