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