WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) released the results of a comprehensive Lodging Survey, a detailed assessment of advancements in amenities, guest services, sustainability and technology, in addition to other industry trends. This recent survey underscores how hotels advance, accommodate and innovate the guest experience. Consumers can expect seamless transitions between their everyday lives and their lives on the road thanks to increased mobile compatibility, flexible dining options and welcoming accommodations. This comprehensive survey is conducted every two years by industry data provider and AHLA partner STR, renowned for providing premium data benchmarking, analytics and marketplace insights for...

MINNEAPOLIS—Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP), producers of the world’s largest Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC), has announced that attendee registration for its HITEC Minneapolis is now available online, as well as hotel reservations. Annually, HITEC highlights the industry’s tech trends and current approach to integrating technology into the hospitality sphere. To set the tone on the first day, award-winning futurist Chris Riddell will present the Opening Keynote, “Beyond Tomorrow—The Human Revolution.” HITEC Minneapolis will be the second, and largest, HITEC event of 2019 and is from June 17 to 20 at the Minneapolis Convention Center in Minneapolis. “Annually...

ATLANTA—Honeywell, a global leader in connected buildings, announces the launch of INNCOM INNcontrol 5, an intuitive and powerful platform for energy management and guestroom control. The INNcontrol 5 (IC5) system lets operators monitor and manage guestroom controls across an entire hotel property in real time to identify and resolve issues before they affect guests, track energy usage, and deliver better operational efficiency. IC5 collects guestroom data and presents it on a configurable dashboard that displays key performance indicators (KPIs) that impact property operations and functions. Dashboards display KPI metrics that can include energy utilization property wide and by individual guestroom...

SAN ANTONIO—Friedrich Air Conditioning Co., a leading U.S.-based manufacturer of heating, cooling and other room air-conditioning products, has announced it will be the official corporate sponsor of the Long Island Youth Wellness Summit to help prevent teen suicide in Nassau County, N.Y. The summit, held March 19, is designed to provide sophomore and junior-level students, staff and administrators of Nassau County public and private high schools with the necessary resources to promote overall wellness and mental health. The daylong event is led by The Society for the Prevention of Teen Suicide (SPTS), and will include suicide awareness and prevention practices,...

SPAIN—Across Spain, hotels are prominently flagging their green credentials as they increasingly take steps to reduce their environmental footprint and appeal to a new generation of eco-aware consumers. The country’s Paradores, state-run hotels in historic buildings such as former palaces and monasteries, are the latest to look to a greener future, switching to renewable energy sources by incorporating features such as biomass technology or solar panels. “The Paradores’ commitment to become 100 percent green energy driven is an important milestone in the Spanish hotels sector,” says Carlos Ortega, Executive Vice President of the Hotels division at JLL Spain. “Being a public-sector...

PHILADELPHIA—Element Philadelphia, a new 460-room extended stay hotel in Philadelphia, announced plans to install Evolve Controls’ wireless room controls system into all 460 rooms of the property, currently undergoing construction. Developed by Vine Street Matthews, owned by Chestlen Development, and managed by Starwood Hotels/Marriott, the LEED-certified hotel selected Evolve Controls for room control. “We chose Evolve for its sleek design and seamless installation process,” said Project Manager, Rich Gibson, of McCrae-Gordon Group Electric Joint Venture, LLC. “However, it’s not just about the system, it’s the superior service we have received in creating a custom solution for us to support our...

ATLANTA—Increased building activity, operational demands, changes in codes and design and new energy efficiency strategies were just some of the topic discussed among buildings professionals at the 2019 ASHRAE Winter Conference and AHR Expo. The 2019 ASHRAE Winter Conference took place last month at the Omni Hotel Atlanta at CNN Center and the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta, ASHRAE’s headquarter city. More than 3,200 individuals registered for this year’s Winter Conference. The AHR Expo attracted HVACR professionals from around the globe and provided a forum for manufacturers to showcase the latest products and services. The Expo drew more than 65,000...

SINGAPORE—Greenview has released its 106-page Green Lodging Trends Report 2018. The Report is the lodging industry’s annual exercise to assess and catalyze green innovation, best practices, and awareness regarding the state of sustainability across hotels worldwide. The Report highlights and summarizes responses to 115 survey questions in these categories: Energy Management, Waste Management, Water Conservation, Health & Wellness, Back of House, Communications, Staff Involvement, Community Involvement, and Climate Action & Certification. Greenview received data for 4,544 hotels across 61 countries. Of the overall data set, 2,202 properties were classified as City/Urban Hotels, 814 as Suburban Hotels, 607 as Resorts, 296...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News welcomes Sharc Energy Systems to its Green Product & Service Directory in the Waste Heat Recovery/Recycling category. Every day, a tremendous amount of warm water is used once before ultimately being discarded down the drain. Wastewater provides the ultimate renewable energy source, with an inexhaustible supply of thermal energy. SHARC Energy Systems, the world’s largest waste heat recovery company, offers two innovative products that use wastewater as an energy source. The SHARC and PIRANHA reuse thermal energy in wastewater to provide cost-effective and environmentally clean domestic hot water pre-heating and space heating and air conditioning....

FORT WORTH, TEXAS—Traulsen is kicking off 2019 with the introduction of new equipment features that give foodservice operations more choice and greater control. Known for its 80-year history of manufacturing quality commercial refrigeration equipment, Traulsen is debuting its next generation Smart Control system on all R-Series and A-Series reach-in refrigerators and freezers. Smart Control, designed with an easy to read and operate digital display, is built on custom software developed to maximize efficiency, provide sophisticated system diagnostics, and simplify the operator interface. Replacing the Intela-Traul control system that has been in operation for nearly two decades, Smart Control advances R-Series...