NATIONAL REPORT—For lodging businesses in cold climates, winter usually means one thing: soaring utility bills. Heating guestrooms, keeping the lobby warm, and maintaining hot water for showers all drive energy consumption through the roof just as the temperature drops. It’s a common misconception that solar energy is only viable in the blazing heat of summer. In reality, solar power can be a gamechanger for hotels, bed-and-breakfasts, and ski resorts during the colder months. Modern photovoltaic (PV) technology is surprisingly efficient in winter. Understanding how solar energy systems help with winter lodging can help lodging owners offset high operational costs. Solar Efficiency...

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF.—Six months after Play Park Hospitality acquired Station House Inn, the beloved South Lake Tahoe hotel is already showing meaningful progress toward a more sustainable, guest-centered future while preserving its relaxed, retro-Tahoe charm. The first six months have focused on training and developing the team, building a culture of CARE, and making targeted investments in the property. Key upgrades include eco-friendly deep cleaning initiatives, rebuilding the Wi-Fi infrastructure from the ground up, upgrading beds and the coffee experience, and shifting operational software for better efficiency. “Our goal is to provide exceptional service, invest in the guest experience, partner with...

NATIONAL REPORT—The 12th Revised Edition of the Uniform System of Accounts for the Lodging Industry (USALI) establishes a structured framework for energy, water, and waste reporting in hotels, addressing inconsistent accounting practices across properties. It emphasizes energy as a major operating expense and introduces detailed account categories to improve data accuracy, benchmarking, and sustainability disclosures. This standardization helps hotels align financial and operational data, promoting efficiency and accountability. Energy has always been a defining line on the hotel’s profit and loss statement, influencing a large part of a hotel’s utility efficiency and environmental performance. Yet the degree to which many...

NEW YORK—Beyond Green, a global community of bold leaders advancing sustainable travel, closed 2025 with increased industry engagement, expanded scope, and measurable impact across its member hotel portfolio. Last year, the brand deepened its role in global climate and equity conversations as Lead Accommodations Partner in the Travel Foundation’s global Where Next? campaign, unified its structure to include consulting services, and continued to grow its member portfolio around the world. Beyond Green member properties also continued driving environmental and social impact in action—from ecosystem restoration to cultural heritage stewardship—demonstrating how luxury hospitality can meaningfully shape and contribute to a more resilient...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added Vingcard to the “Energy Management/Guestroom” category of its Green Product & Service Directory. Vingcard is a global leader in developing advanced technologies that are purpose-built for hospitality’s latest needs. With The Vingcard Solution, a fully modular hotel solution ecosystem, Vingcard unifies access control, energy management, online connectivity, operations management and more to help properties improve efficiency and support long-term sustainability goals. Customizable in-room and property-wide solutions integrate seamlessly into hospitality environments while maintaining performance standards. Intelligent lighting, room controls, and occupancy-based systems work together to optimize energy use and enhance guest comfort. A part...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added Nomadix Energy Management to the “Energy Management/Guestroom” category of its Green Product & Service Directory. Nomadix Energy Management is a purpose-built solution that’s based on a digitally secure “cloud native” architecture and coupled with connected smart wireless thermostats. Unlike outdated and costly legacy systems, it’s easy to manage and leverages existing IT and Wi-Fi infrastructure. Our EMS offer is one of the industry’s lowest cost-of-ownership and enables the fastest payback. The solution includes: A cloud platform for easy-to-use centralized above-property device monitoring and control. It enables schedule and rule enforcement, over-the-air (OTA) firmware and setting...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International has reached a significant milestone in its renewable energy strategy, now powering up to 100 percent of its daytime electricity needs on the Las Vegas Strip with solar energy. The achievement was made possible after the company began receiving 115 MW of solar energy and 400 megawatt-hours (MWh) of battery storage in December of 2025 from the recently completed Escape Solar and Storage Project, located in Lincoln County, Nevada. By combining power from the newly activated Escape Solar and Storage Project with the company’s 100-megawatt (MW) Mega Solar Array, MGM Resorts more than doubled its access...

FAIRFIELD, CONN.—AtmosAir Solutions, an indoor air purification, sensor, and monitoring technology company, announced a partnership with Smartcon Solutions, which provides smart building solutions and integrated cloud software to improve energy efficiency and operational efficiencies for properties within the hospitality market. Together, this partnership will make buildings healthier, more energy efficient, and sustainable by combining AtmosAir Solutions patented bi-polar ionization (BPI) HVAC air purification and its 24/7 Awair real-time monitoring technology with NeuroCore, advanced building automation and energy management platform Smartcon is currently deploying at hotel properties nationwide. By integrating AtmosAir’s Awair, an innovative real-time sensor technology with NeuroCore, the collaboration aims...

SUZHOU, CHINA—GCL System Integration (GCL SI) has announced the successful completion of the joint floating solar energy project in collaboration with long-term partner Ocean Sun for the Soneva Secret resort in Maldives, which utilizes over 4,200 TOPCon marine floating modules supplied by GCL SI and will provide up to 90 percent of the resort’s clean electricity upon completing to fully replace the original diesel generators. The project is estimated to save up to 1 million liters of diesel annually and reduce carbon emissions by more than 2,000 tons, marking a critical step forward for islands and remote communities pursuing economically...

ASHLAND CITY, TENN.—A. O. Smith, a leader in water heating and water treatment, was recognized for design excellence by The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies in the 2025 Chicago Athenaeum GOOD DESIGN Awards for its Voltex MAX Heat Pump Water Heater (HPWH) and Emerge X Air Source Heat Pump Water Heater. The awards honor products and industry leaders in design and manufacturing that have chartered new directions for innovation and pushed the envelope for competitive products in the world marketplace. “It is an honor to have our...