ST. LOUIS—Michael Jantzen, an artist strongly influenced by nature and technology, who has been producing conceptual art and architectural projects for almost 40 years, has released his latest hotel design—The Solar Winds Desert Hotel. An idea still in need of a developer, the hotel design, according to Jantzen, evolved from his thoughts about desert plants and how they function in a hot dry climate. The 140-room luxury eco-hotel, vertically cylindrical in design, would be powered by the sun and the wind. The “stem” of the hotel would house the hotel rooms, a vertical axis wind turbine would sit atop...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The 2011 NEWH Leadership Conference taking place at the , Universal Orlando, January 13 to 16, is delving into one of the industry’s hottest topics: sustainability. To kick off the green programming, a session on Friday, January 14 from 1:30 to 2:30 pm will look at sustainable certificates and standards for products including textiles and flooring. Confirmed panelists include Kenneth Koneck of Valley Forge Fabrics; John Reader of Desso Carpets; David Mahood, Olive Hospitality Consulting; Lora Spran, Associate Design Manager, Walt Disney World; and moderator Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News. On Saturday afternoon, January 15...

TROY, OHIO—ITW Food Equipment Group announced the launch of its sustainable design website. The new site provides customers with information on how to create a more sustainable operation in order to reduce operating costs and decrease impact on the environment. “Our customer awareness and deep product knowledge has shown us foodservice and grocery operators as well as suppliers are pledging to reduce waste, energy use and water use,” said Tom Szafranski, president of ITW Food Equipment Group-Commercial. “From this insight we created the sustainable food equipment site as a resource for our customers, showing them how to save money on...

SKOKIE, ILL.—Each year in the United States, more than $35 billion in direct property loss is caused by natural disasters. Yet, while states and municipalities are seeking to adopt ordinances that require “green” or “sustainable” construction, they are overlooking disaster-resistance construction. To allow local governments to adopt green building codes that address high performance as well as conventional sustainable features, the Portland Cement Association (PCA) and the Institute for Business and Home Safety (IBHS) have developed High Performance Building Requirements for Sustainability 2.0. The criteria are written in mandatory language that amends and appends the International Code Council International Building...

NEW YORK—Sterling Planet, Inc. announced that the InterContinental New York Barclay, New York City’s landmark historic hotel, is now supported by 100 percent wind energy. Sterling Planet, a leader in the renewable energy market, supplies the 685-room luxury hotel with wind energy through renewable energy certificates (RECs). The Barclay is among the first New York Hotels to source 100 percent wind energy. Sterling Planet will provide the InterContinental New York Barclay with more than 6.3 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) of Green-e Energy certified RECs from nationwide wind resources to offset 100 percent of the hotel’s conventional electricity. Electricity produced from renewable...

PARIS—Euro Disney S.C.A. Group (“Euro Disney”) and Groupe Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs (“Pierre & Vacances”) recently unveiled their new concept of a vacation destination based on the search for harmony between man and nature. The destination would be, in its design and in its operations, a unique model of sustainable development for tourism and be called Les Villages Nature de Val d’Europe (Villages Nature). As a mixed-use resort, Villages Nature will work with visionary landscape architects to develop new lodging and leisure experiences that will provide multiple opportunities for visitors to interact with nature. These activities would be...

PARK RIDGE, N.J.—The Hertz Corporation, the world’s largest general use airport car rental brand, and Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. announced a joint partnership to bring in Hertz Global EV, a program developed by Hertz using 100 percent electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles, to key Starwood select-service hotels in North America. Starwood’s select-service portfolio includes the Element Hotels, Aloft Hotels and Four Points by Sheraton Hotels brands. “Hertz’s partnership with Starwood is a natural step in the development of our Global EV program,” said Mark P. Frissora, Hertz chairman and CEO. “As we expand our EV network, we are...

NEW YORK CITY—While guests and other stakeholders make it clear that they expect hotels and restaurants to improve the sustainability of their operations, hospitality managers are grappling with the many aspects of sustainability, including customer demand, cost effectiveness, supplier and stakeholder engagement, global trends, and system-wide implementation. The latest Sustainability Roundtable, held at Proskauer in New York City in November 2010 and produced by the Cornell Center for Hospitality Research, brought together corporate management, owners, operators, and suppliers to discuss those issues and myriad other aspects of sustainability. Chaired by associate professor Alex Susskind, of the Cornell School of Hotel...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Interface Inc. recently announced that, as part of its Mission Zero commitment to eliminate negative environmental impact by 2020, the company pledges to obtain third-party validated environmental product declarations (EPDs) on all InterfaceFLOR products globally by 2012. The maker of environmentally responsible modular carpet has also unveiled an interactive report, “2010 Mission Zero Milestones,” sharing 16 years of progress and previewing the challenges ahead in the next decade. Finally, Interface issued a call to action for other companies, large and small, to set bold goals in the pursuit of sustainability. “With the multitude of environmental labels in the marketplace,...

SHANGHAI, CHINA—URBN Hotels & Resorts is collaborating with Vanke, China’s largest residential real estate developer, to construct and operate what could be the most forward-thinking, sustainably-built and green-operated hotel in Asia. The 20,000-square-meter boutique hotel is part of a larger project which will become a 200,000-square-meter commercial, retail and residential development in the Sanlin district of Pudong in Shanghai, China. URBN’s $46.7 million project will include 55 hotel rooms, 50 URBN serviced residences, and 4,500 square meters of dining, wellness and art spaces.Vanke has engaged URBN Hotels & Resorts to bring its philosophy of inspiration, sustainability and connection to...