ALBUQUERQUE—In keeping with its commitment of being one of the most eco-conscious hotels in the country, the historic Hotel Andaluz—formerly La Posada de Albuquerque in downtown Albuquerque—used a mere 300,000 gallons of water for the entire month of May this year. That compares with 1.2 million gallons of water that the La Posada used in May 2004 and 730,000 gallons in May 2005—the last two years it was open. Since Hotel Andaluz opened in October 2009, the hotel is consuming an average of 770,000 gallons of water less per month than its predecessor, the La Posada. In fact, when comparing...

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, CALIF.—Wen-I Chang, founder and president of Atman Hospitality Group, Inc., has published a book that profiles 23 green hotels—both pre-LEED pioneer green hotels and the LEED certified hotels that followed. The creator of the book, called "World's LEED Hotels: Innovation, Renovation & Development," is Ling Ling Chang, project manager with Atman Hospitality Group. Twenty of the hotels profiled in the hard cover book are in the United States, one is in the U.S. Virgin Islands, one is in Sri Lanka, and the other is in Chile. Hotels profiled include: Post Ranch Inn, Big Sur, Calif.; Maho Bay Camps,...

AUBURN, N.H.—Aquawing Ozone Injection Systems (AWOIS) LLC, in Auburn, N.H., recently released a new laundry ozone injection system engineered to serve the hospitality market, including hotels, motels and B&Bs, according to Brett Daniels, the company’s vice president. The new ozone system works by infusing a continual flow of ozone, at a consistent concentration, into the wash process to properly clean moderately soiled linens and towels. The system, according to Daniels, produces cleaner linens over traditional washing, while significantly reducing the use of natural gas, water and chemicals, as well as resulting costs. “This system was created to address the laundry...

TROY, OHIO—Hobart has launched Advansys, an advanced warewashing system. Advansys technology includes innovations that save operators time and money, makes the equipment easier to maintain and service, and improves productivity. The first product available in the Advansys line is Hobart’s new Advansys Ventless Door Type, which was introduced earlier this year as the AM Select Ventless warewasher. The unit is a recipient of this year’s National Restaurant Association Kitchen Innovations award, which recognizes groundbreaking foodservice equipment as selected by an independent panel of experts and received the Foodservice Consultants Society International (FCSI) Product of the Year award for 2010. The patent-pending...

LOS ANGELES—Falcon Waterfree Technologies, a leading global manufacturer of waterfree urinals, earned ‘2010 Money-Saving Product’ recognition by Buildings Magazine for the new Falcon F7000 splash-free waterfree urinal. The Falcon urinal was selected from a field of hundreds of products for its cost savings based on utility bills and ease of maintenance. Like all Falcon urinals, the new F7000 waterfree urinal is engineered to provide simple operation for new construction and restroom upgrades. The low purchase price and life cycle cost provides better payback than other urinal technology options. Besides saving up to 40,000 gallons or more of water and sewer...

NATIONAL REPORT—Going blue is not only about cheering for the University of Michigan. Going Blue is also about becoming more water efficient, and is as important a component of the greening of the lodging industry as any other. The hotel industry has made great strides in managing water consumption—changing faucet aerators and showerheads, and replacing older toilets—but there are still more opportunities for additional savings.  A water audit can help to find them. Why Pay Such Attention to Reducing Water Use? Water may still be cheap, but that does not mean it is plentiful. In many parts of the country water...

LONDON—Whitbread PLC, the United Kingdom’s largest hotel and restaurant group, announced that as part of this year’s capital investment program it will be spending more than $10.6 million on a sustainability program to boost the environmental performance of its hotels, restaurants and coffee shops. The move forms an important part of Whitbread’s ‘Good Together’ sustainability strategy and will help the business deliver against its targets of a 26 percent reduction in energy consumption and a 20 percent reduction in water use by 2020. The investment drive will focus on Whitbread’s existing estate and will see the introduction of a package...

DALLAS—Motel 6’s newest property in Northlake, Texas, is the first economy hotel in the nation to attain LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) and the first hotel for parent company Accor to gain the distinction. “With the brand’s ‘Phoenix’ prototype, we are setting the pace for the future of Motel 6, which, in line with our values, must be as energy-efficient as possible,” said Olivier Poirot, CEO of Accor North America, Motel 6 and Studio 6. “LEED’s high environmental standards lend a great deal of credence to our efforts, and we...

LOS ANGELES—Acorn Engineering Co., a manufacturer of water-saving plumbing fixtures and systems, is now featuring a stainless steel waterless urinal made from 80 percent recycled content in its lineup. It operates without the need for chemical cartridges. Acorn Engineering’s hand-welded and sustainable waterless urinal is built to outlast other fixtures and reduce impact on water resources, landfills, and a building’s budget. The waterless urinal has furthered Acorn Engineering’s commitment to the environment by utilizing a well-known technology that does not require messy and expensive liquid replacement cartridges. Landfill waste is minimal, and the unit can be cleaned regularly without voiding...

ERIE, PA.—Zurn Engineered Water Solutions, a manufacturer of commercial plumbing products, has introduced the HydroVantage sustainable hydro generator flush valve. The HydroVantage flush valve is designed to create energy during each flush cycle. As water passes through the valve, the turbine spins, creating electrical energy which is then stored in a rechargeable cell. This stored energy then powers the electrical needs of the flush valve for subsequent flushes. It eliminates the need for external electrical power or battery replacement for more than 10 years under normal operating conditions. The HydroVantage flush valve provides optimal energy efficiency, low maintenance and ease...