Conference center to get green lodging certification
Fla., November 29, 2007 – The Florida Hotel and Conference Center will soon receive “Green Lodging” certification from the State of Florida for its conservation practices.
The Florida Hotel and Conference Center, which is connected to Orlando tourist attraction the Florida Mall, has significantly reduced its water and energy usage since it began working on its Green Lodging Certificate earlier this year.
“Going green is a sweeping trend within the meetings industry and it is simply the right thing to do,” stated Simone Kuska, corporate director of sales and marketing for the hotel’s management company, Edinburgh Management. “According to a recent survey, 67% of meeting planners take environmental issues into consideration when selecting a meeting destination, so we are in the green game for years to come.”
The Florida Hotel and Conference Center will soon be one of only 50 hotels in the state that have achieved the Green Lodging certification. The Florida Department of Environmental Protection’s Green Lodging Program was designed to protect and preserve Florida’s natural resources through the hotel industry’s water conservation efforts, energy savings programs, and other environmental efforts.
The Florida Hotel and Conference Center is drastically reducing its energy footprint through several environmental programs, including: a Towel Reuse program in its guestrooms; a property wide trash recycling program; replacing all standard guest room light bulbs with Energy Star compact fluorescent bulbs; and installing guest room shampoo and body wash dispensers, which eliminates nearly half a million amenities bottles from going to landfills.
All 510 guestrooms and suites are outfitted with pillow-top beds, 32” LCD wall-mounted televisions, wireless high-speed access, refrigerator, coffee maker and electronic doorbell.
Any size meeting or themed event can be accommodated with over 50,000 square-feet of first-class, flexible space, featuring five diverse ballrooms, 13 breakout rooms and four executive boardrooms. In-house audio-visual capabilities, customized banquet menus and expert staff, all ensure a well-orchestrated event. In addition, business travelers will appreciate the close proximity to the Orange County Convention Center, downtown Orlando and Orlando International Airport.
In between meetings, enjoy indoor shopping at Macy’s, Nordstrom, Saks Fifth Avenue, Dillard’s, JC Penney and Sears or experience over 250 specialty stores. Unwind with a soothing and professional in-room spa treatment, arranged by A-Spa-Of-Your-Own, or workout in the state-of-the-art fitness center, and later stop by the Starbucks® Café for a coffee or dine on American favorites at Cricket’s Grille. For information and reservations call 800-588-4656, or visit www.thefloridahotelorlando.com
