In next week’s column I will be highlighting the 10 most read Green Lodging News articles of 2020. It will be interesting to see how many had to do with COVID-19. While the article I just posted on Hotel Marcel may not make it because of its posting late in the year, it certainly deserves consideration as one of the most important hotel stories of both this year and 2021. Be sure to read the article. Hotel Marcel is the project of architect Bruce Becker, Founder and Director of Becker + Becker, Westport, Conn. Becker purchased the New Haven, Conn. building...

NEW HAVEN, CONN.—When the Hotel Marcel opens next summer in New Haven, Conn., it will be a shining example of sustainability and what every hotel could and should be. The 165-room boutique hotel will be the result of the renovated Armstrong Rubber Company Building, aka Pirelli Building, originally designed by Marcel Breuer in 1967. It will be run by 100 percent solar power, meet net-zero energy standards, and will target LEED Platinum certification. There will be many other bells and whistles that will make the building highly efficient. Hotel Marcel is the project of Bruce Becker, Founder and Director of...

CHICAGO—As the holidays approach and 2020 comes to an end, the ITW Food Equipment Group is celebrating community, compassion, food, and health. For the second consecutive year, the ITW Food Equipment Group will provide financial support for Culinary Care, a nonprofit organization helping cancer patients live happier and healthier lives by making delicious feel-good moments easy. As part of this mission, Culinary Care delivers free restaurant prepared meals to cancer patients as well as their families during treatments. To date, the organization has provided over 15,000 meals to more than 2,000 patients. The foundation of Culinary Care’s mission and one that ITW...

BANGKOK—Marking the brand’s debut resort in the Caribbean, Six Senses La Sagesse, Grenada is set on a headland on the southern part of the island known for its spice and relaxed lifestyle. Set to open in late 2022, the resort and residences are spread over 38 acres (15 hectares) and laid out using the natural topography of the land, with great effort given to ensuring space, privacy, and uninterrupted views over the turquoise sea. The resort will offer 56 guestrooms, seven one-bedroom villas and five two-bedroom villas, with no building higher than a palm tree. Influenced by the region’s traditional...

BANGKOK—Another green gem in the Six Senses portfolio, and the first opening in the Americas, is aptly named Six Senses Botanique. It showcases its surrounding beauty from a hillside amid 700 acres of lush, mid-tropical Atlantic forests. A Naturally Secluded Yet Convenient Setting The resort lies in the desirable Mantiqueira area, 2.5 hours from São Paulo and 3.5 hours from Rio de Janeiro, 3,940 feet (1,200 meters) above sea level and at the confluence of three river valleys in the heart of the Mantiqueira Mountains. These are known as the “mountains that weep” due to the abundance of springs and rivers....

GILBERT, ARIZ.—Footprint, a sustainable technology firm specializing in materials science engineering, announced the launch of its new, plant-based clamshell food container available for order now. As takeout orders and disposable food container use rises during the pandemic, this plastic and PFAS-free alternative meets the expectations of food providers and customers without sacrificing quality or convenience. Continuing its mission to create a healthier planet and healthier people, Footprint’s new, molded fiber, plant-based clamshell container will not only reduce unnecessary waste from entering the environment, but also reduce exposure to toxic chemicals found in plastic. The materials scientists who designed Footprint’s clamshell...

BARCELONA—ORBOS and Green Nature Marketing are working with Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC, to feature SORBOS edible straws as a limited-time offer, beginning November 11, 2020. Tropical Smoothie Cafe is the first restaurant franchise system to offer SORBOS straws in the United States. “We’re excited to feature these straws with our special cranberry smoothies available all holiday season,” said Alice Crowder, VP of Menu Strategy and Innovation at Tropical Smoothie Cafe, LLC. “Our brand is all about sharing flavor and fun, and these straws contribute both to our smoothie experience.” SORBOS is the first company to produce an edible, flavored and 100 percent...

HOUSTON—Sysco Corp., the leading global foodservice distribution company, has published its 2020 Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report (Read the Report), documenting the company’s progress toward its 2025 CSR goals and demonstrating its “Leadership In Extraordinary Times.” Sysco’s CSR strategy sets a clear path for the future and demonstrates the company’s enduring commitment to caring for people, sourcing products responsibly and protecting the planet. Fiscal year 2020 highlights include: People Donated 30 million meals globally, and helped more than 900 community organizations, to address hunger and food insecurity during COVID-19. Launched a global mental health and well-being campaign, encouraging associates to take a pledge...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab, the global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services, received approval from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its Sink & Surface Cleaner Sanitizer. The product is the first registered by the EPA to kill the virus that causes COVID-19 in 15 seconds—the fastest product available. Ecolab’s advanced chemistries, including Sink & Surface Cleaner Sanitizer, are key to helping restaurants and other businesses meet heightened expectations for cleanliness and more stringent regulations to help reduce the risk of exposure to the virus that causes COVID-19 and other viruses. Sink & Surface Cleaner Sanitizer...

MIAMI—When Global Wellness Summit (GWS) delegates meet at The Breakers Palm Beach from November 8 to 11, they will experience a number of new technologies and creative moves that are “meeting firsts” and all designed to keep them as safe as possible. The GWS has been working overtime to invent new standards for a hygienic and healthy conference, and while it includes the “givens,” such as a smaller gathering (150 in-person attendees according to Beth McGroarty, V.P. of Research for the Global Wellness Summit), physical distancing, masks and temperature checks, the organization has gone much further: deploying cutting-edge air...