BROOMFIELD, COLO.—RockResorts, a luxury hotel company with a long-standing tradition of embracing the natural settings of its resort locations, has recently launched Appetite For Life, a brand-wide program showcasing cuisine created with local/regional organic and sustainable ingredients. The program is being rolled out across all its resort properties. The RockResorts collection of eight luxury hotels has implemented the Appetite for Life program in all food and beverage operations. The program involves a variety of sustainable food elements including: offering Horizon Organic dairy products; implementing the use of sustainable seafood and fish; eliminating all artificial trans fats; using Coleman...

BOULDER, COLO.—The National Tour Association (NTA) Board of Directors has officially endorsed Sustainable Travel International’s (STI) Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program (STEP). Through this strategic agreement, NTA is furthering its core values and goals to embrace sustainable travel and educate its members on best practices. “NTA’s endorsement of STI and our Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program is noteworthy as it speaks to the organization’s commitment to sustainable tourism and the future of the travel industry,” said Brian T. Mullis, president of Sustainable Travel International. “Our programs will help NTA members to proactively integrate responsible business practices into their operations, improve the health...

CHICAGO— Mr. Bamboo, Inc. is introducing BamLoc strand-woven “click” or “floating” bamboo flooring for eco-friendly commercial spaces. BamLoc is the first 100 percent solid strand-woven floating bamboo floor with a unique interlocking design. The sustainability, durability and natural beauty of strand-woven bamboo flooring make it a popular choice for designers, builders and remodelers. This wide-plank, strand-woven bamboo is ideal for heavy traffic areas. BamLoc is also ideal for spaces with subfloor environments. Mr. Bamboo created BamLoc to be just as strong as BamStrand, the company’s nail-down bamboo floor. BamLoc is not a composite; it is the latest innovation in bamboo...

PROVIDENCE, R.I.—The NYLO Providence/Warwick is setting a new standard for living a loft lifestyle in Rhode Island—while using renewable energy resources such as wind, solar and hydro to better meet the demands of its guests in an environmentally-friendly climate. Through a unique partnership with People’s Power & Light in Rhode Island, NYLO Providence/Warwick has become the first hotel in the state to open completely powered by renewable energy from local resources such as the Portsmouth Abbey wind turbine, solar panels on Scituate High School, low-impact hydro from Pawtucket Hydro, and dozens of other installations throughout Rhode Island. “NYLO Hotels is...

VISTA, CALIF.—Living Earth Crafts (LEC), an industry leader in creating spa treatment tables from Earth-friendly materials and processes, announced its recent Manufacture of FSC-certified portable and stationary massage table certification (FSC Certification Registration Number: SCS-COC-001574) by Scientific Certification Systems (SCS) in accordance with the rules of the Forest Stewardship Council A.C (FSC). Certification means wood used in Living Earth Crafts’ designated FSC portable and stationary massage tables has been harvested from forests that meet stringent environmental, social and economic standards. “We are honored to secure FSC certification for our production facility as well as for our designated line of portable...

LYNDEN, WASH.—Lynden Door Inc., a manufacturer of wood flush interior doors, announced that it has been third-party certified for Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) Chain of Custody (SGS-COC-003855). The FSC COC audit report found the Lynden plant to be a safe, efficient and progressive manufacturing operation. “Lynden Door’s lean manufacturing initiatives are a perfect platform from which to launch Chain of Custody certification,” said senior vice president John Ridder. “Furthermore, the company’s order flow, accounting and procurement processes all offer strong administrative support for Chain of Custody documentation. We welcome traceability as a fundamental of our overall manufacturing operation, and as...

PORT CLINTON, OHIO—Approximately 120 feet above the grounds here at the McKenna’s Inn Bed and Breakfast, a 10-kilowatt wind turbine catches the breezes coming off of Lake Erie. For the owners, Joe Jessen and his wife, Becky, the turbine represents more than an alternative source of power for their four-room inn. It is their way of helping to create a better future for their daughter—one where renewable energy is the rule, rather than the exception. The wind turbine at the McKenna’s Inn Bed and Breakfast just went “live” a few weeks ago. It is something Joe says he and his...

ATLANTA—The Rittenhouse, a AAA Five Diamond luxury hotel on Rittenhouse Square in the heart of downtown Philadelphia, has selected The Refinishing Touch, a world leader in providing environmentally-safe, on-site furniture refinishing and re-upholstery services, to refinish more than 700 pieces of furniture in its 98 rooms. While planning an upgrade of the televisions in its guestrooms, The Rittenhouse discovered that the rooms’ existing armoires would be unable to house new 42-inch screens. Rather than go to the expense and waste of replacing them, the hotel worked with The Refinishing Touch to modify the armoires by removing the top of each...

LAS VEGAS—NaturesCast, Inc. of Las Vegas, a member of the Sustainable Furniture Council, has entered the U.S. hospitality market with a line of chic and modern furniture, and décor accessories made from agro-forest waste. A Filipino-based eco-friendly master furniture and décor accessories manufacturer, NaturesCast functional and artistic décor products are unique in that they are constructed from agro-forest waste including dry leaves, dead twigs and barks from the forests around Compostela, Province of Cebu, Philippines. The collected materials are shredded through a special machine and bonded together using an odorless water-based binder and then shaped into a variety of unique...

WHITE HAVEN, PA.—Thanks to a grant from the State of Pennsylvania Energy Harvest Program, the Inn at Hickory Run here is getting closer to its goal of erecting a 6.6-kilowatt wind turbine. Construction is expected to begin within the next two weeks. Combined with its use of geothermal heating and air-conditioning, as well as high efficiency lighting and computer control systems, the turbine will help the inn achieve 80 percent of its energy from off-grid, renewable energy sources. David Pfeil, who owns the inn with his wife Nancy, says the wind turbine will cost $60,000, with the State of Pennsylvania...