Hotel
Allegro, Hotel Burnham, Hotel Monaco Chicago,
Chicago Kimpton
Hotel Allegro,
Hotel Burnham and Hotel Monaco Chicago, the
Chicago Kimpton boutique hotels, received Green
Seal certification this week at a ceremony with
Mayor Richard M. Daley and the Chicago
Department of Environment, becoming three of the
first five hotels in Chicago and Illinois to
receive this designation. The InterContinental
Chicago and Talbott Hotel also received
certification. An independent not-for-profit
organization, Green Seal certifies lodging
properties meeting stringent environmental
requirements in waste minimization, energy
efficiency, water conservation, waste water
management, and environmentally responsible
procurement. Green Seal's certification process
involves review of the hotels' purchasing
records, processes and procedures, as well as an
on-site audit of the property. Certification
grants the hotel license to use the Green Seal
mark for one year, after which the hotel is
audited for continued compliance. "Having our
EarthCare initiatives validated by such an
important organization like Green Seal
acknowledges that we are doing the right things
for the environment and our business," said
Nabil Moubayed, general manager of Hotel Monaco
and lead for Kimpton Chicago's EarthCare
Committee, a team of five employees who oversee
the hotels' eco practices. "We are extremely
proud to be associated with Green Seal and look
forward to continually helping raise the bar on
environmental consciousness." The Chicago
Kimpton hotels began their pursuit of Green Seal
certification in 2007 as part of the City of
Chicago's Climate Action Plan and the Green
Hotels Initiative, a collaborative effort to
secure Green Seal certifications for more hotels
in Chicago than any other city in the nation.
Since then, Hotel Allegro, Hotel Burnham and
Hotel Monaco have enhanced over 40 operating
practices under Kimpton's EarthCare program,
which encompasses all eco initiatives at Kimpton
hotels and restaurants. These practices were
expanded to meet Green Seal standards, further
reducing the hotels' ecological impact and
improving sustainability. As part of the
certification process, Chicago Kimpton hotels
have also begun feasibility studies on
progressive solutions such as waste composting.
Hotel Allegro, Hotel Burnham and Hotel Monaco
Chicago are the first hotels in the Kimpton
collection to receive Green Seal certification.
Other Kimpton properties are currently working
towards certification. Implementation of
EarthCare practices has resulted in tremendous
savings at each individual hotel and across the
company. For example, in 2007, Kimpton's
company-wide paper reduction efforts saved
54,509 pounds of waste from landfills. In-room
recycling efforts led to the recycling of 9.5
million pounds of paper products and 3.8 million
pounds of plastic, glass and aluminum. The
company also converted 51,070 gallons of
chemicals to non-toxic cleaners. For more
information, visit http://www.greenseal.org.
For more
information on Hotel Allegro, call 312-236-0123
or visit http://www.allegrochicago.com.
For more
information on Hotel Burnham, call 312-782-1111
or visit http://www.burnhamhotel.com.
For more
information on Hotel Monaco, call 312-960-8500
or visit http://www.monaco-chicago.com.
For more
information on Kimpton, call 800-KIMPTON or
visit http://www.kimptonhotels.com.
Oct 17, 2008
Outrigger
Enterprises Groups
Outrigger
Enterprises Groups president and executive chief
David Carey, said the company has been selected
to develop and manage the Outrigger Qingshui Bay
Resort, Sanya, China, a new 500-plus-room,
five-star, full-service luxury hotel to be built
as part of Qingshui Bay Resort, a multi-billion
dollar mixed use development being built on the
island of Hainan in the People's Republic of
China. Located along 7.5 miles of beachfront
property within Hainan Island's Sanya
Administrative Prefecture on the South China
Sea, the Qingshui Bay Resort will feature six
luxury hotels, a diverse range of residential
apartments and villas, multiple championship
golf courses and a comprehensive mix of
commercial, retail and entertainment offerings.
Qingshui Bay Resort is being developed by a
joint venture between funds managed by Morgan
Stanley and Agile Property Holdings Limited, a
Hong Kong-listed property developer specializing
in large-scale, high-end, design-oriented
residential and resort developments. visit
http://www.outriggerenterprisesgroup.com.
Oct 17,
2008
Costa
Costa is
offering a variety of seven-night sailings from
Dubai beginning at $799 per person. These
special fares are available on the Costa
Classica and Costa Victoria on select dates from
December through April. Both ships sail
seven-night itineraries departing on Saturdays
and Sundays that with two overnights in Dubai
and visits to other U.A.E. destinations
including Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and
Bahrain. Costa is the first and only
international cruise line to homeport in Dubai
and has increased its capacity in the region by
50 percent each year since it began sailing from
there in December 2006.
Fares begin at
$799 on the Costa Victoria's departures of Dec.
13, 20, 27; Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31; Feb. 7, 14,
21, 28; March 7, 14, 21, 28; and April 4 and 11.
The same fare is available on the Costa Classica
departures of Dec. 21, 28; Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25;
Feb. 1, 8, 15, 22; and March 1. For more
information, call 800-GO-COSTA or visit
http://www.costacruises.com.
Oct 16, 2008
Magna
Carta
Travelers
looking for an unusual way to explore the
English countryside can save 20 percent on
direct bookings for the Magna Carta before Dec.
31 for spring vacations in 2009. The Magna Carta
is a luxury barge that typically cruises the
River Thames from Hampton Court to Henley, but
the Captain is more than willing to tailor
itineraries for charter groups. "Our goal is to
offer guests a vacation of a lifetime, with all
the luxury and amenities of a first rate hotel
combined with the adventure of cruising the
River Thames," said Captain Dominic Read. "We
pride ourselves on creating unique itineraries
that highlight whatever aspects the group is
most interested in, whether it's theater,
antiques or tennis." Carrying just eight
passengers, a cruise on the Magna Carta is an
intimate and exclusive experience. The barge's
two decks have four luxury staterooms, each
averaging 200 square feet, on the lower deck.
Each stateroom has hardwood floors, under-floor
heating and private facilities, complete with
oversized showers and basins, fully tiled walls
and floors, heated towel rail and other fine
guest amenities.
The Captain's
Suite is an original part of the ship and
contains a living room, bedroom and shower room.
This accommodation may be available for charter
only, enabling the Magna Carta to carry a total
of nine or 10 passengers. Other itineraries
available for charters include a golf cruise,
health and relaxation, art discovery, World War
II and murder mystery cruises. On the upper
deck, the saloon has picture windows offering
panoramic views of the surroundings. Passengers
can relax on four Italian leather sofas and
enjoy a fully stocked bar, library complete with
reference books, a selection of games and a
comprehensive CD collection there is an adjacent
fine dining area. Leading from the saloon are
split-level sun decks offering a hardwood table
with sun umbrella and chairs. Sunk within the
upper level is a large, bubbling Jacuzzi,
providing passengers with an oasis for complete
relaxation. Prices begin at $3,800 per person,
based on two passengers sharing a suite. An
eight passenger whole-boat charter starts at
$28,200. For more information, call
011-44-(0)7836-551-912, email
geoffrey@magna-carta.co.uk or visit
http://www.magna-carta.co.uk.
Oct 16, 2008
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