CHICAGO—Protect-A-Bed, a leading provider of bedding protection products with a presence in 27 countries, announced its acquisition of London-based Shine Capital Europe LTD which distributes Protect-A-Bed products across Europe. The acquisition creates a formal corporate presence for Protect-A-Bed in Europe. Simon Zamet, owner of Shine Capital Europe LTD, has been named CEO for Protect-A-Bed Europe. Protect-A-Bed Europe sells products in the pest control, furniture and bedding, healthcare and retail industries. “This acquisition gives Protect-A-Bed a direct relationship with valuable customers across Europe,” said Protect-A-Bed CEO James Bell. “Simon’s team in London is perfectly positioned to continue growing Protect-A-Bed’s reputation...

KAANAPALI NORTH BEACH, MAUI—The newest full service hotel development on Kaanapali Beach, the Honua Kai Resort & Spa, has unveiled details of its comprehensive sustainability program—in line with the traditional Hawaiian concept of “malama aina,” (caring for the land). Honua Kai’ practices begin with the ocean, protect the surrounding beach, and extend to every room at the property. Honua Kai, which opened in January 2009, has its own director of sustainability, Lance Gilliland. “We call it ‘Eco-nomics,’—practices that are ecologically sound and economically feasible,” Gilliland says. “It just makes sense to conserve energy, re-use, recycle and protect the beautiful natural...

YOUNTVILLE, CALIF.—Bardessono has just received the highest level of official recognition possible for its sustainable and environmentally friendly design. The hotel has been awarded LEED Platinum certification, an achievement reached by only two other hotels in the world, on the first anniversary of its opening. Phil Sherburne built Bardessono with the intention of creating a hotel that provides guests with a luxurious experience while simultaneously protecting the environment. “I believe it is critical for the development community to be a leader in the effort to preserve a healthy planet,” Sherburne says. “We can’t just continue to talk about environmental...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—Vantage Hospitality Group announced that all of its nearly 900 Americas Best Value Inn and Canadas Best Value Inn properties throughout North America will carry shampoo, body lotion and bath soap with biodegradable packaging in their guestrooms. “This isn’t just a commitment to the environment, it’s a commitment to our hotel owners and guests,” said Roger Bloss, CEO, president and founder of Vantage Hospitality. “Americas Best Value Inn has grown tremendously since we began 10 years ago and we plan to be around for a very long time. Therefore, we need to make sure we maintain the cities and...

SEDONA, ARIZ.—Sedona’s Kings Ransom Inn recently launched Green Suites International’s “EcoRoom Accommodation Program,” converting each of its 53 guestrooms into healthier, more environmental “EcoRooms.” They are the first property in the area to do so. The guestrooms will now feature more than a dozen environmental products. The products include compact fluorescent light bulbs, water-efficient showerheads and sink faucets; LED nightlights (according to a study at Livermore Laboratories, 40 percent of all travelers leave bathroom lights on as nightlights), nontoxic cleaning chemicals; a linen reuse program, and Natura brand liquid soaps, lotions and shampoo products offered in shower and vanity dispensers....

The economic situation in 2009 led to a dire year for the lodging industry. Room occupancy is estimated to have fallen to around 55 percent, a drop that has only been matched twice since the 1920s. Revenue per available room, one of the main measurements for profitability in the hospitality industry, was off by 17 percent when compared to the previous year, with an even bigger drop for the luxury segment. Although 2010 is expected to bring the green shoots of recovery, hotels are currently struggling. Despite these hardships, customers expect hotels to continue to maintain high standards. This includes...

ALPHARETTA, GA.—The Refinishing Touch, a specialist in environmentally safe and sustainable on-site furniture refinishing, upholstery and armoire modifications, has launched a government-approved television recycling program that will reduce the amount of electronic waste created by its customer organizations during furniture remodeling projects. The Refinishing Touch has experience gained from working with some of the largest organizations in the country, from hotel chains such as Hilton, Hyatt, IHG, Marriott, Wyndham and Starwood to government organizations such as The White House, U.S. Congress, Department of Defense, U.S. military forces, and the U.S. Coastguard. In recent years, several hotel chains have commissioned The...

VANCOUVER, B.C.—Waste-Not-Basket Inc. has just released a new recycling basket. The plastic baskets are a natural follow-up to a wicker recycling basket first introduced more than 10 years ago by Susan Memory, company president and founder. “We continue to provide a way for hotel guests to divert waste from landfills, pump up employee morale and save properties money,” she says. “And the baskets look nice and are easy to handle.” The baskets are made from a minimum of 80 percent recycled content. Their unique stacking capability makes them streamlined for shipping and transport, so they are low emission delivery...

RALEIGH, N.C.—In October, the Raleigh Convention Center joined an elite group of convention centers—those that have earned Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. In Raleigh’s case, it earned LEED Silver, joining the Phoenix Convention Center, Spokane (Wash.) Convention Center Expansion, and the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, Ore., as LEED Silver recipients. The Raleigh facility earned the LEED designation a little more than a year after the center opened in September 2008. The Raleigh Convention Center is owned and managed by the City of Raleigh. According to Laurie Okun, director of...

BETHESDA, MD.—Now that’s a lot of cooking oil. According to Brad Nelson, corporate chef and vice president of culinary for Marriott International, the company’s hotels in North America generate about 5.5 million pounds of used cooking oil each year. Add in the properties outside North America and that number just about doubles. With so much spent cooking oil to deal with, what’s a company the size of Marriott to do? This past summer the company started a test program at just a few properties in the Washington, D.C. area that resulted in the cooking oil being converted to biodiesel....