BANGKOK—Six Senses has always believed in taking guests beyond destinations into new experiences and cultures, so they feel the purpose behind their travels. But the past few years have provoked a renewed appreciation that exploration and escape go hand in hand with thinking about the impact this has on the environment and local communities. As a leading sustainability pioneer within the hospitality industry, Six Senses has set an audacious goal towards plastic freedom and committed to weaving long-term positive change into the fabric of every property. Following its pledge as a founding signatory of the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative in 2019,...

SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIF.—Sometimes the simplest inventions can save a lot of time, water, energy, and money. That has certainly been the case with PLATESCRAPE, a 4.5-gallon, portable tub that incorporates hot water, soap and two perfectly placed brushes to remove the food waste on plates. One simply dips a plate into the water between the two brushes to rid both sides of the plate of food remains. This ensures a clean plate prior to placement in a dishwasher and ultimately a sparkling plate that is used by a guest. Nate Stein, the CEO, and inventor of PLATESCRAPE, hatched the...

CHICAGO—Grounded in its ongoing efforts to inspire and empower travelers to pursue their individual wellbeing goals, World of Hyatt is introducing FIND, an experiences platform, through Hyatt’s industry-leading World of Hyatt loyalty program. With 200+ experiences across 85+ destinations in over 30 countries, the FIND platform is designed to complement members’ wellbeing journeys and meet them where they are. “We know travelers are eager to explore new destinations and are prioritizing their wellbeing now more than ever,” said Amy Weinberg, Senior Vice President, Loyalty, Brand Marketing and Consumer Insights, Hyatt. “The FIND platform allows for more opportunities to enhance World of...

MALDIVES—Award-winning Brazilian chef and restaurateur, Manoella “Manu” Buffara, has launched a new pop-up restaurant at Soneva Fushi, the pioneering barefoot luxury resort in the Maldives. Located at Fresh in the Garden, a treetop dining destination that overlooks the resort’s extensive organic island gardens, the 12-month pop-up is based on the concept of transformation and offers guests a rare opportunity to dine with one of Latin America’s most exciting culinary talents. Recently named Latin America’s Best Female Chef by the World’s 50 Best, Chef Manu is the Executive Chef and owner of her eponymous restaurant, Manu. Paving the way for gastronomy...

STONE MOUNTAIN, GA.—Eco-minded boba tea enthusiasts nationwide are now able to enjoy their favorite beverage without using a straw that harms the environment. WinCup, Inc., the manufacturer of phade, the world’s first marine biodegradable, home and industrial compostable Caribbean blue drinking straw, has released a new bubble tea-sized straw for boba, smoothie and milkshake drinkers. The boba straw’s wider size is more suitable for thicker liquids while incorporating phade’s superior sustainable technology. Made with PHA (polyhydroxyalkanoate), a meaningful new biopolymer derived from the fermentation of canola oil, phade straws maintain the feel and user experience of traditional plastic straws but will safely...

TROY, OHIO—Hobart announced the winners of its 125th Anniversary Celebration Contest—a giveaway of equipment prize packages, plus installation and up to one year of preventive maintenance. Tore Trupiano, owner of Mangia e Bevi in Oceanside, Calif., was the independent restaurant winner. Nicholas Angelakis, owner of Colonial Farms Gourmet Food and Market in Washington Crossing, Pa., won in the independent food retail store category. Both winners were chosen based on their commitment to local philanthropy and community outreach and will use their new Hobart equipment to further their missions. “We are honored to be able to support both of these owners and...

BANGKOK, THAILAND—Dusit Hotels and Resorts, under Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, has become the first hotel chain in Thailand to offer 100 percent organic rice across its entire portfolio of properties nationwide, bringing nutritional benefits to guests, customers, and employees, and sustainable income gains and life-changing developments to agricultural communities in the kingdom’s Thung Kula Rong Hai area, specifically Surin and Sisaket provinces. Driven by Dusit International’s food business unit, Dusit Foods, and the company’s Sustainability Committee, the initiative sees Dusit work directly with farm collectives and provide all the support they need—from quality...

HUDSON VALLEY, N.Y.—Overlooking the mighty Shawangunk Ridge on 140 arcadian acres, Wildflower Farms, Auberge Resorts Collection recently opened as a new, environmentally conscious, luxury retreat, fringed by fiery fall forests and a slow-rippling river. A verdant escape in the foothills of the Catskill Mountains, its expansive grounds encompass orchards, woodlands, a namesake farm, heirloom gardens and fields of native wildflowers. Nestled within are 65 bespoke cabins, cottages, and suites; Thistle, an Auberge Spa; Maplehouse cooking school; and exceptional dining destinations, including the resort’s signature restaurant Clay—all inspired by the region’s wild beauty. “Fifteen years ago, my wife, Kristin, and I came to...

NEW YORK—HX: The Hotel Experience and Boutique Design New York (BDNY), two adjoining trade shows held at the Javits Center November 13 to 14, wrapped up this week with numerous first-time suppliers introducing green products and services. In addition, veterans of the two shows were back to tout the green upsides to their products and services to the thousands of attendees. It would be impossible to list all the suppliers deserving of publicity, but the following are many of them, along with a brief description of what they featured at the shows. Sapphire Beverages introduced its water in easy-to-recycle aluminum...

NEW ORLEANS—The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) has achieved its first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, a major milestone in its ongoing commitment to sustainability. A building rating system that provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, green buildings, LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership. This official certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) makes the NOENMCC the largest LEED-certified project in Louisiana, the largest convention center project in the U.S. certified under LEED v4.1 Operations and Maintenance and the first convention center in the world to be awarded initial certification...