LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF.—Researchers estimate up to 11 million metric tons of plastic waste is entering the ocean every year and that by 2025, 11 billion metric tons will have accumulated in the environment. As pollution is impacting the marine ecosystems and wildlife around the globe, the charming adults-only Laguna Beach retreat, Hotel Joaquin, is working with Surfrider Foundation to become an official Ocean Friendly Hotel to support efforts in stopping plastic at the source to minimize pollution. Located just steps away from the residential beach of Shaw’s Cove, Hotel Joaquin is committed to cutting out wasteful single-use plastic to make sustainable choices for...

NATIONAL REPORT—Good housekeeping is the backbone of a great hotel. Keeping rooms clean, ensuring the guest experience is top-tier, and reporting any damaged or broken items—it all falls to your housekeepers. That said, it’s possible to have a negative housekeeping experience. Who hasn’t felt the disappointment of returning to their hotel room and discovering it hasn’t been made up? Or wanting to take a nap, but your room is being cleaned? In today’s day and age, guest preferences are a top priority, and as a hotel, you must find ways to impress your guests. But how do you get the balance right when good housekeeping means...

VICTORIA, B.C.—The Parkside Hotel & Spa announced that it has become a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. This significant milestone marks The Parkside Hotel & Spa’s unwavering commitment to aligning its operations with global scientific recommendations and international agreements to combat climate change. The Glasgow Declaration is a unified call to action for all stakeholders within the travel and tourism sector to address the urgent need for climate action collaboratively. It encourages a shared commitment to reducing emissions in tourism by at least 50 percent over the next decade and achieving Net Zero as soon as possible...

TROY, N.Y.—Audubon International—the environmentally focused non-profit organization offering members numerous certifications and conservation initiatives to protect the areas where we all live, work, and play—announced that Keweenaw Mountain Lodge Resort, a remote and history-steeped destination in Copper Harbor, Mich., has been awarded Gold Certification in the Green Hospitality program. Built in 1934 as a Depression-era Works Progress Administration project but privately owned since 2018, the resort received its Gold certification on May 15 after working with Audubon International’s team of specialists to increase its commitment to sustainable best practices at all levels, from water quality and conservation to waste minimization, resource...

LONDON—IHG Hotels & Resorts, a global leader in hospitality, announces the launch of its Low Carbon Pioneers program, which brings together energy efficient hotels that have no fossil fuels combusted on-site* and are backed by renewable energy. This group of low operational carbon hotels is the first community of its kind in the industry and will help IHG test, learn and share findings on sustainability measures. The ambition is to inspire other properties to join the program and also help encourage wider adoption of carbon reduction practices across IHG’s estate. The first Low Carbon Pioneer hotels span different IHG brands...

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...

NATIONAL REPORT—In late February, the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Procure Impact, a first-of-its-kind B2B marketplace for products that support overlooked communities, announced the launch of the Dignity of Work Pledge, an initiative to create 100,000 hours of paid employment for overlooked populations. At the time of the announcement, eight hotel companies had signed the Pledge. According to Jen Collins, President of Procure Impact, three companies have since signed on, five have verbally committed, and Procure Impact is in conversation with 15 more. There are now more than 150,000 hotel rooms represented. Hotel companies that purchase from companies in...

ATLANTA—IHG Hotels & Resorts announced an agreement with EnviroSpark, an industry leader in the design, installation, and operation of electrical vehicle (EV) charging solutions, to make electric vehicle chargers (EVCs) available to all IHG-branded hotels across the United States and Canada. IHG hotels can now partner with EnviroSpark on EVCs depending on their individual needs and requirements. This agreement will further expand on IHG’s 1,100 hotels globally with EVCs and meet the growing customer demand for EV charging on the road while supporting a shift to a low-carbon economy. The EVCs that will be available at IHG-branded hotels in North America are...

NORTH BETHESDA, MD.—Choice Hotels International, one of the world’s largest hotel franchisors, announced an agreement with Tesla to offer Tesla Universal Wall Connectors to participating Radisson, Cambria, Comfort, Country Inn & Suites, Quality Inn, and other Choice-branded hotels across the U.S. Through this agreement, Choice-branded properties can add four or more charging stations for guests, helping to meet the growing demand for electric vehicle (EV) charging and eliminate one of the biggest pain points for EV drivers traveling for business or leisure. To find a hotel with a charging station, travelers can use the EV charging filter on ChoiceHotels.com and...