LAS VEGAS—The first-ever HD Expo Wellness Pavilion kicked off in Las Vegas last week with a keynote session entitled, “Wellness Today.” The session was moderated by Stacy Shoemaker Rauen, Vice President, Hospitality Design Group, and Editor in Chief, Hospitality Design magazine. Featured speakers included Clodagh, Founder, Clodagh Design; Neil Jacobs, CEO, Six Senses Hotels and Resorts; Thomas Klein, President/COO, Canyon Ranch; and Jaloyn Fockler, Executive Vice President, Delos. The keynote was the first of eight wellness-focused sessions at HD Expo. The format of Wellness Today was Q and A with Shoemaker Rauen posing the questions to the speakers. The following...

SPARTANBURG, S.C.—Innovation leader and global manufacturer Milliken & Co. announced that its Floor Covering and Specialty Interiors businesses joined forces to highlight the breadth and depth of Milliken’s hospitality product offerings at the company’s booth at the 2019 HD Expo in Las Vegas last week. Milliken featured both flooring and interior upholstery products, including the revolutionary sustainable performance fabric, Breathe by Milliken. The Milliken booth featured a Breathe by Milliken-covered sofa from Younger Furniture in Tweed, one of Breathe’s recycled polyester fiber options. A limited quantity of bags made with Breathe by Milliken remnant fabric through Milliken Specialty Interiors’ relationship...

LAS VEGAS—Based on the world beneath the surface of the water, the movement of water and waves, and where the land meets the sea, the fREEForm collection by Encore Hospitality Carpet is making its debut May 15 to 17 in Las Vegas at HD Expo 2019. More than 20 hospitality flooring designs made with 100 percent solution-dyed Zeftron nylon are part of Encore’s entire suite of flooring products being introduced at Encore’s booth, #2843. Ideally suited for hospitality environments ranging from guestrooms to public spaces, all designs within the collection draw inspiration from the natural wonder of reefs, including the...

NATIONAL REPORT—When a guest walks into a hotel, they’re often tired from a long day of travel. They want a warm, comfortable room where they can relax and unwind, an accommodating space where they’re free to kick off their shoes. In this regard, the standard hotel is satisfactory. Of course, professionals in the hospitality industry don’t want to provide just a “satisfactory” experience for their customers. To separate themselves from their competition, they need to go beyond what others have done in the past. They must adapt their practices to remain relevant. Green design represents an opportunity. With the application of...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International announced that MGM Springfield, located in Springfield, Mass., has received the world’s first United States Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) New Construction Platinum level certification for a gaming resort. MGM Springfield, which opened in August 2018, is the company’s most recent development. Working closely with state and city officials, as well as the local community, MGM Resorts committed to designing and building a property that exemplifies the company’s values in support of environmental sustainability and positive social impact while honoring local history and architecture. A significant enabler of the LEED Platinum rating...

GLENMONT, OHIO—When U.S. News & World Report put together a list of The World’s Best Treehouse Hotels last year, it included The Mohicans, a North Central Ohio hideaway that includes seven treehouses, five cabins and the Grand Barn Wedding Center. The Mohicans is the work of the husband and wife team of Kevin and Laura Mooney. Along the way they have been assisted by Amish builders and experts such as Pete Nelson of the well-known Treehouse Masters reality show. Nelson designed two of the treehouses on the 75-acre property. One of those treehouses was featured on Treehouse Masters. Kevin says...

SEATTLE—The Living Product Challenge (LPC) is now an approved certification path in the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) LEED v4/4.1 BD+C program. Living Product Challenge certified products join Declare as a compliant pathway in the LEED version 4 and 4.1 Building Product Disclosure and Optimization—Material Ingredients credit. In fact, LPC now receives the highest points for demonstrating healthier products under Option 2 of the credit. There are currently 21 LPC-certified products that comply, and the program is scaling rapidly. This builds upon the recognition of the Declare program by LEED V4 in 2016, and reflects a broader industry alignment and trend to embrace ingredient...

ARROYO GRANDE, CALIF.—Arroyo Grande’s newest destination, The Agrarian Hotel, is set to open its doors in June of 2019, offering well-appointed rooms, plush amenities, and inviting, sustainably-designed spaces that seek to redefine the boutique hotel experience. Located in the historic Village of Arroyo Grande, The Agrarian Hotel is an exquisite new boutique hotel at the gateway to wine country, where comfort and sustainability coincide to create a memorable, relaxing stay on the Central Coast. All 54 rooms and suites are spacious and tastefully-designed, offering Tempurpedic beds, high-end bedding, and plush amenities, such as private patios and Jacuzzi tubs in some...

PORT CHESTER, N.Y.—The Shade Store, a leading resource for premium custom window treatments, will show at HD Expo for the first time, May 15 to 17 in Las Vegas at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Featuring a selection of new offerings and bestsellers curated for the commercial market, The Shade Store’s booth #3275 will highlight full-service solutions and state of the art window treatment products that can be tailored for hospitality, retail and workplace commercial design projects. “At The Shade Store, many of our customers are interior designers, and our work in the contract market is in many ways a...

SOUTH RIM, GRAND CANYON—Grand Canyon South Rim is getting a “birthday present” for its Centennial: as part of its concession contract with the National Park Service (NPS), Xanterra Travel Collection is investing $30 million to rebuild the Maswik South Lodging complex at South Rim. The existing 90 rooms, constructed in 1971, will be replaced with 120 new lodging units within four new lodging structures in the same general location. The new Maswik guest lodging is anticipated to open in Summer of 2020. The new units will greatly improve the guest experience adding new amenities to the two-story structures including private...