LOS ANGELES—Kind Traveler and Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (Los Angeles Tourism) have joined forces to empower travelers to raise funds for wildfire relief through Kind Traveler’s Every Stay Gives Back (ESGB) program. In just a few short months, and with the support of nine leading Los Angeles hotel partners, the program has already generated more than $173,000 in direct relief for wildfire survivors through The Change Reaction’s Wildfire Direct Giving Fund. With momentum building, the initiative is on track to raise half a million dollars by the end of January 2026, offering a lifeline to families still...

MIAMI—The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the foremost gathering of leaders in the $6.3 trillion global wellness economy, announced that a hot topic at its conference, being held in Dubai from November 18 to 21, will be the shifting consumer desires and the best new ideas emerging in the wellness tourism space. The pandemic sparked a seemingly permanent shift: people demanding more wellness in travel. Global Wellness Institute research reveals that the wellness tourism, spa and hot springs markets clocked roughly 30 percent growth in 2023 (the last year studied), representing by far the fastest growth rates for any wellness sectors. The GWI...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Recognized as the global authority on luxury travel, Forbes Travel Guide began as the Mobil Travel Guide in 1958. In 2009, Mobil Travel Guide was acquired and became Forbes Travel Guide. Mobil Oil Corp. founded the guide to encourage travel (and gas station fill-ups) on the United States’ rapidly growing interstate highway system. Today, Five-Star, Four-Star and Recommended awards honor more than 2,000 properties in 85 countries. Forbes Travel Guide’s highly trained inspectors visit every property it rates, evaluating based on up to 900 standards. A property’s commitment to wellness and sustainability factor in the final rating score. Two years...

LOS ANGELES—In a historic victory for consumer safety, a Ventura County judge has denied the defendants’ Motion for New Trial, officially upholding a $2 million jury verdict obtained by Brian Virag, trial attorney and founder of MYBEDBUGLAWYER, INC. The case—Alvaro Gutierrez and Ramiro Sanchez v. Dario Pini and DLP Management Company—arose from a severe bed bug infestation at the Shores Inn in Ventura, Calif. During a 2020 stay, the plaintiffs awoke to find live bed bugs crawling on the bed, furniture, and walls. The infestation was so significant that the mattress and bedding contained visible blood smears, fecal spotting, and insect casings, indicating a long-standing and untreated problem. Both Gutierrez and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), the global developer of the LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) standards, opened certification to the LEED v5 rating system and announced new tools and resources for users of the world’s most widely used green building certification program. This week at the Greenbuild International Conference and Expo in Los Angeles, USGBC will showcase the practical use of LEED v5 and feature exclusive presentations, workshops and hands-on training for the new system. “Since releasing the rating system and launching LEED v5 registration earlier this year, we have seen interest in using the new rating system spread across the industry,” said Peter Templeton, President...

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...

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...