Starwood Hotels & Resorts has announced that its trailblasing, eco-wise Element brand is picking up momentum in Florida with plans for an Orlando debut. Built green from the ground up, Element Orlando North is scheduled to open in July 2015 as part of the redevelopment of Orlando Fashion Square on Colonial Drive.

The Elegant Hotels Group, which owns and operates a collection of five distinctive hotels on the south and west coasts of Barbados, has announced the appointment of Caroline Kent as assistant director of sales for the UK. In her new role, Caroline joins Jayanne Young under the direction of Glynis Jeffery, director of sales and marketing for the UK and Europe to drive Elegant Hotels’ sales initiatives in the marketplace.

The faltering economy - not the fragile environment - is the biggest motivator for frequent travelers who have become “more conscious of waste” according to a survey commissioned by Element Hotels, which is launching The Element Eco-Travel Index, an annual index of green travel habits among frequent travelers. Element is Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.‘s  newest lifestyle hotel brand, and green trailblazer and innovation lab for environmentally sustainable construction, building and operational practices. Element is the first major hotel brand to mandate that all its properties pursue the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for high-performance buildings.