CROSSVILLE, TENN.—Urban Renewal by Crossville combines the beauty of real metal accent and trim pieces with a dimensional composite body, which means that although it has the look of heavy metal, the tile is actually lightweight and easy to install.  And, in keeping with its name, Urban Renewal has a 50 percent post-consumer recycled content, which has been certified by Scientific Certification Systems. Designed by color forecaster Barbara Schirmeister, ASID, DC, CAUS, for both commercial and residential installations, Urban Renewal is suitable for interior and exterior vertical applications, such as backsplashes, bathroom and shower walls, fireplace surrounds and feature walls....

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—More than 10 percent of the more than 700 exhibitors at this year’s 2010 International Hotel, Motel & Restaurant Show (IHMRS) in New York City will feature green products and services for the hospitality market. The show, set to run Saturday, November 13 through Tuesday, November 16, at New York City’s Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, will feature suppliers showing off the latest in sustainable technology, including: guestroom energy management systems, green hotel amenities, upholstery or linen fabrics with recycled content, furniture that meets sustainability guidelines, eco-friendly key cards and more. “As more hotels adopt sustainable environmental policies,...

DALLAS—VingCard Elsafe, a leading hospitality security provider and part of the ASSA ABLOY Hospitality Group, recently completed the installation of Orion by VingCard Elsafe, its new intelligent energy management solution; VISIONLINE, the company’s leading wireless RF-online system; and Signature RFID, its contactless electronic door locks with NFC cell phone compatibility, at the 74-room Comfort Suites in Gothenburg, Neb. The newest innovation by Orion by VingCard Elsafe is an intelligent energy management solution, designed to reduce energy costs while ensuring guest comfort. Incorporating proprietary technology, the system’s intelligent thermostat detects whether a guest is in the room to automatically control room...

MADISON, WIS.—The Ozone Company, located in Madison, Wis., recently unveiled its new Ecowash Premier Ozone Laundry System. Like other ozone laundry systems, Ecowash allows one to reduce energy, water, chemical and labor costs at any laundry facility. It features a proprietary logic control board developed by The Ozone Company that allows it to independently supply ozone to four separate washing machines at the same time. Other ozone laundry systems can at most control only two washers, resulting in lower capital expenses for Ozone Company customers utilizing the Ecowash system. In addition, the Ozone Company’s Ecowash system only produces ozone when...

CHICAGO—This month hoteliers from around the globe will be flocking to the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York with one goal in mind: “Powering Business for the New Economy”—the theme for the 2010 International Hotel, Motel + Restaurant Show from November 13 to 16. OpenWays, the hospitality industry’s first mobile key front-desk bypass solution, gives hoteliers a new platform for sustainability by dematerializing keys and cards and instead sending them over the air to cell phones. Through its new “Plastic or Data?” campaign, which will launch at the IHMRS in Booth No. 2551, OpenWays is giving...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—Sustainable Cards, a leading source of sustainable wood for hotel key cards, gift cards and retail point-of-sale signage, announced that Scandic Hotels, one of Europe’s leading hotel chains, will use its wooden hotel key cards in all of its 157 hotels in nine countries. After using an earlier version of the wood card at some of its properties for more than seven years, Scandic Hotels has now decided to implement Sustainable Cards’ new patent pending version of the decade old Swedish invention in all of its hotels. Scandic Hotels, headquartered in Stockholm and long regarded as an industry leader...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Control4, a leader in IP-based home and hospitality control systems, announced that the Control4 platform is being used to enhance the guest experience at Jumby Bay, a Rosewood Resort located in Antigua, West Indies. Each of the 40 guestrooms, suites and villas, scattered across the 300-acre private island resort, is now equipped with a Control4 system. Guests use a single Control4 remote and simple, on-screen interface to control the television, NXTV system, Bose sound system, DVD Player and iPod docking station. The hotel can upgrade the ZigBee-based wireless Control4 system with additional capabilities, such as lighting control...

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA—Concept Amenities, a supplier of environmentally responsible guestroom toiletries, will be presenting an array of products in booth 1581 during this year’s ISSA/Interclean Trade Show, at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. The show, scheduled for November 9 to 12 and hosted by ISSA (International Sanitary Supply Assn.), features merchandise from a wide range of manufacturers, distributors and service providers, and not only offers attendees the opportunity to network with peers from more than 65 countries, but also education in the form of technical workshops and certification courses. Concept Amenities will be launching two new collections. French Connection...

MIAMI—Environmental Services and Products LLC (ES&P) has launched a national campaign to bring its Grout Armor treatment to North America to restore and protect floor and wall grout for the hotel, restaurant, retail, health care, corporate and institutional industries. ES&P’s Grout Armor process is provided by a network of service providers. Rick Greenlaw of ES&P reports that grout treatments have traditionally required toxic, harsh chemicals that leave the manufacturer’s original surface damaged and porous. Grout Armor uses no dangerous materials and restores the grout to its original condition. “If people knew how much bacteria and very nasty things were in that...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Greenwise Bankcard unveils its new, patent pending solutions that help retail merchants, accepting credit and debit cards, improve their bottom line, reduce carbon footprint, and raise donations supporting socially worthy causes and charitable organizations through the point of sale. Greenwise Bankcard combines credit card processing services, the Green Receipt “paperless-receipt” solution, and the point of sale fundraising program called Donate Wise Now into one easy package called the Green Suite. Combining proprietary technologies certified to a broad base of hardware and software solutions makes it easy to integrate into most merchant locations.  Greenwise, a registered ISO/MSP of Wells Fargo...