Move over recycling bins and bulk shampoo dispensers: the hottest new green accessory, at least at The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte, is an electric vehicle charging station, available to guests free of charge. The LEED-certified hotel unveiled the new gizmo last week in collaboration with local electric car company Li-Ion Motors, which brought out an Inizio roadster to show off.

The property is the first Ritz-Carlton to install a guests-only electric car charging station. The two power ports will fuel up cars that are completely tapped out in 10-12 hours and also top off in under an hour rides that still have some juice. There are plans to add additional, similar charging stations around Charlotte.

Hotels are buzzing with a new kind of guests, honeybees. A number of hotels are keeping their own stingers to make fresh honey. The newest place to bag some bees is the Ritz-Carlton Charlotte. This past weekend, the hotel added two hives on the roof that are two feet tall and 18 inches wide. The hives will fully develop this summer and be home to 60,000 honeybees.

Find out what honey hotels are doing with their nectar after the jump. ]]> Jennifer Kester 2010-04-19T14:17:53-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/24/161654/29 <![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/1425/gingerbreadhouse2009.jpg" class="top"><p> <i>Pshaw. This is child's play.</i><p><i>Not only do hotels like to dream up some <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/holiday cocktails"><b>Holiday Cocktails</b></a> for lushes like us but they also like to go <i>crazy</i> with <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/holiday decorations"><b>Holiday Decorations</b></a>. So until the holidays are over, we'll be profiling some of the more outrageous ones we hear of and see. Know of an over-the-top decoration we should check out? <a href="mailto:tips@hotelchatter.com">Send it to us!</a></i><p> <p>Move over <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/13/141731/20/hotels/Claridge_s_London_Taps_Dior_To_Create_Couture_Christmas_Tree">John Galliano-designed Christmas Tree</a> at Claridge's. Here's comes <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Ritz-Carlton+Charlotte/local/1554"><b>The Ritz-Carlton Charlotte's</b></a> ginormous gingerbread house. The LEED-built hotel is creating a 10x14' environmentally-friendly, all-organic Gingerbread House that will be available for public viewing on Friday, November 27. <p>The structure will be overseen by Chef Jon Farace and juliana 2009-11-24T17:35:20-05:00 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/11/11/11046/370 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/17697/living_room.jpg" class="top"></p> <p>Are you one of those crazies who get up at the crack of dawn to haul out for Black Friday shopping? Honestly, we&#146;re more the online shopping types &#151; fewer black eyes, more time spent in PJs. But leave it to the new <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Ritz-Carlton+Charlotte/local/1554"><strong>Ritz-Carlton Charlotte</strong></a> to make even that sound luxe.</p> <p>In fact, their L3 shopping package &#151; &#147;Laptops, Lounging and Libations&#148; &#151; makes us think we&#146;ve been doing something seriously wrong. Designed for Black Friday cyber shoppers, the package includes an extended one-night stay and a private special online shopping lounge, on the 15th floor, that offers free Internet, hand and wrist massages, holiday cocktails and champagne, and light snacks to last from 12:01 a.m. KatieK 2009-11-11T12:08:28-05:00 35.2262411 -80.841935 http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/10/1/112813/847 <![CDATA[<img src="http://www.hotelchatter.com/files/17697/ritz_charlotte.jpg" class="top"></p> <p>Devoted readers know just how much we like to <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/hotel%20hype">hype</a> new hotels &#151; and, well, chronicle their <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/tag/hotel%20delays">delays</a> and opening flubs. But what it boils down to is that we love new hotels, and we <em>especially</em> love new hotels that open on time.</p> <p>And so with that we offer congratulations to the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/hotel-reviews/The+Ritz-Carlton+Charlotte/local/1554"><strong>Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte</strong></a>, which successfully opened today, as planned (albeit a <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/7/24/12913/1256/hotels/Ritz_Carlton_Charlotte_Will_Open_at_199_a_Night">very long time coming</a>)! And even better: When we called to check on availability, we found out the 146-room hotel is all sold-out tonight and through the weekend. (Just don't break out the confetti &#151; remember, this place is all about the <a href="http://www.hotelchatter.com/story/2009/9/3/105622/6463/hotels/Ritz_Carlton_Charlotte_to_Open_Oct_1_with_Green_Spa">green scene</a>.)</p> <p>In fact, the first day the KatieK 2009-10-01T12:25:30-05:00 35.2262411 -80.841935 Search HotelChatter string http://www.hotelchatter.com/search/