COLUMBUS, OHIO—Red Roof will give $5 cash back to every guest making a minimum $1 donation to Feeding America during the week of Thanksgiving, Sunday November 22 through Sunday, November 29. Donations must be made at the property and guests will receive the rebate upon checkout; the $5 back is per stay, not per night. According to Red Roof, it is their way of giving back and showing their thanks by teaming up with Feeding America and country music artist and Red Roof brand ambassador, Phil Vassar, to help put food on America’s tables over the holidays. Country Music star...

BALTIMORE—As an extension of Gov. Martin O’Malley’s “Smart, Green and Growing” agenda, the Office of Tourism—in partnership with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) and the Maryland Tourism Council—is launching “Maryland Green Travel.” The new initiative will encourage environmentally-friendly practices throughout the state’s tourism industry and promote Maryland as a “green” destination to eco-minded travelers. The initial stage of the program will create an online, self-certification application for the lodging sector that uses environmental guidelines adopted by the American Hotel and Lodging Association and the best practices of MDE’s Green Registry. A similar process will be implemented for restaurants,...

HORSHAM, PA.—Green Key Global, the exclusive provider of the Green Key Eco-Rating Program (“Green Key”) in the United States, will be exhibiting at the 2009 International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show (IH/M&RS) in New York City from November 8 to 10. Green Key is among the first programs of its kind to rank, certify and inspect hotels and resorts based on their commitment to sustainable “green” practices. The show is being held at the Javits Center; Green Key will be exhibiting at Booth No. 2578. Those attending the show can visit Green Key to: • Learn more about the Green Key program...

BLACKSBURG, VA.—A significant gap lies between consumers’ attitudes towards “green” initiatives in the hospitality industry and their actual behavior, says a recent study by two hospitality and tourism management graduate students at Virginia Tech’s Pamplin College of Business. Moreover, consumers who engage in environmentally friendly behavior at home behave differently when staying at a hotel, their study found. Master’s students Melissa Baker, of Marshfield, Mass., and Eric Davis, of Lorton, Va., in a project supervised by hospitality and tourism management professor Pamela Weaver, say that while more hotels are adopting green practices, few scholars have examined the relationships between such...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—Pineapple Hospitality announced that two new hotel management groups have joined FreshStay.com, the largest online directory of 100 percent smoke-free hotels in the world. Potomac Hospitality Services and Charlestowne Hotels combined offer 22 properties that have completely eliminated smoking on their properties, adding to the comprehensive list of more than 4,800 other FreshStay.com hotels, motels and B&Bs. “Potomac Hospitality and Charlestowne Hotels are two well-known, well-respected management groups in this industry, so we are excited they see the benefits and are leading their properties to be smoke free,” says Dave Janicke, FreshStay’s CBO—Chief Breathing Officer. “It’s clear that...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—The Buffalo Green Hospitality Initiative, formed in August 2007 to develop and maintain environmentally responsible practices and promote a green experience for travelers and conventioneers visiting the Buffalo Niagara region, is expanding with the launch of “Green & Mean (It).” Led by the Buffalo Niagara Convention & Visitors Bureau, the purpose of the program is to help make Buffalo Niagara a more environmentally responsible meeting destination. As part of Green & Mean (It), a comprehensive lodging certification program has been introduced. It is now available to lodging establishments in the Buffalo Niagara area. A corresponding website, www.greenandmeanit.com, will...

ORLANDO, FLA.—RezHub.com has re-launched their website, delivering discount and green travel to the mainstream. The concept was born out of the understanding that while many travelers are interested in going green on vacation, these kinds of trips are often overlooked because they are perceived as too expensive or too extreme. RezHub has been able to remove these misconceptions by eliminating barriers including: higher cost, longer duration, and limited availability. And even when a green opportunity is not available for a particular trip, travelers may still feel good about travel knowing that RezHub always donates 20 percent of their profits...

LOS ANGELES—The 2009/2010 International Restaurant & Hotel Awards (IRHA) are now accepting submissions. In the 2007/2008 awards season, IRHA received submissions from more than 50 countries around the world. The jury reviewed submissions from properties ranging from bed and breakfasts and boutique hotels to six-star luxury resorts, as well as the world’s top restaurants. Top brands and hotel groups that participated in the 2007/2008 awards season include The Ritz-Carlton, Marriott International, Accor Hotels, The Peninsula Hotels, Hilton Hotels, Kor Hotel Group, Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, Starwood Hotels and a host of others. The awards were presented at...

MURRIETA, CALIF.—Green Globe International, Inc., the worldwide owner of the Green Globe brand, announced that it has recognized the Greater Chattanooga Hospitality Association’s Chattanooga Green Lodging Program, the leading certification program for tourism accommodation in the state of Tennessee. “The Chattanooga Green Lodging Program is the first U.S.-based program to be fully recognized by Green Globe,” said Guido Bauer, CEO of Green Globe Certification. “All hotels certified under the Chattanooga program will automatically receive Green Globe Certified status.” GCHA member Tom Cupo first proposed the Green Lodging Program in the fall of 2008, and continued to develop the program until its...

HORSHAM, PA.—The State of Indiana has announced it will adopt the Green Key Eco-Rating Program as its official statewide environmental initiative for the lodging industry. Indiana is the first state to make this designation following the launch of Green Key in the United States on September 17. The program will be managed via a partnership between the Indiana Hotel & Lodging Association (IHLA) and Green Key Global, whereby the IHLA will promote the program to lodging properties within the state. This partnership will provide IHLA with a customized, branded version of the Green Key website, allowing IHLA to promote the...