Early check-in, late check-out, two new restaurant concepts and five room designs further define Radisson's expansion.

At a recent Mindclick SGM/HotelWorld Network event, hotel owners, operators and suppliers said a single certification would simplify the process and go a long way in reducing the industry's environmental footprint.

Following an intense period of new launches, 2009 was a year for brands to look inward, and 2010 promises even more focus on brand clarification, building the right leadership teams and making brands as attractive as possible to potential franchisees and guests. BY EDITOR IN CHIEF STEPHANIE RICCA

Country Inns & Suites opened its first hotel in New York City in early November, and the property represents a transition to a more upscale look for the brand. BY EDITOR IN CHIEF STEPHANIE RICCA

The renovation to Colorado's largest hotel is part of a $6-billion brand-wide global revitalization effort that includes upgrading 100 hotels in the U.S.

Hotel Indigo makes strides toward clarifying what the brand represents; H&MM tours new Staybridge Suites room prototypes created by art and design students; and Holiday Inn's Keycard Hotel was on display. BY SENIOR EDITOR JASON Q. FREED

Marriott International said it will expand its green hotel portfolio tenfold over the next five years by introducing a green hotel prototype that will be pre-certified LEED.

H&MM visits the new 221-room Hilton Garden Inn-Homewood Suites property in the South Bank area of Jacksonville.

While the headline news from last week's Best Western International Convention was the company's plan to describe its brand tiers more clearly, executives outlined additional areas of focus, including boosting its loyalty program membership and responding to customer feedback by improving breakfast offerings. BY EDITOR IN CHIEF STEPHANIE RICCA

Best Western plans to boost its brand clarity in the coming year by identifying key descriptors that explain the brand at each of its tiers in the midscale segment. BY EDITOR IN CHIEF STEPHANIE RICCA