TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—The Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association joined the National Restaurant Association and 11 other state hospitality associations to share impacts related to terminating the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for nationals from Haiti and Syria who are currently living and working in the United States. Statement from FRLA President & CEO, Carol Dover: “The Supreme Court’s decision has significant implications for the more than 93,000 Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders who have built their lives in Florida, as well as for the hospitality and tourism businesses and communities that rely on their contributions. Together, these individuals contribute an estimated $2.6 billion...

MADRID, SPAIN—The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) announced that its Hotel Sustainability Basics program will transition to an independent third-party certification scheme, aligned with new European Union requirements for environmental claims and designed to meet the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) Accreditation Framework. The move strengthens Hotel Sustainability Basics as a globally recognized framework for hotel sustainability, providing independent verification, greater transparency, and a credible pathway for hotels to demonstrate their sustainability performance in line with evolving regulatory and market expectations. Since its launch in 2022, Hotel Sustainability Basics has been adopted by more than 8,000 hotels across 85 countries....

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton announced continued progress on its Travel with Purpose strategy and progress from the Hilton Global Foundation, with its 2025 report highlighting strong momentum toward its 2030 goals. The results showcase how purpose-led operations, thoughtful energy efficiency efforts and community impact initiatives are expanding opportunities for Hilton team members, delivering more sustainable stays for guests and supporting resilient communities across the 144 countries and territories where Hilton operates. What is Travel with Purpose? Travel with Purpose is Hilton’s global strategy to create positive impact and long-term value for its people, hotels and communities. Through Our People, Hilton is creating opportunities by investing in programs...

REDWOOD VALLEY, CALIF.—Coyote Valley Casino & Hotel, located on the Coyote Valley Reservation in Redwood Valley, Calif., announces the completion of a 2.23-megawatt (MW) solar carport system designed to significantly cut energy costs and provide long-term protection against future price volatility. The newly installed system, which features 1,500 JA modules and 10 Chint Power inverters, is expected to generate approximately 3,472 megawatt-hours (MWh) of electricity annually—around 45 percent of the site’s energy use—delivering more than $450,000 in estimated first-year savings for the Coyote Valley Band of Pomo Indians, the owner of the complex. The project includes a 1,411-kW solar carport installation...

NORWAY—Most hospitality runs on infrastructure you never think about until it fails—mains power, a water line, a road for the delivery van. We have none of it. The camp I manage sits seven kilometers from the nearest village, on an island in the Norwegian highlands with no road access. Guests park where the road ends and walk the last stretch on foot. Everything else crosses the water by boat. I started as a guide at Norrøna Canvas Telemark in 2016 and have managed the camp since 2017. Over the last decade, I’ve come to believe that the operational discipline behind...

BETHESDA, MD.—Pebblebrook Hotel Trust released its seventh annual Corporate Sustainability Report, highlighting the company’s 2024 performance and continued progress on responsible business practices, sustainability, and support for its employees, communities, and stakeholders. Pebblebrook’s 2025 Corporate Sustainability Report is aligned with leading international frameworks, including the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The report includes pivotal disclosures in accordance with the Real Estate Sustainability Accounting Standard of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). Pebblebrook also advanced its proactive approach in evaluating and planning for sustainability risks following the guidelines of the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD), which, for the first time...

NATIONAL REPORT—Given the immense climatic challenges we currently face and the growing consumer demand for more sustainable products and services, businesses in every sector are starting to take their environmental impact seriously. In hospitality, the situation is no different. Energy consumption in the industry is high, with cooling, lighting, heating, and ventilation responsible for up to 60 percent of a hotel’s CO2 emissions. Energy-intensive extras such as heated swimming pools, excessive water and plastic use, and food waste also contribute to the industry’s environmental impacts. Given these unavoidable energy requirements and resource needs, hotels must be smart about increasing energy efficiency and reducing their...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. announced the launch of Connect Responsibly with Marriott Bonvoy Events (Connect Responsibly), a program designed to help meeting planners embed sustainability into their events at participating hotels in the Marriott Bonvoy portfolio. Connect Responsibly plans to offer meetings and events customers access to detailed Meeting Impact Reports to measure the environmental impact of their events and select options to purchase carbon credits. The program is anticipated to go live at managed and franchised properties from participating brands globally by the end of October. “There is nothing like connecting in person, and doing so responsibly makes it that much...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—AHLA Foundation announced their third annual No Room for Trafficking Summit will take place July 30, 2024, the same day as the United Nation’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. At last year’s No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Summit, the inaugural grantees of the NRFT Survivor Fund were announced, including: Safe House Project, Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST), Restore NYC, Inc., University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment (SAFE) Center for Human Trafficking Survivors. AHLA Foundation also shared quantitative and qualitative data demonstrating the impact the four Survivor Grantees have made to-date with the $500,000 disseminated across their respective organizations: Collectively, the...

SAN ANTONIO—The JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa is filled with hidden gems including the elevated artwork that fills this luxurious resort. Hallways and common spaces feature unique, sophisticated work by locally, nationally, and internationally acclaimed artists, giving guests the opportunity to roam the resort to tour and discover the magnificent art pieces curated for guests to enjoy as a new indoor activity. The “Art Walk” takes resort guests throughout the upper and lower-level lobbies where they can view and read about 13 different pieces of art on a self-guided tour. Guides can be picked up at the...