This week I will be attending The NAFEM Show (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers) in Orlando. The show runs from February 1 to 3 at the Orange County Convention Center. I am looking forward to it and will report on the event in next week’s column. There are currently 541 exhibitors. I will be on the lookout for new innovations and technologies—specifically ones that help hoteliers save energy and water and reduce waste. Within foodservice there has been a lot of chatter recently about the health risks of gas stoves. According to The New York Times, mounting evidence...

GUANACASTE, COSTA RICA—In 2006, the innovators behind a car-free town aspired to create a better way of life connecting people to nature in a place where 1,000 acres of a 1,200-acre property would remain undeveloped as a tropical dry forest reserve. After 16 years of planning and construction, that vision is now a reality with the completion of the neighborhood of Beach Town in Las Catalinas. Referred to as one of the most important and beautiful new towns in the world by renowned Notre Dame School of Architecture Professor Douglas Duany, Las Catalinas is located in the northwestern province of Costa Rica. Inspired...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The global supply chain disruptions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic have revealed the weaknesses created by our society and economic model’s dependence on global trade. This has led to a unique opportunity for businesses and individuals to review and adapt their business models to build a more workable and sustainable future. With an increasing number of customers demanding sustainability in hospitality and hotels, innovation of the logistics of supply and value chains demonstrates a committed approach across all processes. Some experts argue that local and human supply chains are the most sustainable and resilient ones. Businesses should encourage their stakeholders—associates,...

SINGAPORE—Accor is partnering with SOURCE Global, PBC to bring the world’s first truly sustainable bottled drinking water brand to prominent hotels in Singapore. With people, societies, and communities at the heart of its strategy, and a history of embracing innovation and environmentally friendly business practices, Accor will replace single-use plastic bottled water at key hotels in Singapore with premium drinking water packaged in reusable glass bottles and made by SOURCE Hydropanels—a ground-breaking solar-powered technology that harvests the pure, endlessly renewable water vapor in the air and transforms it into premium drinking water. Each Hydropanel can offset more than 50,000 plastic bottles...

COMMERCE, CALIF.—Nora Lighting introduces miniature 1” M1+ downlights without any housing needed. Each luminaire includes a pre-wired junction box, making installation simple. IC Air-tight downlights are a perfect solution for commercial and residential applications. M1+ is an upgrade to Nora Lighting’s first generation M1 1” downlights. The downlights are available from 12V to 120V input with Triac or ELV dimming and from 100 lumens to 600 delivered lumens in two color temperatures (2700K or 3000K) @ 90+ CRI. A square trim accessory can easily be installed in matte black, bronze, or matte powder white finishes. M1+ luminaires are cETLus listed for...

JAMESTOWN, N.Y.—Hope’s Windows, Inc., a leading manufacturer of custom-designed, solid hot-rolled steel and solid bronze window and door systems, announced that it will be attending the NAHB International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas from January 31 to February 3 at booth SU1041. Hope’s Windows, Inc. will be showcasing their Old World Suite Series of steel windows and doors which are designed to mesh the best of both past and present, taking inspiration stylistically from the old world and combining it with the efficient performance of the present. The thin and sophisticated arrow-shaped steel frames of the Old World Suite Series...

Energy consumption in the hotel industry is high, even when compared to other commercial sectors such as hospitals and schools. The truth is hotels and motels make for inherently energy-intense buildings, primarily due to the nature of the business and guest behavior. As such, hotel management is always seeking ways to maximize efficiency and save energy (and thus money) while, at the same time, providing optimal comfort for occupants. Many hotels are investigating environmentally friendly technologies that have the potential to reduce energy usage. Time after time, the primary technology that comes out on top is geothermal heat pumps....

NEW YORK—Songtsam, an award-winning luxury boutique hotel collection and Destination Marketing Company, located in the Tibet and Yunnan Provinces of China announced the construction of Songtsam’s first zero-carbon hotel, the Songtsam Linka Retreat Lake Basong Tso located in Tibet. Expected to open in July 2023, the 120-room retreat will be Songtsam’s 16th and largest property. Founded in 2000 by Baima Duoji, Songtsam has always had a strong commitment to the preservation of the essence of Tibetan culture, as well as environmental conservation and sustainability by supporting the economic development of the local communities. In making the announcement, Duoji noted, “Songtsam Linka...

BURLINGAME, CALIF.—In its ongoing objective of bringing advanced performance technologies to enhance better sleep and a healthy home and hospitality environment, Standard Fiber, one of the world’s largest suppliers to the home textile market, and Noble Biomaterials, a global leader in antimicrobial solutions for soft surface applications, have formed an exclusive partnership to bring IONIC+ mineral antimicrobial to the home textile and hospitality markets. IONIC+ is the broadest spectrum of antimicrobial technology that protects against the growth of microbes on soft surface materials. The active ingredient in IONIC+ is silver, which is permanently bound within polymer fibers and will not wash out. When applied properly, positively...

PARIS—Given the effects of climate change and the current energy crisis, finding concrete, pragmatic, inventive solutions is a priority for people and the planet. As awareness of what is at stake grows, customers expect companies to have increasingly high environmental standards and, in hospitality, are looking for sustainability-committed hotels—an expectation that aligns with and shapes Accor’s global strategy. Early in 2021, Accor was the first international hotel group to make a long-term commitment to decarbonize all its operations and achieve net zero by 2050—including a 46 percent emission reduction by 2030, validated by the Science-Based Targets initiative. Given that 63 percent...