AMERICAN CANYON, CALIF.—The Gaia Napa Valley, a hotel incorporating environmentally friendly building design and technology, has opened here. The 133-room hotel, set on four acres, was designed to appeal to ecotourists. The hotel is pursuing gold LEED certification. The hotel will use solar power, water-saving techniques and certified wood, harvested with the long-term health of forests in mind. A mural by world-renowned artist Yuan Lee reflects on the spirit, beauty and resources of nature in the Napa Valley and surrounding areas. The hotel’s half-acre lagoon has its own ecosystem and is surrounded by a lush garden with...

TORONTO—Days Inns-Canada announced its participation in the HAC Green Key Eco-Rating Program administered by the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC). Days Inns-Canada is the first midscale hotel chain to participate in the program as a brandwide initiative. Through the HAC Green Key Eco-Rating Program, Days Inns’ 87 locations across Canada are committed to maximizing efficiency by enhancing energy performance while also reducing operating costs. The brand expects that most of its properties will receive their Green Key rating by the end of 2006. “As active supporters of the HAC Green Key Eco-Rating Program, Days Inns-Canada is dedicated...

When your property is approached by a meeting planner requiring green practices, will you be ready? If you are not recycling, don’t have a towel/linen reuse program, or have not implemented other environmentally friendly measures, there is a good chance you will forfeit the opportunity to win the new business. Increasingly, meeting planners are presenting hotels with checklists that explain their minimum requirements. When you receive such a list, what documentation will you have to present in return? If the planner asks for a tour of your facility, what kind of story will you have ready to tell...

BOSTON—Formed a year ago as an outgrowth of the Coalition for Environmentally Responsible Conventions (CERC), Boston Green Tourism (BGT) is working to position America’s Walking City as the place to go to find green hotels and meeting facilities. The organization already has 76 active members including hoteliers, restaurateurs, vendors, and convention center and government officials. “It is a three-year project,” says Dan Ruben, executive director of BGT, who as executive director of CERC led efforts to green America’s two political conventions in 2004. The goals of BGT are four-fold: • Establish Greater Boston as a preeminent...

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...

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y.—NYLO, a new lifestyle hotel brand, is the first hotel of its kind to commit to providing PURE Allergy Friendly Rooms as part of its overall brand strategy. The company recently announced it partnership with Pure Solutions. “We’re proud to work with this market leader in improving indoor air quality for the comfort of our guests,” says John Russell, c.e.o. of NYLO. NYLO is planning to break ground next month on its first property in Plano, Texas. Shortly after, properties will be popping up in other suburban and secondary markets, such as Warwick, Rhode Island....

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.—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...

Selling a green image, product or service has become trendy in the past few years. At least one survey has shown that travelers are more apt to stay in properties that are environmentally friendly. That is good news for all of us. That does not mean, however, that being green is an easier sell than anything else. It still requires an investment of time and dollars to get the word out to potential customers. As publish and editor of a green publication, I get to learn about hotel companies that are doing everything they can to reduce their...