Marriott Vacation Club Resorts In Orlando And Palm Desert Named First Audubon International Green Resorts

Marriott's Grande Vista in Orlando, FL, and Marriott's Shadow Ridge in Palm Desert, CA (see photo right), are the first resorts to be designated as Green Resorts by Audubon International, an international conservation and environmental education organization.

The Green Resorts designation recognizes properties that have been eco-rated by Audubon International's Green Lodging Program and have achieved certification in at least one other Audubon International program, such as the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program for Golf Courses.

Designation as a Green Resort is the culmination of Marriott Vacation Club's larger Green Initiative which began at its corporate headquarters with continued roll-out to its resorts worldwide. In addition to these most recent steps, each Marriott Vacation Club resort has established its own "green team" which manages its environmental efforts.

In 2009, the brand demonstrated its continued commitment to green operations by eliminating more waste from landfills through implementing recycled key cards, pens and Forest Stewardship Council certified paper for guest arrival packets worldwide and most recently announced a soap recycling partnership with Clean the World at its resorts in North America.

In 2011, Marriott Vacation Club committed to enroll all of its properties in Audubon International's Green Lodging Program and will achieve full enrollment of its North American properties by the end of this year. 

"We're pleased to welcome these two Marriott Vacation Club properties as the first Green Resorts," said Fredrik Realbuto, Director of the Audubon International Green Lodging Program.

"Building on our long standing cooperative agreement, we are excited to continue working together to better protect and sustain our land, water, wildlife, and other natural resources," said Realbuto.

"These two Green Resort designations affirm our long term commitment to green operations at our resorts and we're thrilled to be recognized as the first recipients," said Lee Cunningham, executive vice president and chief operating officer - North America and the Caribbean, Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation. 

Marriott's Grande Vista (see photo right) is a member of the Green Lodging Program, and the Faldo Golf Institute and Marriott's Grande Pines Golf Club are members of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program. Marriott's Shadow Ridge is a member of the Green Lodging Program and Marriott's Shadow Ridge Golf Club is a member of the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program.

"As an extension of Marriott Golf's unwavering commitment to the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary Program, we are very pleased that Marriott's Shadow Ridge and Marriott's Grande Vista resorts, under the leadership of the Marriott Vacation Club brand, have become the first members of the Green Resorts Program," said Bill Nault, vice president of golf operations, Marriott International/The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co., LLC.

"Taking sustainability and wildlife preservation beyond the golf course and extending our eco-practices across the landscape of an entire resort facility further validates Marriott Vacation Club's dedication to environmental stewardship, and we hope this program becomes a model for all resorts worldwide," said Nault.
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