OAKVILLE, CANADA—Green Key Global, EcoStay Certified and Greenview, three leaders in hospitality sector environmental stewardship, announced a triple partnership that will encourage hoteliers across Canada and beyond to join forces in meaningful sustainability. The partnership will enable property owners and managers to fund important conservation projects, measure their progress, and be a part of a shared environmental legacy of nature and beauty.Green Key Global is a leading environmental certification body whose five level eco-rating program helps members leverage organizational Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities to support sustainable initiatives, and improve overall fiscal performance and community relations.EcoStay Certified is a...

PALMA, MAJORCA, SPAIN—Meliá Hotels International recently announced three new hotels in Africa, Indian Ocean and Central Asia. The property in Africa, the Meliá Serengeti Lodge in Tanzania, scheduled to open in June 2017, will be Meliá Hotels International’s first green hotel. Located on the natural terraces on the southern slopes of Nyamuma, with spectacular views over the peaceful valley of the Mbalageti River, the hotel will be 45 minutes from Seronera Airport in the Serengeti National Park, the oldest and most popular National Park in Tanzania, on the western border of Lake Victoria, considered a World Heritage Site. To...

HONG KONG—Burba Hotel Network (BHN), Horwath HTL, and Stiles Capital Events, co-hosts and organizers of the annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), announced that entries for the HICAP 2016 Sustainable Hotel Awards are now being accepted. The deadline for Awards submissions is August 1, 2016. The 27th annual HICAP will be held October 19 to 21, 2016, at the InterContinental Hong Kong.The HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards were launched in 2007 with the aim of recognizing hotel operators and developers in the Asia Pacific region who demonstrate exemplary sustainable practices and environmentally and culturally responsible development. The goal through...

ATLANTA—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces the opening of the newly-renovated, InterContinental New York Barclay, which made its grand debut to New York society in 1926 as one of the original “Railroad” hotels. For generations the hotel served as one of New York’s most preferred addresses and now, The Barclay is celebrating its return following a $180 million, 20-month top-to-bottom renovation with more than 420,000 square feet of redesigned interiors. The revitalized hotel brings to life The Barclay Experience—quintessential New York sensibility, sustainable practices and a celebration of the thriving, fast-paced local culture, while continuing to offer international expertise. These...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide awarded more than $320,000 to the 117 recipients of the 2016 Travel with Purpose Action Grants. Grants are awarded to Hilton properties and corporate offices that submit the most creative ideas to drive value for their hotels and strengthen the local communities where they operate.“Now in our fourth year, Travel with Purpose Action Grants have been awarded to more than 300 properties providing over $880,000 to support projects around the world,” said Maxime Verstraete, Vice President of Sustainability, Hilton Worldwide. “The grants are a clear demonstration of our team members’ spirit of creativity and hospitality in...

BANGKOK—Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas announced the latest project in the group’s expanding portfolio in the island country of Fiji. This small archipelago in the South Pacific is comprised of 332 islands and nearly one million inhabitants spread throughout the major islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Approximately one-third of the islands are uninhabited, ranging in size from 3,800 square miles (10,000 square kilometers) to tiny islands or spits of sand a few hundred acres (meters) in circumference. Known for its idyllic crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, thick tropical forests and excellent climate, Six Senses Fiji is...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange, announced the winners of its annual RCI Green Award program, recognizing Wyndham Ocean Boulevard with the highest honor.Now in its fifth year, the RCI Green Award program recognizes the most environmentally-conscious resorts within the company’s exchange network. The application process includes a thorough audit of green practices with stiff competition among the many properties that admirably implement sustainable business initiatives.Applicants for the RCI Green Award were evaluated on innovations in energy and water conservation, waste management, community outreach and environmental management. The evaluation process, winner selection and verification system was completed...

WAILEA (MAUI) HAWAII—Fairmont Kea Lani’s commitment to responsible tourism practices and sustainable hotel management will take another leap forward next month with the completion of a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) project. The Fairmont Kea Lani’s latest sustainability project includes the installation of 1,528 rooftop PV solar panels. The 500 kilowatt solar installation is expected to offset more than 10 percent of the resort’s current energy demand and reduce CO2e emissions by 457 metric tons of CO2e annually. This reduction in CO2e emissions is the equivalent of 96 passenger cars or 138 homes.“At the Fairmont Kea Lani we are committed to...

MCLEAN, VA.—DoubleTree by Hilton, one of Hilton Worldwide’s 13 brands, celebrated National Pay it Forward Day last week with the launch of “Nice Travels,” an integrated, multichannel movement driving random acts of kindness to prove that “nice” is contagious. The idea behind “Nice Travels” is that when a guest stays with DoubleTree by Hilton, “nice” stays with them, starting with the warm chocolate chip cookie welcome that each guest receives.To spread this simple, yet powerful, idea across the globe and prove that nice does travel, DoubleTree by Hilton will identify, share and reward niceness through innovative, real-time social listening;...

ATLANTA—Interface, the world’s largest commercial modular carpet company and a sustainable business pioneer, announced a significant milestone in the company’s Mission Zero journey: the Interface Americas manufacturing sites now operate using 96 percent renewable energy, bringing the company’s global renewable energy usage to 84 percent. This milestone is being achieved with the addition of directed biogas to meet the thermal energy needs of the company’s flagship operations in Troup County, Ga.“Getting our factories in Americas to near 100 percent in renewable energy is a significant achievement—one that is a first for our industry and likely for industry in general,”...