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Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg Eyes LEED Silver Certification

GATLINBURG, TENN.—The Hilton Garden Inn Gatlinburg, adjacent to The Great Smoky Mountain National Park, is on its way to becoming the first LEED certified hotel in Tennessee. The 118-unit property opened on May 28. According to Logan Coykendall, part owner of the hotel and owner of Hospitality Management Solutions, the Sevierville, Tenn.-based management company that operates it, the Hilton Garden Inn should achieve a “solid Silver” LEED rating later this year. LEED, a certification program for new and existing buildings run by the U.S. Green Building Council, offers four levels of certification: Certified, Silver, Gold, and Platinum.

> Hotel Indigo San Diego Invests More Than $300,000 in Local Arts Scene
SAN DIEGO—Demonstrating its commitment to San Diego, Hotel Indigo San Diego Gaslamp Quarter is investing more than $300,000 in the local arts community and is taking hotel art to a new level—12 stories up, in fact. Following more than a year of design work and two weeks of installation, Hotel Indigo San Diego unveiled its first piece of public art in advance of the hotel opening on July 13, 2009. Aptly named “Indigo Waters,” the 40-foot exterior wall sculpture made up of 33 hand-painted, laminated and tempered blue-colored glass panels is positioned on the western facade of the hotel between the ninth and twelfth floors. The sculpture was designed and created by local artist Lisa Schirmer.
> Passage of Energy, Climate Legislation Creates New Opportunities
WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) is commending the House of Representatives for passing landmark energy and climate legislation that includes several significant provisions to incentivize and accelerate the benefits of green building across the country. “From programs that would generate billions of dollars to spur and scale green retrofitting of our existing building stock to inclusion of the GREEN Act, which would create new opportunities for green affordable housing, this bill recognizes that green building is a major part of the solution to our economic and energy challenges,” said Rick Fedrizzi, president, CEO & founding chair, USGBC. “With this federal commitment, green building can help propel the new green economy by creating enormous energy and cost savings for millions of Americans while accelerating unprecedented job creation.”

  • 700th Hotel Earns iStayGreen.org’s Eco-Leaf Rating
    PHOENIX—On Friday, June 26, Dover Downs Hotel and Casino, located in Dover, Delaware, became the 700th lodging property to complete iStayGreen.org’s online self-audit. The hotel and casino earned a 4 Green Eco-Leaf Rating. The eco-rating allows the public to know the specific environmental initiatives in place at a property.
  • LSI Pairs Up with Joseph Abboud for New Versa Wallcovering Collection
    LOUISVILLE, KY.—The design vision of global lifestyle brand Joseph Abboud comes to commercial interiors for the first time with the introduction of a wallcovering collection for Versa. The 14-pattern collection is inspired by Joseph Abboud’s roots in menswear, incorporating tailored details, textures resembling nubby linens, brushed silks and burnished suedes, and designs influenced by glen plaids, paisleys, stripes and damasks.
  • Green Lodging News Adds Dectron Case Study to Website
    CLEVELAND, OHIO—Green Lodging News has just added a new case study to its website. The case study focuses on the Nottawsaga Inn Resort in Alliston, Ont., and how it implemented new dehumidification technology from Dectron Internationale to eliminate the challenging eye and lung irritation nuisance of every indoor pool—chloramines.

Earth Day was a very important day this year for those in Canada’s tourism industry.

It was on that day, April 22, that 36 industry leaders gathered in Toronto to form the Canadian Sustainable Tourism Advisory Council.

Organized by the Tourism Industry Association of Canada (TIAC), the Council’s members represent every type of industry stakeholder: hotels, inns, universities, tourism commissions and associations, consultants, travel planners, and others.

The mission of the council is two-fold: to agree to minimum standards for “sustainable travel,” and to create a uniquely Canadian accreditation system for hotels, tourism attractions and related businesses.

Keep in mind that Canada already has a highly successful hotel rating program (Green Key) run by the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC).

The still unnamed accreditation program in the works by TIAC and the Council would be a separate program.

It should be up and running by sometime in 2010.

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LIVING FRESH Bedding
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More Information:
Valley Forge Fabrics, Inc.

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Sears Tower’s Green Plan Includes 500-Room LEED Hotel
CHICAGO—Sears Tower announced plans for a renovation that will result in energy savings and reduced CO2 emissions. The tallest building in the Western Hemisphere will reduce its base building electricity use by up to 80 percent, which includes a combination of energy savings and cogeneration. The energy savings equal 68 million kilowatt hours annually or 150,000 barrels of oil every year. The sustainability plans will also drive economic development in the West Loop, creating jobs.

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Mark Slymen Helps Montage Balance Luxury & Sustainability
LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF.—As director of sustainability at Montage Hotels & Resorts, Mark Slymen oversees all sustainable development and operational practices at the young but growing company. Montage, which focuses on the development of ultra-luxury properties, recently earned LEED Gold certification for its Beverly Hills hotel. Working in tandem with a consulting firm, Slymen recently oversaw the process that led up to the LEED designation.

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A Greener Laundry Starts With Clear Goals
I relish the times when I get out of the office to visit functioning laundries and speak with those in charge of the operations as well as the employees. These visits are important to see our company’s equipment in action. I always leave having learned something or at the very least having had a key point reinforced. Recently, my travels took me to Cavallo Point-The Lodge at Golden Gate in Sausalito, Calif. This luxury hotel resort property, located in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge, has fully embraced green.

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