NEW YORK—1 Hotels announced its newest property in California’s Bay Area, 1 Hotel San Francisco. Currently operating as Hotel Vitale, the property will undergo an extensive reinvention, inspired by the mission-driven, sustainable, luxury ethos 1 Hotels have cultivated, and embracing the beauty of the northern California landscape. The newest West Coast property will be operated by SH Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Starwood Capital Group, a global private investment firm. “1 Hotel San Francisco will be an exciting addition to the city’s luxury hotel experience, as it is rooted in our mission of inspiring conscious consumption,” said 1 Hotels...

NATIONAL REPORT—Humans strive to make life easy. It’s this desire to do less labor that, over our existence, has driven our imagination to invent more efficient ways of completing various tasks ranging from eating to traveling to communicating. Yet our advancement is a double-edged sword. As of recently, especially within the last 100 years, we’ve begun to learn the true consequences that our developments bring with them now. We’ve seen that, in many cases, those very same innovations advancing our species are destroying the planet we live on. One such invention, and likely the most prominent one seen in...

FREMONT, CALIF.—Power Knot, a market leader in biodigesters that eliminate waste food for commercial foodservice operators, has opened a new 25,000-square-foot facility that significantly expands the company’s manufacturing. The new facility, located just down the road from the Tesla automobile manufacturing plant and with fast access to the major international shipping port of Oakland, positions Power Knot to meet rapidly growing demand for its award-winning LFC biodigester from customers around the world. “Demand for our LFC biodigester has surged dramatically over the past year, driven by large orders from cruise line operators Costa, Cunard, Disney, Holland America, P&O, and Seabourn,...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International announced plans to expand its responsible sourcing program with a set of goals for eggs and chickens. Under its cage-free and free-range egg and chicken policy, the company has set a goal to source 100 percent of eggs (shell, liquid, and egg products) from cage-free sources throughout its global portfolio before 2030. In tandem, the company has also committed to sourcing chickens from suppliers certified by Global Animal Partnership. The new policy will be translated into native regional languages where MGM Resorts operates. “The humane treatment of animals is something that is important to our guests and our company....

SANTA CRUZ, CALIF.—Santa Cruz-based startup Steeped, Inc. has launched its Steeped Coffee brewing method to serious coffee drinkers across the nation. Brewed like tea, Steeped Coffee’s nitro sealed Steeped Bags, along with their packaging made using renewable and compostable materials, achieve the unthinkable: freshly ground specialty coffee in a single serving. That’s why it earned the “Best New Product” award for their innovative packaging at the recent Specialty Coffee Expo. Steeped Coffee launched when serial entrepreneur and coffee lover Josh Wilbur decided to combine the convenience of a single-serving brew method with the premium quality of ethically sourced coffee. Wilbur...

NATIONAL REPORT—Advancements in textile technology are making it easier for hoteliers to incorporate towels and robes into a property’s sustainability program—product that requires less water and detergent to wash and less time to dry. The textile fiber type can vary but suppliers are currently offering material ranging from Extra Long Staple (ELS) cotton, to microfibers derived from plastic bottles, to TENCEL+Plus Lyocell derived from eucalyptus and other botanicals. In just the last few months, Majestic International began selling earthright towels and robes made from ELS cotton. According to Wendy Thompson, President, Majestic International, towels come in bath mat, wash cloth,...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Hilton Grand Vacations Inc. has fulfilled its commitment to eliminate single-use straws from its 34 branded properties as part of its continued effort to reduce its overall environmental footprint. According to the EPA’s Trash-Free Waters Program, one-third to two-thirds of debris found on beaches comes from single-use, disposable plastic packaging from food and beverage-related goods (plastic cups, straws, bottles and utensils). Plastic straws are number five on the top 10 items found during beach cleanups. Of all trash, plastic trash has the greatest potential to harm the environment, wildlife and humans. “As we expand our corporate social responsibility program, HGV...

ARLINGTON HEIGHTS, ILL.—It’s official: VITO Fryfilter has a clearly structured quality management, certified by the ISO 9001 standard. This means that the processes are systematically organized and therefore obviously understandable for every employee. Continuous improvement is the basis for a sustainable company development. When consequently implementing this principle, the company can increase its potential of overall performance. Therefore, the quality of service, products and projects significantly improves—customers profit from a faster processing and high standard manufacturing. In addition, all the necessary requirements that define environmental management according to ISO 14001 were met. This is a central component of corporate environment...

BALTIMORE, MD.—Vulcan, the leading provider of commercial cooking equipment, and parent company ITW Food Equipment Group (ITW FEG) announce that Chris Stern has been named Vice President and General Manager of Cooking, North America effective February 10. Mihyar Mohamed, who formerly held the position, will be transitioning to a leadership role in ITW’s Construction Products Segment. During his 23-years at Vulcan/ITW, Stern has consistently delivered strong results and developed and led high performing, collaborative teams. Stern began his career with Vulcan in marketing and was promoted through multiple marketing leadership roles before being named General Manager of the Range Business Unit...

ODESSA, FLA.—Green Lodging News has added Tayst Coffee to its Green Product & Service Directory in the Coffees & Teas category. Tayst Coffee is transitioning hotel rooms and offices from traditional plastic Keurig Kcups into Tayst’s earth friendly compostable pods for Keurig. Tayst Coffee’s premium South American beans are roasted fresh, packed in compostable pods and shipped directly to customers in Earth friendly packaging. Click Here to try Tayst Coffee and to receive a complimentary box. You may also call (516) 962-2141, ext. 704, or e-mail greg@tayst.com. Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.