SAN FRANCISCO—The InterContinental Mark Hopkins San Francisco has been named a San Francisco Green Business, making it the largest hotel by square footage and second largest building in the city to receive the recognition. Under the direction of Chief Engineer Shane Caldwell, the hotel spent more than two years working alongside the San Francisco Department of Environment to audit its existing practices and implement new programs and procedures to become a more sustainable property focusing on the areas of waste management, pollution prevention, conservation, water management, and energy efficiency. To date, the hotel has replaced more than 8,000 lightbulbs...

NEWARK, CALIF.—Mission Linen Supply, a leading provider of linens, uniforms, supplies and related services, has built and opened a new, 100,000-square-foot, LEED-certified facility in Newark, Calif. Equipped to process more than 70 million pounds of laundry each year, this new facility will enable Mission to provide efficient linen services to hospitality businesses throughout San Francisco and the surrounding areas. Leveraging more than 85 years of experience, Mission serves hospitality businesses throughout the western United States and Texas. Like other Mission locations, the Newark facility offers rental and direct-purchase products and provides laundry services for the aforementioned items as well as...

BENTON HARBOR, MICH.—Whirlpool Corp. has risen in the Newsweek Green Rankings to 50 and 82 on the national and global lists respectively. The rankings assess the environmental performance of the largest publicly traded companies in the United States and the world. This year, Whirlpool Corp. was classified as a “top-ranked company,” a designation awarded to fewer than 100 companies on either list. “The people at Whirlpool Corporation continuously strive to protect the planet by being more efficient in how we build innovative products that consume less energy,” said Ron Voglewede, Director of Global Sustainability for Whirlpool Corp. “This distinction is a...

When it comes to implementing energy efficiency measures in hotels, the hospitality sector faces unique challenges such as overcoming the limitations between ownership and management and accessing capital for upgrades, all while complying with brand standards and meeting guest comfort expectations. Three Better Buildings partners, HEI Hotels & Resorts, Loews Hotels & Co., and Las Vegas Sands Corp., are successfully overcoming these barriers and achieving significant energy savings while making progress towards their Better Buildings Challenge commitment of reducing portfolio-wide energy use by 20 percent in a decade. The U.S. Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge (BBC) is part...

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Speakman as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Speakman, a leading producer of high-performing, water-saving water fixtures, has completely re-engineered its line of fixed and hand-held showerheads to feature lower, more efficient flow rates. From thermal retention to spray velocity, Speakman has designed a substantial assortment of eco-friendly products that save water without sacrificing an ounce of performance. For additional information, call (800) 537-2107 or e-mail tscanzillo@speakman.com. View the company’s videos here.

ODESSA, FLA.—Hasek Communications, the Odessa, Fla.-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Stern Engineering as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Stern’s Touch-Free Electronic Faucets are operated by infrared sensor and automatically activate when users place their hands within the sensor range, providing cold or premixed water. The water efficient, touch free faucets automatically shut down after being used for more than 90 seconds. The faucets combine minimalistic designs with high quality materials to ensure washrooms remain hygienic, safe, cost efficient and sustainable. Customizable functions with optional remote control are sensor range, security time, delay in, delay out,...

Name: Claire Cutting Title: Director, Sustainability Company: Marriott International, Inc. Years in Position: One Primary Responsibilities: “My whole focus is on integrating Marriott’s and Starwood’s sustainability programs. We are trying to make one and one equal three. For example, we both had housekeeping and seafood programs but putting them together can be a real challenge. We are combining the best of both worlds. Each company had its own set of goals. It is like matching apples to oranges.” Organization’s most significant sustainability-related accomplishment: “Launching Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, Marriott’s new Sustainability and Social Impact Platform. Our goals are huge. It was...

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.—Mission Linen Supply, a leading provider of linens, uniforms, laundry services and select supplies, received a silver 2017 Best in Biz Award in the Most Environmentally Responsible Company of the Year category. Judged by an objective panel of prominent editors and reporters from some of North America’s most respected media outlets, this year’s Best in Biz Awards drew more than 650 entries across various categories. Mission was recognized for its efforts to put environmental sustainability at the forefront of its daily operations and long-term business initiatives. As early as 1973, Mission installed one of the industry’s first wastewater...

MIAMI—New ownership led by Gencom, a leading Miami-based international luxury hospitality and residential real estate investment and development firm, announced that Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts, the world’s leading luxury hospitality company, will assume management of a new collection of environmentally designed private villas and estate homes set to commence construction in February 2018. Construction completion is targeted for mid-Q4 2019. The exclusive enclave of 20 wholly owned properties will be known as Four Seasons Private Residences Prieta Bay at Peninsula Papagayo, situated on 17 acres of prime oceanfront real estate adjacent to the famed Four Seasons Resort Costa Rica. A...

MANCHESTER, N.H.—Xeros, the innovator of polymer cleaning technologies, announced that 33 hotels and commercial laundries have now joined the Xeros Million Gallon Club, each saving more than one million gallons of water using Xeros’ award-winning polymer cleaning laundry system. The patented, award-winning system uses up to 80 percent less water, up to 50 percent less energy, and approximately 50 percent less detergent than traditional systems while delivering superior cleaning performance. Environmentally conscious hotels and commercial laundries across the United States, Mexico, the Caribbean, and United Kingdom are among the latest Xeros customers to reach the million-gallon savings mark. Additionally, the...