LAS VEGAS—Wynn Resorts issued its 2019 Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Report, providing a comprehensive view of the company’s commitment to responsible business practices, environmental protection, and social impact. Also detailed is Wynn Resorts’ industry-leading response to the COVID-19 pandemic, outlining steps the company took to protect the health and well-being of employees, first responders, medical professionals, and vital nonprofit organizations. The report reflects the strong corporate values and core behaviors that govern Wynn Resorts’ business and guide the company’s commitment to solving complex social responsibility issues facing the hospitality industry. In the report’s forward, Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox...

CINCINNATI—Stay-at-home restrictions are being lifted across the country and more people will resume their routines of shopping at retail stores, traveling for work and fun, and eating out in restaurants. But as two new surveys from P&G Professional reveal, COVID-19 is still top of mind for consumers and it will be critical for businesses to reassure their guests that it is safe to return. Communicating that the space is cleaned and disinfected by brands they know, and trust will help instill this consumer confidence. In May 2020, P&G Professional, the away from home division of Procter & Gamble, surveyed 850...

BOSTON—Bevi, a tech startup company that offers a suite of smart water coolers with still and sparkling flavors for commercial spaces, has announced a timely new touchless dispensing feature that provides users with a means to hydrate without using the machine’s touchscreen. As offices and workplaces begin to reopen, health precautions around COVID are top of mind, and there are concerns about contacting appliances such as shared water coolers and refrigerators. A growing response has been to turn to single-use packaging and other environmentally unsustainable products. Bevi believes that people shouldn’t have to choose between sustainability and safety, so it’s...

MIAMI—Nuvola, developers of hotel optimization and guest engagement software, announced a new StayClean initiative to provide hoteliers with tools designed to support post-COVID-19 hotel operations and enhance the guest experience. Checklists and Checkpoints, the first set of resources now available to prepare hotels for reopening, work together as a digital assistant in managing and implementing new cleaning protocols. Both modules are free to deploy through the end of 2020. “Aiming to do our part as former hoteliers in helping the industry navigate the new state of travel, we saw the need to develop free and easy to use solutions to...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—As businesses and schools consider COVID-19 disinfection regimens that expose building occupants to unnecessary health risks, Green Seal has released Guidelines for Safer COVID-19 Cleaning and Disinfection that spell out effective and responsible cleaning practices for occupant health and safety during the pandemic. These five best practices—intended for facility, property and housekeeping managers—are based on the latest scientific understanding of the COVID-19 virus and build on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Environmental Protection Agency. They also reflect Green Seal’s expertise in setting science-based standards for cleaning products, principles, and practices that deliver uncompromising...

LAS VEGAS—Now, restaurants, bar and other business owners can help keep employees and customers safe and healthy in a fun way using the latest technology from SASZONE, a new division of Plush Creative Agency, http://www.plushcalv.com/sas-zone. With demands to meet updated health guidelines, the team at Plush created MENU SQUARED using the latest QR code technology. MENU SQUARED, or M2 QR Code Technology, removes the need for disposable menus, provides a simple solution for customers and offers new marketing opportunities to operators and suppliers. “MENU SQUARED is a unique QR code system that is user-friendly, secure, easy for outlets and consumers to...

According to a recent study by TripAdvisor, the world’s largest travel platform, more than 9 out of 10 (92 percent) said cleanliness is the most important factor in selecting accommodations. Capitalizing on that trend, Tripadvisor has launched a new suite of “Travel Safe” tools to help consumers find, filter for, and validate health and safety information to feel more confident with their future travel choices across town and around the world. If your property is listed on TripAdvisor, you need to pay attention to and participate in Travel Safe. Travel Safe features are available in all 49 markets where Tripadvisor...

NEEDHAM, MASS.—Tripadvisor, the world’s largest travel platform, launched a new suite of “Travel Safe” tools to help consumers find, filter for, and validate health and safety information to feel more confident with their future travel choices across town and around the world. Travel Safe features are available in all 49 markets where Tripadvisor operates, and more than 13,850 properties have already activated the feature set. A recent study* from Tripadvisor found that for consumers thinking about future travel: More than 9 out of 10 (92%) said cleanliness is the most important factor in selecting accommodations. More than 8 in 10...

I have attended the AAHOA Convention & Trade Show before. It is a great event. That is why it saddened me to read yesterday that the event will now be a virtual event after the host state, Florida, saw a significant spike in new COVID-19 infections. I live in Florida in Hillsborough County where the number of cases has gone up as well. This week we were told we must wear masks inside most businesses. We are starting to go backwards instead of forwards. I am not a scientist but I have read enough over the past few months to...

ATLANTA, GA.—AAHOA, the nation’s largest hotel owners association, announced that its 2020 Convention & Trade Show will not proceed in person due to new health and safety guidelines for combatting COVID-19 issued by the Florida Department of Health (DOH) on Saturday, June 20. The state is experiencing a significant spike in new COVID-19 infections and hospitalizations, and the DOH now recommends limiting recreational gatherings to fewer than fifty people. The AAHOA Convention & Trade Show is one of the largest gatherings of hotel owners, hospitality industry leaders, and vendors in the country. A recent survey of AAHOA members and...