TAMPA, FLA.—Choice Hotels International, Inc., one of the world’s leading hotel companies, announced that it has selected NovaCHARGE as a Qualified Vendor for providing Choice Hotels properties with Electric Vehicle (EV) charging solutions. Choice Hotels franchises over 6,800 hotels representing more than 500,000 rooms worldwide through its 12 unique brands, including Ascend Hotel Collection, Cambria Hotels, Comfort, Sleep Inn, Quality, Clarion, MainStay Suites, Suburban Extended Stay Hotel, WoodSpring Suites, Econo Lodge and Rodeway Inn. “NovaCHARGE is a tremendous addition to our Qualified Vendor Program,” said Rick Summa, Vice President of Procurement Services for Choice Hotels. “At Choice Hotels, we are consistently...

GARDEN GROVE, CALIF.—Best Western Hotels & Resorts has added a new sustainable mattress supplier—Sterling Sleep Systems. Sterling Sleep Systems is now an approved mattress vendor. Best Western has more than 4,200 properties located in over 100 countries and territories worldwide (numbers are approximate, may fluctuate and include hotels currently in the development pipeline). See Sterling Sleep Systems at the HD Expo in Las Vegas in booth #3469.

Earlier this year, Napili Kai Beach Resort, located on one of Maui’s most beautiful reef-protected bays, introduced an educational program to encourage visitors to use reef-safe sunscreens. In recent years, coral reefs throughout Hawaii and the world have shown damage and bleaching due to a variety of environmental factors, including poisoning from chemical sunscreen. Many common sunscreen ingredients can lower reef tolerance to bleaching and interrupt the development of marine life, including the coral itself, which is a living organism. Beginning in mid-December, Napili Kai began welcoming arriving guests with a free sample packet of Raw Elements reef-safe sunscreen, along with a discount coupon to purchase more and information about the damaging effects...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International hit a major milestone during this year’s Problem Gambling Awareness Month (March 2018). Since launching nationwide late last year, GameSense—the company’s innovative responsible gambling program—has already sparked more than 160,000 conversations with guests. By implementing GameSense, responsible gambling education and support is integrated into MGM Resort’s guest service culture. It’s all designed to help guests make informed decisions and keep gambling fun. GameSense comes alive through personal interactions between guests and trained staff based at each property’s M life Rewards desk. In addition to speaking to trained employees, guests are also utilizing interactive GameSense touchscreens and picking...

MIAMI—Seventeen-year hotel industry veteran Tatyana Li first started working as a butler for the St. Regis New York. She worked her way up to Director of Sales for several hotel brands and is now founder of LSW Hotels. LSW stands for luxury, sustainable and wellness hotels. Li is still in the process or raising funding for her first hotel—to be in Miami. “I have approached investors, but it is challenging,” Li says. “We are getting closer. The toughest part is finding the right investors.” Li estimates the cost of her first 100-room hotel at $375,000 per key. The property will also...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International and Chicago-based Invenergy, North America’s largest independent renewable energy company, have partnered on a new solar photovoltaic array, which will generate 100 megawatts of clean, renewable energy. The MGM-Invenergy Solar Project will be located 25 miles north of Las Vegas and MGM Resorts will purchase all the energy generated by the project to help power its 13 properties on the Las Vegas Strip. The project will be operational by the end of 2020. This project is in line with MGM Resorts’ longstanding leadership and commitment to reduce its consumption of the Earth’s limited resources. “Protecting the...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Eco Convergence Group, Inc. (ECG) unveiled the first HyCube modular hydroponic vegetable production system last Thursday at the Orlando World Center Marriott. The HyCube’s data-driven, precisely controlled, patent-pending hydroponic system is constructed in an illuminated modern structure right next to the hotel’s main kitchen. Orlando World Center Marriott is the first hotel to utilize the HyCube growing system, growing produce for its nine dining outlets and 450,000 sq. ft. of meeting and event space. The hotel’s Executive Chef Eric Martinez and his culinary team will have a constant bounty of fresh, healthy produce, such as lettuce, baby spinach, arugula,...

Go Green Distributors The Many Benefits of Walk-in Moisture Removal RD Fresh is an all-natural mineral mix that will remove moisture from your walk-in. This will result in a 1 to 3-degree temperature drop. By removing the moisture, compressor starts are reduced by up to 50% and hours of operation are reduced up to 40%. We extend the life of the compressor 3 to 5 years and lower maintenance costs by up to 50%. Additionally, RD Fresh removes all the volatile organic compounds; Carbon Dioxide, ammonia, nitrogen, sulfur and ethylene. By removing the ethylene, produce will last up to 50% longer. Produce savings...

NATIONAL REPORT—This Sunday is Earth Day. Members of the hospitality industry will be joining to mark the occasion—properties ranging from 1 Hotels in Manhattan, Brooklyn and South Beach to the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Jasper, Alberta, to The National Conference Center in Leesburg, Va. All are planning activities. Here is a list of examples of celebrations throughout North America. 1 Hotels, a mission-driven, nature-inspired luxury lifestyle brand with locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn and South Beach announced the launch of its Earth Day Every Day campaign, a year-long initiative that will include activities across all properties focused on raising awareness...

BUENAS AIRES—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC)’s 2018 Global Summit takes place in Buenos Aires, Argentina April 18 to 19 and will look at destination management and sustainable jobs amongst other issues. Industry leaders from the public and private sector will discuss the theme of “Our People, Our World, Our Future”, debating how the travel and tourism industry is placed to create sustainable jobs in a future of transformational technology, increasing environmental pressures, and in a world where security concerns are paramount. This year’s event is organized in conjunction with the Ministry of Tourism of Argentina and the National Institute...