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News Blog

The News Blog gives Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News, an opportunity to comment, in just a few paragraphs, on industry news and trends. A more condensed version of Publisher’s Point of View, the News Blog is updated on either Wednesday or Thursday each week. Want to step in as a guest blogger? Or, have some news to share for the News Blog? To contact Glenn Hasek, call (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

News Blog

Home News Blog
The News Blog gives Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor of Green Lodging News, an opportunity to comment, in just a few paragraphs, on industry news and trends. A more condensed version of Publisher’s Point of View, the News Blog is updated on either Wednesday or Thursday each week. Want to step in as a guest blogger? Or, have some news to share for the News Blog? To contact Glenn Hasek, call (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

Karisma Hotels & Resorts Launches Autism Concierge

Green Lodging News has reported previously on company or individual efforts to accommodate travelers who happened to have autism. For example, in 2019, the SpringHill Suites and Fairfield Inn & Suites by Marriott Orlando at SeaWorld earned Certified Autism Center designations. Earlier this year, Legoland California, Legoland Florida, and Legoland New York Resorts announced that all parks would become Certified Autism Centers this past spring. In an interesting twist, last week, Karisma Hotels & Resorts, in partnership with Autism Double-Checked, announced the introduction of the world’s first-ever Autism Concierge, providing a dedicated contact for all autism-related questions and serving as an extension of the Autism Double-Checked comprehensive three-part...

Yet Another Glamping Facility Opens, This Time Near Yellowstone

According to Glamping.com, “Glamping is where stunning nature meets modern luxury. It’s a way to experience the untamed and completely unique parts of the world—without having to sacrifice creature comforts.” Green Lodging News has published articles detailing numerous examples of glamping destinations opening in recent years. One company specializing in developing glamping camps is Under Canvas. It just opened its 11th camp in Paradise Valley. Under Canvas North Yellowstone – Paradise Valley is located on 50 acres of picturesque ranchland near the north entrance of Yellowstone National Park. Under Canvas North Yellowstone – Paradise Valley is the brand’s second camp near...

Travelodge by Wyndham Supports National Park Pairings Video Guide Series

At the National Parks Conservation Association, its mission is to protect our national parks for present and future generations to enjoy. There’s something in our national parks for everyone, from visitors looking for an adventure to those who simply enjoy taking in the sights. With its partners at Travelodge by Wyndham, its Park Pairings video guide series is designed to inspire visitors to explore parks in new ways. Created by NPCA’s staff of experts and filmed in Joshua Tree National Park, Golden Gate National Recreation Area and Shenandoah National Park, the guides showcase ways to enjoy time in parks with...

Trends Impacting Corporate Social Responsibility & Environmental, Social and Governance Professionals

ACCP and YourCause from Blackbaud surveyed the corporate social impact field to better understand the trends impacting corporate social responsibility (CSR) and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) professionals. Many hotel companies have at least one CSR/ESG professional and in some cases an entire team. The survey was conducted in April of 2023 and garnered responses from 149 companies representing more than $1B in community investment. The survey results show a profession experiencing continued instability and change, which may hinder its ability to successfully maintain momentum toward the goals of positively impacting society and meeting key stakeholder expectations. Most survey respondents (86...

Two Suppliers Provide Cigarette & Marijuana Smoke Detection Protection

When I first started Green Lodging News, there were still many in our industry who supported keeping a percentage of their rooms as smoking rooms. Many factors have led to the mass elimination of smoking rooms in the industry—consumer demand, legislative action, brand policies, etc. At The Hospitality Show in Las Vegas last month, there were many exhibitors of interest, including a couple of companies that make it easy to catch guests who violate nonsmoking policies. The two companies include alerteer and FreshAir Sensor LLC. The companies’ products function similarly. In the case of alerteer, it provides a system of...

Outrigger ‘Zones In’ on Ocean Conservation

Green Lodging News has reported on the efforts of Outrigger Resorts & Hotels many times. The Outrigger ZONE conservation initiative serves to provide enriching experiences for guests, hosts and local communities; as well as to ensure that properties actively do their part to protect our oceans and help them to thrive for generations to come. This month is World Ocean Month and Outrigger Resorts & Hotels has pledged to continue making a difference at its premier beach resorts worldwide. Activities connected to ocean health and conservation are taking place at each Outrigger resort. Each event is geared to empower, educate...

The Long, Slow Decline (and Death?) of Our Industry’s Oldest Show

I believe I attended my first International Hotel/Motel & Restaurant Show in New York City in 1989. At that time the show was huge with two levels of New York’s Javits Center occupied. There were more than 1,000 exhibitors each year for years and the food and foodservice section went on and on. You could grab lunch and dinner by grabbing samples during a stroll up and down the show aisles. Even the hotel school area was large. In my early years attending the show, I worked for Hotel & Motel management magazine and helped them produce “show dailies”. It...

Chopsticks a Reusable Resource? Just Ask ChopValue

At last month’s HD Expo in Las Vegas, there were many companies that caught my attention. One was Vancouver, B.C.-based ChopValue. The company is diverting millions of wooden chopsticks from landfills by converting them into high-performance composite material. The material is manufactured using proprietary technology that compresses recycled bamboo chopsticks along with a water-based resin, making it harder than maple, stronger than oak, and as durable as teak. Tables, wall décor, coasters, cutting boards, and many other items can be made with the material. The chopsticks are picked up from local businesses and converted to useable products in micro...

Results of Bradley Corp.’s Annual Healthy Handwashing Survey

Bradley Corp. just released the results of its annual Healthy Handwashing Survey. What is really no surprise—thanks to the years of Covid—Bradley found most Americans are so averse to encountering germs in public restrooms that they go out of their way to avoid surfaces and touchpoints in these shared spaces. According to the survey, 62 percent of Americans use a paper towel as a barrier to avoid touching flushers, faucets, and doors. Women are even more likely to use the “paper towel as a glove” approach, with 67 percent taking this evasive measure. Others employ sheer physicality to steer clear...

Report: Plastics Recycling Creates Alot of Microplastics

For years we have all been told that plastics recycling is the right thing to do. Here is one very good reason not to create plastic waste in the first place. According to reporting by James Bruggers for Inside Climate News, “the chopping, shredding and washing of plastic in recycling facilities may turn as much as six to 13 percent of incoming waste into microplastics—tiny, toxic particles that are an emerging and ubiquitous environmental health concern for the planet and people.” A team of four researchers measured and analyzed microplastics in wastewater before and after filters were installed at an...