DENVER—Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center officially opened its doors as the largest combined resort and convention center in Colorado. Just 10 minutes from Denver International Airport, the resort is the fifth Gaylord Hotels property and one of the largest resorts in the world to debut under the Marriott International brand this year. Gaylord Rockies Resort & Convention Center has 1,501 rooms, 485,000 square feet of convention center space and an extensive indoor/outdoor water park on an 85-acre site. Numerous steps have been taken at the complex to reduce its environmental impact: Straw-less drinks: As part of the Marriott initiative to eliminate plastic straws and stirrers from...

PARIS—Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, a leading brand within the AccorHotels Group, announces the release of its 2018 Sustainability Report Update, “Made with Sustainability in Mind”. This report covers the brand’s strategies and actions to continuously improve its sustainability performance throughout the years of 2015, 2016, and 2017. Previous Sustainability Reports were issued in 2012 and 2015. The 2018 Sustainability Update provides insight as to how Swissôtel tackles areas which are most important to its internal and external stakeholders based on materiality assessments conducted by the brand’s sustainability management team and third-party experts. The report includes updated performance data, recent case...

PISCATAWAY, N.J.—Engineered to deliver superior performance compared to conventional pressure-assist toilets, the VorMax flushing platform from American Standard, part of LIXIL, is available in two back outlet commercial models for the first time. Designed to suit any installation requirements, the new toilets include the wall-hung Glenwall VorMax and the floor-mount Yorkville VorMax. The award-winning VorMax technology has been independently verified to clean the bowl two times better than conventional toilets, and completely removes and flushes paper seat covers to offer an improved user experience. Eliminating the traditional tiny rim holes around the bowl that carry water during a flush, the...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company, has received a Gold recertification from the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) program for the company’s headquarters in Parsippany, N.J. The recertification designates Wyndham Hotels & Resorts’ corporate campus as one of the highest-performing green buildings in the country, reflecting the company’s commitment to minimizing its environmental footprint. LEED is a third-party certification program and premier benchmark for the design, construction and operation of green buildings. It uses a point system to determine the environmental merits of a building, with four levels of...

NEW YORK—A solar powered USB charging station. An electric bicycle lending program. A one hundred percent recyclable wine glass. A system that integrates an alarm clock, HVAC and lighting controls, Wi-Fi and more into a single unified platform. A salad-making robot (vending machine) named “Sally” that delivers eight-component meals in seconds. These are just some of the products that were introduced at HX: The Hotel Experience and Boutique Design New York (BDNY). Both events were held November 11 to 12 at the Javits Center in New York City. It would be impossible to list all the eco-friendly products and...

NEWARK, CALIF.—Mission Linen Supply, a leading provider of linens, uniforms, laundry services and supplies, has been honored with Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification for its plant in Newark, Calif. The plant, which celebrated its grand opening in February 2018 and serves organizations throughout the Bay Area, includes a wide variety of “green” features. LEED certification, a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement offered through the U.S. Green Building Council, is awarded to facilities that are built to save water, energy and resources while generating less waste and supporting human health. Mission’s Newark plant received 52 points...

WEST PALM BEACH, FLA.—3 Pillar Solutions, LLC announced the launch of their online 3Pillar Hotel Sustainability Assessment, eliminating what can sometimes be unaffordable on-site consulting and travel fees. This comprehensive 238-question assessment takes a comprehensive snapshot of the entire operations. Shortly after submittal, a custom-tailored report of recommendations for improvement and cost savings are provided, along with a 3Pillar Hotel Sustainability Guide offering education in all areas of sustainable hospitality, from food waste prevention, stakeholder engagement strategies, to adopting the U.N. Sustainable Development Goals 2030 locally. “The 3P Hotel Sustainability Assessment by 3 Pillar Solutions provided a comprehensive and affordable...

GULF SHORES, ALA.—The Lodge at Gulf State Park, A Hilton Hotel opened its doors after a much-anticipated return to Alabama’s Gulf Coast. Guests of the 350-room, beachfront hotel, located within Alabama’s Gulf State Park, will enjoy views of the Gulf of Mexico or Lake Shelby with direct access to the emerald green waters of the Gulf and over 6,150 acres of trails and activities within the Park. The Lodge at Gulf State Park is the first full service hotel to open in the area in 20 years. It is a premier meetings and events destination, offering a wide array of...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton announced an initial investment of $1 million to drive sustainable travel and tourism in Africa. To do so, the company will focus on five key areas—Hilton’s Big Five: Youth Opportunity: investing in training and apprenticeship programs to build a strong talent pipeline and tackle identified challenges for youth, including underemployment; Water Stewardship: the expansion of existing partnerships and the creation of new alliances to help Hilton achieve its goal to reduce its water consumption by 50 percent and activate 20 context-based water projects in at-risk communities by 2030; Anti-Human Trafficking: the provision of training and auditing to...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added a ClearWater Tech case study to its website. Jim Massey’s Cleaners and Laundry, of Montgomery, Alabama, was looking to eliminate their high costs of hot water and chemicals used in their textile and garment restoration department. John Massey provided proof of the effectiveness and payback by using EcoTex Cold-Water Disinfection Systems on their washers. Engineered and manufactured by California-based ClearWater Tech, EcoTex was first introduced to John Massey by Eastern Regional Sales Manager, Skip Mallios who told John just how much of a difference a proper injection of ozone would make with the wash processes in...