The Marriott La Jolla was showcased by the Energy Department. "The visit was part of a three-day tour in California to highlight the energy-efficient and energy saving practices and technologies implemented by the participants."

The article says that by making energy efficient upgrades and improvements, The Marriott will save 200,000 annually.

The vice president of HEI hotels said, "By investing in energy conservation at the Marriott La Jolla, HEI is utilizing the conservation perfect storm that we have developed over the years - which is a rare combination of the hotels' physical plant needs teamed with the effective deployment of capital funding and expertise to make it all happen quickly,"

This article discusses how Choice hotels has moved their property management system entirely on a cloud. After success, they are now trying to sell the software.They already have over 5,000 properties on this system. It is a lower cost alternative because there is no hardware which means less maintenance.

This article discusses 5 new trends that will take hold in the Event Planning industry. They include:
1. Smart Events will take center stage: "In 2013, organizations will choose smart event technology to help them operate more efficiently, better manage attendee engagement, and grow their businesses."
2.Automation will help event planners reduce expenses
3. Planners will achieve greater efficiency through solution consolidation
4.Event organizers will engage audiences with smartphones: "Forward-thinking event planners will provide attendees with all-in-one apps they can use to track activities, connect with business contacts and share their experiences via social networks."
5.Meeting planners will leverage technology to gather in-depth attendee information

The article discusses Aptech Computer Systems, " the leading provider of hospitality software for business intelligence and enterprise financial accounting". Recently, they picked up 17new properties.Aptech solutions are 100% hotel specific. Aptech only works with companies that own or manage hotels. To name a few:

Magnolia Hospitality Group
Gemini Real Estate Advisors

The software aids in budgeting, forecasting, and business intelligence.

This article discusses new eco friendly technological advances made in 2012. Here are a few examples:

Scientists at USC have developed an air pollution reader called CitiSense. This portable device syncs up with your cellphone to read the air in your current surroundings. it lets you know how clean the air is and measures common pollutants in the surrounding air.

At GATech, scientists are developing a self powering battery cell to eliminate batteries. "This generator-slash-storage cell will eliminate the need to convert mechanical energy to electrical energy through a separate battery or a separate generator, thus reducing the amount of space and weight normally required to power up devices or systems for generating, storing, and delivering energy" It would work for users on the go.

This article discusses the security of the network at hotels. Many business travelers utilize the network connection at a hotel for work. In doing so, they are most likely transmitting important data over this network. The article explains that most hotels do not have the proper safety protocols for protecting this information. Some hotels still have older security which is vulnerable to hacking. Others use more secure switches or routers or encryption for Wifi connections. The article notes that in a study, the safest network was at the W Hotel Dallas.has set up virtual local area networks for all of its users. The VLAN inhibits attackers from using their computer to imitate the hotel's main server. Lastly, the article notes that since there is technology that hotels can utilize to have a safer network, if they do not, they may be liable for any hacking that may occur.