MILLBRAE, CALIF.—Millwood Inn and Suites has earned a three Green Eco-Leaf Rating by completing a 70-point comprehensive eco-audit survey administered by iStayGreen.org—the online social network of environmentally friendly travel. Millwood Inn and Suites becomes the first lodging property in Millbrae to receive the Green Eco-Leaf Rating. Currently, two hotels in Millbrae have been rated environmentally friendly, and Millwood Inn and Suites is the first to complete the comprehensive environmental audit administered by iStayGreen.org. The property earned three Green Eco-Leafs, which is a “Great” rating. All Green Eco-Leaf Rated properties are committed to environmentally friendly initiatives. “Simple changes helped Millwood Inn and...

LEXINGTON, KY.—The 2008 National Tour Assn. (NTA) Annual Convention, held in November in Pittsburgh, set a record for the amount of materials that were recycled from a single show at the David L. Lawrence Convention Center. The center is the first and largest certified green convention center in the world. Officials at the convention center reported that everyone who attended the NTA Convention helped to recycle 9.435 tons of material. The figure includes nearly 3.465 tons of composted materials, three tons of cardboard and 2.97 tons of bottles, cans and loose paper. Additionally, 123,500 gallons of water was reclaimed....

ORLANDO, FLA.—While marketers of travel services may gladly bid adieu to 2008, the year ahead promises to be equally challenging as competition for travelers heightens, according to Peter Yesawich, president and CEO of Ypartnership, a leading marketing, advertising and public relations agency serving travel, leisure and entertainment clients. According to research conducted by Ypartnership, the travel intentions of Americans remain robust with 71 percent of active travel households planning at least one overnight trip during the next six months, the same as one year ago. “Our most recent tracking surveys reveal there is still plenty of demand for travel services...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Research released by the National Restaurant Association shows that Americans are looking for healthier options and “greener” restaurants when they dine out, in addition to an increased interest in value and convenience. Surveys of restaurant operators, customers and chefs indicate that restaurateurs will sharpen their appeal in 2009 in these areas and that restaurants’ responsiveness to customers’ preferences will drive these industry trends, according to the Association’s 2009 Restaurant Industry Forecast. “The restaurant industry is both innovative and resilient, and will remain the cornerstone of the nation’s economy and communities, employing and serving millions of Americans in 2009,” said...

MIAMI—Cambean Hospitality, a Miami Beach-based hospitality group that owns and manages four boutique hotel properties in the South Beach area, has announced the selection of Plan A Public Relations & Marketing, Inc. to manage their marketing and communications activities. Plan A will be responsible for increasing exposure and building brand recognition for Cambean Hospitality and their properties, as well as the re-launch of the historic Clifton South Beach as a green hotel in early 2009. “Cambean Hospitality has built a solid reputation for excellence in owning and managing four exclusive properties in the Miami Beach area,” stated Brian Scheinblum, president...

ROCKVILLE, MD.—Spearheading the hospitality industry’s efforts in Montgomery County, Md., to be increasingly environment conscious, the Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre has launched its environmental program by integrating greener hotel products, cleaner energy, and enticing its guests to live green while traveling by participating in its Turn On service to offset the carbon footprint of their stay. “We are proud of our commitment to both traditional hospitality and contemporary environmental responsibility,” says Eric Siegel, executive vice president of Cohen Companies, the owner group of The Legacy Hotel & Meeting Centre. “We are introducing our 100 percent recycling policy and hope...

OTTAWA, ONT.—The Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key Eco-Rating Program reached a milestone as the signing of a group of properties brought program participation to just over the 1,000-member mark. Earlier this month Lakeview Hotels & Resorts, a hotel company based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, began enrolling all their properties in the Green Key Eco-Rating Program. Today, with their final few hotels in the system, program participation has officially tipped the scales over into the thousands. “This is a landmark day for the Green Key program and a testament to our industry’s commitment to improving their environmental performance,” stated Tony Pollard,...

NEW ORLEANS—Leading global distribution system (GDS) provider Travelport GDS has announced a global marketing alliance with The Hotel Carbon Index Company Limited, creator of CarePar. CarePar is an industry standard system for measuring carbon emissions within the hotel and lodging industry. The announcement was made at the recent Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association (HEDNA) Conference. As part of the agreement, Travelport will include CarePar hotel carbon emission data in Travelport GDS products, including Travelport Carbon Tracker. The integration of CarePar hotel data into Carbon Tracker in the future will give corporations and their travelers an even more complete view of...

ATLANTA—Softscribe Inc., an Internet public relations firm that drives sales for companies targeting green tourism and hospitality, green government and related markets, announced it will provide marketing and Internet public relations services to Hawaiian Mahogany Inc., a U.S.-based, 12-year-old certified provider of verifiable carbon offset credits for environmentally responsible Fortune 1000 firms and companies in hospitality, travel and other industries. “Carbon credits are a growing channel for businesses that want to go on record for effectively helping to stop global warming,” said Michael Squires, president of Softscribe Inc. “Carbon offset credits are mandated by many countries today; I expect to...

COLLIER COUNTY, FLA.—Twelve hotels to date in Collier County, Fla., have received the official Green Lodging certification from the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). To further Collier County’s green lodging initiative, the Collier County Hotel & Lodging Assn. has formed a Green Committee to grow and enhance the benefits of sustainable lodging practices in the region and assist other hotels that wish to gain certification. In Collier County, Florida DEP has so far recognized the following hotels as certified Green Lodgings: The Ivey House; Hilton Naples; DoubleTree Guest Suites, Naples; Hilton Marco Island Beach Resort; Bellasera Hotel; Inn at...