Developers Getting Closer to Breaking Ground on Florida Everglades Resort

BIG CYPRESS, FLA.—Developers including Florida Everglades Resort, LLC and the Seminole Tribe of Florida are in discussion with potential investors who would help raise $23 million for a unique eco-resort within the Florida Everglades. The Florida Everglades Resort will be built on a 15-acre site (formerly a citrus grove) and within the 72,000-acre Seminole Reservation near Big Cypress. The site is located adjacent to Billie Swamp Safari, a 2,200-acre nature and wildlife park that already attracts more than 135,000 visitors per year. Jupiter, Fla.-based Florida Everglades Resort, LLC is the result of a multi-year collaboration between EcoExperience Development, Inc. (EDI) and several hospitality and sustainability experts. EDI will serve as the general partner. Calibre Management Inc. (CMI) will be the operations partner. Targeted travelers will include mid to upscale adventurous, leisure and outdoor travelers with a special emphasis on nature-based tourism.

> Doubletree Donates $50,000 to Haiti Recovery Efforts

WASHINGTON, D.C.—In response to the tragic earthquakes in Haiti, Doubletree Hotels announced a $50,000 donation on behalf of its Teaching Kids to CARE community outreach program to Friends of the World Food Program (Friends of WFP). The donation will help support the United Nations World Food Program’s (WFP) School Meals initiative in Haiti in an effort to further assist the recovery efforts currently underway. “Millions of earthquake survivors in Haiti are struggling every day to survive, and WFP has been working day and night to reach them with food and other humanitarian assistance,” said Friends of WFP president and CEO, Karen Sendelback. “Doubletree Hotels’ generosity is critical to these emergency feeding operations, which continue to be a lifeline to so many Haitians. We appreciate Doubletree Hotels and participants in its Teaching Kids to CARE program.”

> Bardessono Joins Elite Group with LEED Platinum Certification

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 problems, we have to begin to act. I hope we have provided an example from which others can benefit.” The hotel’s design, construction and operation followed guidelines of the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Building Rating System.

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Caroma Products Now Available for Autodesk Revit
HILLSBORO, ORE.—Caroma, a leader in dual flush toilets, urinals, and stylish bathroom sinks, has introduced a new section of its website with AutoDesk Revit files available (.RFA) for all Caroma products. Revit is a building information modeling tool enabling architects to design and document projects, visualize the appearance, and simulate real-world performance. Architects can review the specifications of Caroma products.
Speakman Company Appoints Rob Cook President
NEW CASTLE, DEL.—The company that supplies showerheads to many U.S. hotels has appointed Rob Cook as its sixth president and first non-family member to lead the company in its 141-year history. Cook comes to Speakman from Vistage International (formerly TEC), a peer-to-peer business leadership organization.
Green Lodging News Adds Moore Insurance as Directory Partner
CLEVELAND, OHIO—Hasek Communications, the Cleveland, Ohio-based publisher of Green Lodging News, welcomes Moore Insurance Agency, Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. The Albany, N.Y.-based independent insurance agency recently rolled out a new environmentally friendly “Green Hotel Insurance Program.” The program seeks to eliminate paper transactions by using electronically delivered policies and supporting documents.

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In the current green hotel building world, the equivalent of an Academy Award (an Oscar) would have to be LEED Platinum.

It is the top level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

LEED is offered by the U.S. Green Building Council for new and existing buildings.

Until now, only one hotel in the United States had earned LEED Platinum—the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C.

The Proximity was awarded its honor in October 2008.

Phil Sherburne, owner of the Bardessono Hotel, Restaurant and Spa in Yountville, Calif., just announced that his property is the second in the United States to have earned LEED Platinum.

Congratulations to Phil and the management team at MTM Luxury Lodging for achieving this prestigious green building honor.

“We didn’t start out targeting LEED Platinum status,” Sherburne says. “We simply wanted to build the Bardessono Hotel, Restaurant and Spa in the most environmentally responsible way we could.”

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Stylish One Piece High Efficiency Toilet

The Caravelle one piece high efficiency toilet features dual flush for water conservation. The two button system averages just 0.96 gallons per flush. The large trapway virtually eliminates clogging and overflows. Visit the Caroma website to learn about water and maintenance savings at hotels nationwide. Call (800) 605-4218.

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First LEED Hotel in Quebec is a Holiday Inn Express

SAINT-HYACINTH, QUEBEC—IHG announced that the company’s first sustainable hotel in Canada and the first of its type in Quebec officially opened in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec. The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Saint-Hyacinthe has been built to meet the criteria of the LEED Green Building Rating System for its sustainable practices. The Holiday Inn Express and Suites Saint-Hyacinthe features several key amenities that create a green environment, with a high efficiency energy distribution, ultra-insulated building, and LED and low voltage fluorescent lighting. The property has employed several key factors to reduce its overall carbon footprint.

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For Accor NA's Renée Swoger, Environment is Beyond Politics

DALLAS—When Accor NA’s Energy and Environment and Quality departments split recently, it created a leadership void in the Energy and Environment department. Accor filled that void with Renée Swoger, manager of Energy & Environment Services. Swoger has done such a good job since taking that position that she has been promoted to senior manager of Energy & Environment Services. Swoger began her career with Accor less than two years ago when she was hired as a business analyst in the Quality department. It was her first job after leaving Louisiana State University where she earned a graduate degree.

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How to Maintain a High Level of Indoor Air Quality in Your Building

Guest health and wellness is of prime importance to hoteliers, and one of the most challenging areas is indoor air quality because you can’t see it, feel it, or hear it, and most times you can’t even smell it. It often takes someone getting sick to raise the air quality to everyone’s attention. Indoor air is a difficult topic to get your arms around, no pun intended, and occupant health is a central concern when discussing indoor air quality. Indoor air quality refers to monitoring and reducing indoor air contaminants and providing a place that building occupants can function well without effects from microbial contaminates.

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