The most recent information from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) has 73 lodging properties and convention centers having achieved LEED certification, with 1,031 lodging projects and convention centers registered and working towards certification. Twenty-four hotels were certified in 2009 and this year 32 hotels already have completed certification. Marriott is the first in the industry to launch a LEED certified hotel prototype (for its Courtyard brand). It has been preapproved by USGBC as part of its LEED volume program; also Marriott has set a goal to have 300 LEED certified hotels in its system by 2015. Starwood’s Element is...

PLYMOUTH, MINN.—Advance now offers vacuums that meet the requirements for sustainable cleaning equipment specified by the Leadership for Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance Rating System (LEED-EBOM). Advance vacuums that can contribute points to LEED certification include Adgility XP backpack vacuums and Spectrum upright vacuums. The Adgility XP and Spectrum vacuums have been awarded the Carpet and Rug Institute’s (CRI) Seal of Approval and operate with a sound level of less than 70 dBA, both of which are requirements for vacuums under the LEED-EBOM program. The purchase of green cleaning equipment is a prerequisite to Indoor...

Periodically, print trade publications go through the process of asking their subscribers to renew their subscriptions (the reason no e-mail newsletter was delivered to subscribers this week). This is a very common practice. It is an important step for publications to take. There are all kinds of reasons addresses change: businesses move offices, people change jobs, some people go to that great zip code in the sky. Green Lodging News just turned four years old. In the four years that Hasek Communications has been publishing Green Lodging News, it has not asked its readers to renew their subscriptions to the...

SINGAPORE—Carlson Hotels, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, and EC3 Global, a certifier of sustainable travel and tourism operators, announced a partnership through which Carlson Hotels will establish EarthCheck Program certification for the majority of Carlson hotels in Asia Pacific this year. “Environmental sustainability is part of our corporate commitment to responsible business,” said Jean-Marc Busato, managing director, Asia Pacific, for Carlson Hotels. “While some of our hotels have already embarked on the EarthCheck Program, plans are well underway to ensure that nearly all our hotels become third-party certified by the end of this year, and that as...

I need your help for a future column. I am curious to know if your property or restaurant has ever had its rating affected negatively in any way by a AAA or Mobil inspector because of one of your energy-, water-, or waste-saving initiatives. The purpose of my query is not to accumulate ammunition to shoot at AAA, or Forbes (which publishes the guides in which hotels are Mobil rated) but to come up with a list of suggestions for improvement if such a list is needed. I have become aware of instances where green initiatives have come into...

ORLANDO, FLA.—The 2,000-room Orlando World Center Marriott Resort & Convention Center recently received the distinguished Two Palm status in the Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Lodging Program. “Adopting effective eco-practices is a winning combination for everyone,” said Tim Pyne, director of sales and marketing at the property. “Collectively our guests, meeting planners and staff are all participants in making a positive difference to preserve the environment while saving resources.” A total of 380.55 tons of recycled material in 2008 saved 3,186 trees. In addition, Hawk’s Landing Golf Course received Audubon Bird Sanctuary Certification. From green key cards to Earth...

I have heard and read quite a bit about what is or is not biodegradable in the past week. One reason is the article I wrote about utensils that are made from plant-based materials. Another reason is an ad that ran recently in Green Lodging News that touted a product’s biodegradability. What I learned is that you cannot truly feel good about buying a biodegradable product unless after its life you are 100 percent sure that it will be in an environment that will allow it to quickly biodegrade—an industrial composting facility, for example. When a supplier promotes the...

When China’s Mayland Group invited architect Narendra Patel to offer his opinion on the company’s design for the Mayland Seaside Hotel project in Guangzhou, he asked them if they really wanted to hear what he thought. He told them the project needed to be redesigned and that if they were looking for a hotel that would truly become a landmark along the Zhujiang River, he would be happy to come up with a concept. They agreed to work with him and what he and his colleagues at Rancho Mirage, Calif.-based Patel Architecture have come up with is a design...

SARASOTA, FLA.—Vista System International, a fast growing leader in Modular Curved Frame Technology (MCFT) with U.S.-based operations in Sarasota, Florida, has launched an environment friendly information sign that is easy to install and update. The new eye catching sign is constructed in a way that allows breaking it down for shipping and minimum packing volume, thereby reducing shipping-related energy use and cost. The sign consists of a metal stand that is assembled from two parts. The stand holds a Vista frame designed to hold A4 or letter size inserts. The assembly of all sign components requires only a screwdriver. The...