TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—Friday the thirteenth was a lucky day for participants in the Florida Green Lodging Program, an effort by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to encourage the lodging industry to conserve and protect Florida’s natural resources. It was on that day that Governor Charlie Crist issued an Executive Order that will require all state agencies and departments under his direction to do business only with Florida Green Lodging Program participants as of January 1, 2008. Crist issued the order during a speech outlining his direction for Florida’s energy future. Twenty-five Florida hotels are currently certified as Green Lodging...

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...

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y.—Would Al Gore forget to turn off the lights before running out the door? Maybe, if that door led to a hotel room. Travel can turn even the most Prius-like consumer into a gas-guzzling SUV, according to a survey of frequent travelers commissioned by element Hotels, a new Westin-inspired extended-stay brand from Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. In fact, a majority of frequent travelers—59 percent—admit to letting their “green routines” slip when on the road. For example, a majority of people—60 percent—are more likely to leave a bathroom light on overnight in an unfamiliar hotel room...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes the International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS) as a Founding Sponsor. The IH/M&RS is the premier marketplace for the hospitality industry, featuring 1,250 exhibitors showcasing products and services for lodging and culinary buyers and attracting more than 35,000 in total trade attendance. Exhibitors—organized into vertical market categories—showcase the newest products and services available to the hotel and restaurant industries, including furnishings, technology, foodservice equipment, food & beverage, linens, amenities, tableware, cleaning and more. The hospitality industry’s most influential buyers from hotels, restaurants, purchasing companies, owner groups, design firms,...

ANNAPOLIS, MD.—In an era of smoke-free spaces, green energy, eco-friendly products and environmental health, Thayer Lodging Group, a privately held real estate investment company with a portfolio of 14 hotels and over 2,800 guest rooms, recently announced it will offer allergy-friendly guest accommodations at 10 of its hotels and 99.9 percent allergenic-free meeting facilities at four of its Executive Meeting Centers (EMC) and Conference Centers. “Thayer Lodging Group has emerged as an industry leader in offering travelers healthy alternatives to meeting and sleeping accommodations,” says Haley Payne, director of wellness for Thayer Lodging. “By offering PURE allergy-friendly hotel...

SAN FRANCISCO—Sally Robb Haims Public Relations has launched one of the country’s first public relations practices specializing in media relations for sustainable spas, hotels, and beauty companies. The Green Spa Network (GSN) recently named Sally Robb Haims Public Relations as their agency. The GSN is a group of prominent North American spas dedicated to bringing sustainable design and operating practices to the spa industry and to promoting the natural connections between personal well-being, economic sustainability, and the health of the planet. Based in San Francisco, Sally Robb Haims Public Relations will initially assist with strategic counsel and media...

NEWPORT BEACH, CALIF.—In support of a companywide initiative for a Sustainable Summer—a new program that will encourage the company’s colleagues from all corners of the globe to put the concerns of the planet at the forefront on Friday, June 22, 2007—the employees of the Fairmont Newport Beach will do their part by staging a “sleep in” for the inaugural Dream in Green-Summer Solstice Sleepover, 2007. “Southern California and the OC are such a car-driven culture that it would be nearly impossible for some of our employees to consider walking, biking or taking public transportation to work,” says general...

NASHVILLE, TENN.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association announced the winners of the AH&LA Achievement Awards, part of the Stars of the Industry Awards luncheon, during the AH&LA Summer Summit at The Loews Vanderbilt Hotel. The awards, created in 1966, recognize individual hotel properties that have developed outstanding public relations campaigns. Two of the categories included Community Service, and Good Earthkeeping. The Washington Athletic Club in Seattle won the community service award, small property category, for its commitment to improving the quality of life for people in the community. The company matches employee donations to the local United Way;...

SANTA CRUZ, CALIF.—Benchmark Hospitality International, the operator of Chaminade at Santa Cruz, has been awarded Green Business Certification for exceeding environmental regulatory requirements, preventing pollution and conserving natural recourses. The award was presented to the resort, which overlooks Monterey Bay, by the Santa Cruz County Board of Supervisors. Chaminade is the first hospitality business in Santa Cruz County to receive the important certification. “We are thrilled to receive the Green Business Certification,” says Jeff Bloom, Benchmark’s general manager at Chaminade. “As a responsible corporate citizen we strive to be as green as possible and also encourage our guests...

NATIONAL REPORT—“Leading the hospitality industry in promoting education, inter-cooperation, and endorsed policies for environmentally responsible practices, construction methods, materials and environments.” That is the mission of the Network of Executive Women in Hospitality’s Sustainability Committee. Formed last year, the committee currently includes 11 members representing design, architecture, purchasing, manufacturing, and hotel asset management. “Two years ago, NEWH recognized the need to get involved in sustainability,” says Jillian Van Dresser, principal, The Van Dresser Co. in Atlanta and the committee’s sustainability adviser. “We identified several initiatives, the first of which is a Resource Directory.” Now available on the...