SAN DIEGO—John Glen DiGuiseppe, president/CEO of Investors Hospitality Management, a third-party revenue management and ownership services company that emphasizes sustainability, announced the opening of its New York City office during BITAC Purchasing and Design West 2009’s recent San Diego conference. “Particularly for our international and national clients like Hyatt, Hampton Inn & Suites, Holiday Inn, Wyndham, Best Western, Choice Hotels as well as our independent owners, IHM’s bicoastal presence now offers two convenient national gateways (Los Angeles and New York) bridged by our Southwest office in the Phoenix metroplex,” DiGuiseppe says. “IHM’s legacy in sustainable design, environmental sensitivity in FFE...

SAINT CHARLES, MO.—Pineapple Hospitality announced that two new hotel management groups have joined FreshStay.com, the largest online directory of 100 percent smoke-free hotels in the world. Potomac Hospitality Services and Charlestowne Hotels combined offer 22 properties that have completely eliminated smoking on their properties, adding to the comprehensive list of more than 4,800 other FreshStay.com hotels, motels and B&Bs. “Potomac Hospitality and Charlestowne Hotels are two well-known, well-respected management groups in this industry, so we are excited they see the benefits and are leading their properties to be smoke free,” says Dave Janicke, FreshStay’s CBO—Chief Breathing Officer. “It’s clear that...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Allegheny Printed Plastics as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Allegheny offers eco-friendly material options to meet key card and signage needs: BioPVC has been certified as fully biodegradable; Recycled PVC is made from carefully segregated waste generated in the company’s factory. PLA, made from renewable resources like corn, can be commercially composted. Allegheny also offers customized key card sleeves, door hangers and door inserts. For more information, call (800) 933-4123, e-mail boustead@allegheny.com, or go to www.printedplastics.com.

BOSTON—Magnum Energy Solutions recently put their Verde wireless and batteryless energy control system, powered by EnOcean, to the test in an independent study conducted at a Wyndham hotel. The test sought to measure the HVAC and lighting energy savings that could be realized by utilizing sensor and control devices that respond to hotel room occupancy statuses. The field test concluded that hotel rooms controlled by the Verde Energy Control System consumed 33 percent less energy than rooms without the energy harvesting controls. The Verde hotel room energy system determines if a hotel room is vacant or occupied according to the...

SAN DIEGO—Cali Bamboo, a manufacturer of green building materials made entirely from bamboo for residential and commercial projects, announced its partnership with the San Diego Habitat for Humanity. The company will provide $15,000 worth of flooring and fencing materials as well as volunteer employees to help build the final Jimmie Johnson Foundation house in El Cajon as well as other area homes. “The best part about working with Habitat for Humanity is that we’re actually able to be involved in the construction process and see our products being put towards helping people in need,” said Tanner Haigwood, COO...

SAN METEO, CALIF.—Outsource Development Software company Solve IT Labs has developed technology to help InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) hotels achieve their environmental goals. The software allows management to track and manage hotel energy, water and waste consumption for the world’s largest hotel group. Green Engage software enables hotel owners to reduce energy costs by operating more efficiently. It measures energy and environmental metrics across eight areas of hotel operations. Hotels can measure, manage and report on environmental benchmarks. Using the program, general managers at individual properties can enter facility data on site, and compare that data with information entered from similar...

FORT. LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc., a leader in sustainable textiles for hospitality, announced that the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) confirmed recognition of bedding within the LEED rating system, specifically within LEED for Existing Buildings (LEED EB). The Valley Forge LIVING FRESH with Tencel+Plus Lyocell products may help projects earn LEED points in three areas as this collection is made from a rapidly renewable resource (eucalyptus), will be picked up at the end of its life through Valley Forge’s established reclamation program and the eucalyptus is harvested from Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) managed forests. All eucalyptus fiber for...

HORSHAM, PA.—Roxanna Lopez, an operations manager in LRA Worldwide’s Quality Assurance Practice, has passed the Tier 1 accreditation exam offered through the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) arm of the U.S. Green Building Council. By passing the exam, Lopez earned her LEED Green Associate credentials. As sustainable operational practices become increasingly important in the lodging industry, Lopez will work to integrate “green” standards into existing LRA client quality assurance programs. The consultants in LRA’s Quality Assurance practice currently conduct nearly 13,000 property evaluations in a given year. “As more of our clients are looking to add sustainable operational practices...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—The Hansgrohe formula of blending modern and traditional design elements with state-of-the-art technology is once again on display with the new Metris C line of lav, bidet and tub faucets. All of the lav models in this new series feature ceramic cartridges and Hansgrohe EcoRight technology to limit flow rates to 1.5 gallons per minute (GPM)—a 30 percent savings over conventional lav faucets. Like the new Talis C series, Metris C faucets are designed to be combined with Hansgrohe Raindance C showerheads, handshowers and bodysprays, creating a coordinated look that brings a classical elegance to the bath, but with...

SAN DIEGO—Cali Bamboo, a manufacturer of green residential and commercial building materials made entirely from bamboo, announced a $14,000 contribution to San Diego Coastkeeper to support their Watershed Monitoring Program. The donation will help the nonprofit organization enhance the physical condition of San Diego’s beaches, bays, watersheds and oceans as well as provide valuable public health benefits to residents and visitors. “Not only is it our mission to do our part as a company to protect the environment, but a lot of our staff enjoy spending time at the beach; so contributing to a program that aims to improve our local...