LAS VEGAS, Nov. 17, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- MGM Resorts
International, a global leader in bringing sustainability to the
hospitality industry, announced today that the Green Key Global
Eco-Rating Program elevated Mandalay Bay Resort to its highest,
Five Key rating. Mandalay Bay joins only five other US resorts to
achieve this honor.
Designed specifically for hotel operations, the Green Key
Eco-Rating Program is a comprehensive environmental audit and is
the first of its kind to rank, certify and inspect hotels and
resorts in North America based on
their commitment to sustainable "green" operations.
Mandalay Bay's sustainability status was raised by Green Key
following the implementation of new green practices into the
resort's internal sustainability program.
The recognition of the program's highest award now gives MGM
Resorts International three of the six properties in the United States to have received five keys
under the program, which evaluates hotels based on their commitment
to sustainable operations. ARIA and Vdara at CityCenter are
the other MGM Resorts properties to have received the
recognition.
"Achieving leadership in environmental responsibility is about
maintaining a commitment to continuous improvement in our every day
operations," said Chuck Bowling,
President and COO of Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino. "While
receiving Four Keys in July was a significant honor, we were not
satisfied and knew our team at Mandalay Bay was capable of meeting
the standards for Five Key recognition. We met these standards by
bolstering our commitment to transparency in our overall
operations, gaining better insight into our sustainable supply
chain, engaging employees, and increasing guest outreach and
education. Our sustainability program has fulfilled one of
its goals, and now it is time to continue building on this terrific
achievement as focus on the next set of goals and priorities for
2011."
Some of the new features of the Mandalay Bay sustainability
effort include incentivizing employees for their environmental
innovation through awards and recognitions, including suppliers'
environmental policies, into the process of making purchasing
decisions, providing more in-room information for guests about the
property's environmental goals and performance, and putting into
place new procedures to reduce energy usage in Housekeeping
operations.
MGM Resorts International reported in 2009 that Mandalay Bay's
electricity consumption was reduced by 4.9% from 2008 levels, saw a
51.3% decrease in its natural gas bill compared to 2008 spending,
lowered water consumption by 4.7% between 2008 and 2009, and
reduced property-wide waste by 18.7%.
"The team at Mandalay Bay proactively sought to identify
additional opportunities to make its operations more
environmentally friendly," said Cindy
Ortega, Senior Vice President of the Energy and
Environmental Services Division at MGM Resorts International.
"Having this type of leadership in place is a real game changer for
us. In all of our efforts, our properties focus on five key pillars
of sustainability – energy and water conservation, green building,
recycling and waste management, sustainable supply chain
management, and outreach and education. This enables us to
focus on consistently setting a new standard of sustainability in
the hospitality industry while providing our guests with the same,
high-quality experience they have come to expect from us.
Achieving Five Keys is a significant accomplishment for Mandalay
Bay and we are very proud of our Green Wave team members and their
commitment to environmental responsibility."
Other MGM Resorts International properties also submitted Green
Key evaluations. Bellagio, Excalibur, Luxor, MGM Grand Las Vegas,
The Mirage, Monte Carlo,
New York-New York and MGM Grand
Detroit all received Four Keys. Circus Circus Las Vegas earned
Three Keys.
The latest recognition of Mandalay Bay is just one of many that
the Company and its properties have received this year for their
sustainability efforts. It recently received recognition
convention industry honors from Gold Platter and Gold Key, and in
October, Newsweek named MGM Resorts International to its
2010 Green Rankings list as the highest-rated company in the gaming
hospitality space. During the same month, Travel +
Leisure honored the Company with one of its Global Vision
Awards for its leadership in harnessing travel to positively impact
the world, as demonstrated by CityCenter, which, at 18 million
square feet and, is the world's largest sustainable mixed-use
development. In 2009, CityCenter opened as the nation's largest
green development, earning six LEED Gold Certifications from the US
Green Building Council.
About Mandalay Bay
Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, a AAA Four Diamond award-winning
destination resort, is set on 60 lush acres with 4,752 rooms and
suites and THEhotel, a stand-alone all-suite hotel which offers
1,117 luxurious one-bedroom suites. Mandalay Bay Beach, an
11-acre tropical pool paradise, features real sand, a wave pool and
the only climate-controlled, poolside gaming in the city.
Other property highlights include performances of Disney’s THE LION
KING, world-class entertainment at the 12,000-seat Mandalay Bay
Events Center, award-winning dining by celebrity chefs and
restaurateurs, exhilarating nightlife, Shark Reef Aquarium and the
1.7-million-square-foot Mandalay Bay Convention
Center. Mandalay Bay’s offerings also include BATHHOUSE Spa,
House of Blues Concert Hall and restaurant, and The Shoppes at
Mandalay Place, a collection of unique boutiques and
restaurants. Mandalay Bay is a wholly owned subsidiary of MGM
Resorts International™. For more information and
reservations, visit the website at www.mandalaybay.com, or call
toll free at (877) 632-7800.
About MGM Resorts International
MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) is one of the world's
leading global hospitality companies, operating a peerless
portfolio of destination resort brands, including Bellagio, MGM
Grand, Mandalay Bay and The Mirage. The Company has significant
holdings in gaming, hospitality and entertainment, owns and
operates 15 properties located in Nevada, Mississippi and Michigan, and has 50% investments in four
other properties in Nevada,
Illinois and Macau. One of those investments is CityCenter,
an unprecedented urban resort destination on the Las Vegas Strip
featuring its centerpiece ARIA Resort & Casino. Through its
hospitality management subsidiary, the Company holds a growing
number of development and management agreements for casino and
non-casino resort projects around the world. MGM Resorts
International supports responsible gaming and has implemented the
American Gaming Association's Code of Conduct for Responsible
Gaming at its gaming properties. The Company has been honored with
numerous awards and recognitions for its industry-leading Diversity
Initiative, its community philanthropy programs and the Company’s
commitment to sustainable development and operations. For more
information about MGM Resorts International, visit the Company's
website at www.mgmresorts.com.
About Green Key
The Green Key Eco-Rating Program is the first of its kind to
rank, certify and inspect hotels and resorts in North America based on their commitment to
sustainable “green” operations. The program was originally
developed for the Hotel Association of Canada by a leading environmental engineering
firm. Designed specifically for hotel operations, the Green Key
Eco-Rating Program is a comprehensive environmental audit that will
allow each participating property to benefit on several fronts –
cost savings, increased bookings from environmentally conscious
consumers and meeting planners and responsible corporate
citizenry. In the United States
Green Key is a joint partnership between the Hotel Association of
Canada and LRA Worldwide, Inc.;
for more information, visit www.GreenKeyGlobal.com.
SOURCE MGM Resorts International