MILL VALLEY, CALIF.—Opening in June 2007 in Napa Valley, Solage Calistoga will prove that pampering guests and sustainability can go hand in hand. The first property from Auberge Resorts’ fresh new luxury brand will reflect a philosophy of eco-consciousness that focuses not only on environmental stewardship, but also personal health and wellbeing. “Solage Calistoga will give us an exciting opportunity to put our environmental beliefs into action,” says Mark Harmon, CEO and managing partner, Auberge Resorts. “We think it’s possible for a resort to operate sustainably without sacrificing style or luxury. We’re confident that our guests and staff...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Milliken Hospitality as a Green Product Directory partner. Since 1990, Milliken has reduced its environmental footprint by more than 85 percent while setting new benchmarks in green manufacturing. All of the company’s manufacturing plants have recorded zero waste to landfill since 1999. Milliken Hospitality’s numerous product lines reflect the company’s environmental concern. All Milliken Hospitality modular carpet collections are PVC-free, chlorine free, 100 percent renewable, 100 percent recyclable, meet stringent green certifications and reduce packing waste. Bio-based TractionBack adhesive-free installation improves indoor air quality by...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Mirage’s $7 billion City Center project, an 18-million-square-foot development that will encompass 76 acres of the Las Vegas Strip between the Bellagio and Monte Carlo resorts, is moving closer to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification one big bucket of dirt at a time. Construction has been underway for nine months now and foundations have been poured for each of the project’s seven towers. Set to open in late 2009, the mixed-use project will include the following: a soaring 60-story, 4,000-room hotel tower, casino and convention center; a five-star, 400-room Mandarin Oriental; 400-room Harmon...

CARTERSVILLE, GA.—Shaw Contract Group recently introduced EcoWorx Performance Broadloom, the commercial carpet industry’s first fully sustainable, cradle to cradle carpet backing for broadloom carpet products. With broadloom carpet comprising approximately 70 percent of the entire commercial floor covering market, the introduction of EcoWorx Performance Broadloom will play a significant role in reducing the amount of carpet sent to landfills after its useful life, and marks another significant step in Shaw Industries’ ongoing, comprehensive commitment to providing cradle to cradle product and process solutions for its customers. Built on the success of EcoWorx—the carpet industry’s first fully sustainable,...

WINTER PARK, COLO.—Winter Park Resort is stepping up its efforts to ensure good stewardship of natural resources through its new environmental initiative, Connexion. The Connexion program’s goal is to inform, involve and educate resort employees, guests and the community about the environment. Connexion includes energy reduction efforts with the purchase of sustainable wind energy credits, the utilization of single-use items made from renewable resources in the resort’s on-mountain restaurants, and an expanded recycling program. The new Eagle Wind chairlift is the latest beneficiary of wind energy, continuing Winter Park’s commitment to power all future lifts with renewable energy....

MADISON, WISC.—Upon entering the Arbor House—an Environmental Inn, you may want to watch where you step. The door mat is made from recycled truck tires. That is just one of the many ways the eight-room inn lives up to its name. Many of the items found in this historic Madison property were added or kept with the environment in mind. “Arbor House’s mission is to provide the art of hospitality within a model for urban ecology,” the inn’s website says. “Our goal is the wise use of resources and providing guests with an unparalleled combination of natural design, features, fabrics,...

LOS ANGELES—The Americas Lodging Investment Summit, to be held here in Los Angeles from January 22 to 24, will include a green hotels session entitled, "Is it Finally Time? How to Address Environmental & Sustainable Issues and Still Satisfy the Customer and the Financial Stakeholders." The January event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Century Plaza hotel. Session leaders will include Lyndall De Marco, executive director, The Prince of Wales International Business Leaders Forum Tourism Partnership; Phil Hayward, editor, Lodging Magazine; and Jeff Senior, senior vice president, marketing & sales, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. For more...

Building managers find that effective recycling programs reduce waste management costs. Strong recycling programs also advance sustainability by reducing the need for new resources and the environmental impacts of landfills. Recycling turns the ‘waste’ stream into a resource stream than can be mined for materials. Recycling services, the prices paid for recycled materials, and the demand for recycled materials are growing. Facility managers can take advantage of the continually evolving recycling market by reducing waste disposal costs through recycling and by getting paid for recyclable materials. There are widespread recycling markets for paper, cardboard materials, HDPE and PET plastics, aluminum and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council’s (USGBC) Greenbuild conference, the largest green building conference and expo in the world, has selected Los Angeles as the location of the 2007 show. Greenbuild will be held at the L.A. Convention Center from October 17-19, 2007. The theme of next year’s conference is “Accelerating Green Communities,” which also coincides with USGBC’s 2007 educational agenda. “We’re expecting next year to be the Greenbuild conference’s biggest year yet and L.A. is the perfect place for it,” says Peter Templeton, vice president of education & research, USGBC. “Not only is L.A. renowned for...

LAGRANGE, GA.—The Commonwealth of Massachusetts presented Milliken Contract and its Framingham, Mass.-based service provider State Contract Carpet with a 2006 Business Environmental Purchasing and Sustainability Award for exceptional sustainable practices. The business awards recognize leadership and creativity in promoting sustainable products and practices beyond the contract obligations for statewide contractors. Nominees were reviewed on criteria extending beyond recycled content, including background on initiatives for greenhouse gas emission reduction, waste minimization, Design for the Environment, Life Cycle Assessment and other sustainable practices. “Milliken’s rich eco heritage and leadership in sustainable practices across the board were quite impressive,” says...