Hotels earn green designation

Two hotels located in the heart of Fort Myers have earned the coveted Green Lodging designation from the Florida Green Lodging Program. In addition to showcasing the establishments' commitment to environmentally friendly hospitality practices, the designation opens up a new market to Hotel Indigo Fort Myers River District and Holiday Inn Historic Downtown Fort Myers; travelers doing business for the state of Florida.

In 2007, Gov. Charlie Crist signed three executive orders initiating state energyuse policies, including one that requires state agencies and departments to hold meetings and conferences only at hotels with the Florida Green Lodging Program designation, whenever possible. As of June, there are 540 such hotels in the state, and only 10 in Fort Myers, according to the DEP Web site.

Hotel Indigo in The River District and the Holiday Inn Historic Downtown Fort Myers are the only hotels located near the network of government agencies in the city's business hub to have achieved this coveted designation.