Costa Rica’s Cala Luna Boutique Hotel & Villas recently launched initiatives that will help it meet its goal of becoming 100 percent solar-powered and carbon-neutral by 2019. The eco-luxury hotel, noted for its extensive sustainability efforts, organic and biodynamic food and beverage offerings and ethical practices, boasts the highest Sustainable Tourism certification (level five) from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute (ICT). As Cala Luna already uses solar-paneled water heaters, this next step will ensure the entire property is powered by solar means. In addition to its ICT certificate, the hotel also holds a Programa Bandera Azul Ecologica (Blue Flag Ecological...

Caesars Entertainment Corp. just announced the launch of its ninth annual corporate social responsibility (CSR) report, PEOPLE PLANET PLAY, which details sustained progress against the company’s CSR goals in 2017 and the early half of 2018, and its continued commitment to its employees, suppliers and communities. The following are some of the highlights of the report: In 2018, Caesars advanced its commitment to environmental stewardship by achieving approval from the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi) for targets that are aligned with the level of decarbonization required to keep global temperature increase below 2 degrees Celsius. Caesars committed to reducing absolute...

At this year’s HITEC show I stopped by the Vocera Communications booth. Vocera is one of several companies offering “panic button” solutions for hospitality. Vocera’s system is a badge and primarily worn by housekeepers. I wrote about panic buttons earlier this year on Green Lodging News. A growing number of cities are requiring them. According to The Miami Herald, the latest city to get on board is Miami Beach. Beginning August 1, 2019, Miami Beach will be the third tourism town, after Seattle and Chicago, to mandate that hotels provide the devices. New York City hotels that are unionized...

When San Francisco’s boutique Hotel Spero debuted its $16 million renovation in April, it did so with sustainability as a top priority. The following is a list of the key green initiatives, some of which are quite unique: Reusable Water Bottles and Water Stations: Upon check-in guests are provided a custom Hotel Spero water bottle. BeeKind In-Room Shower Products: Hotel Spero is providing its guests with eco- and skin-friendly products from BeeKind, whose formulations are free of artificial colors, dyes, and parabens. BeeKind also supports honey bees and sustainable pollination research at the University of California at Davis’ Entomology...

Overtourism was the focus of sessions at ITB Berlin and the World Travel and Tourism Council’s Global Summit earlier this year. It is also the focus of a new documentary released by activist travel company Responsible Travel. With the current global population at 7.6 billion and more than 1 billion international arrivals each year, there is reason to be concerned. Too much tourism can cause too much traffic, too much pollution, put natural attractions at risk, and, according to one expert, make a destination less competitive. As a baseball fan, of course this quote came to mind: “Nobody goes...

The list of the companies committing to eliminate (or at least dramatically reduce) the number of plastic straws given to guests continues to get longer. I have tried to post each announcement. Here is a list of the companies I have so far: MGM Resorts International, Hyatt Hotels Corp., Delaware North, Meliá Hotels International, Iberostar Group, The Travel Corp., Scandic Hotels, Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts, Sudima Hotels & Resorts, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, The Hong Kong & Shanghai Hotels, and The Red Carnation Hotel Collection. Do a search on “straw” on Green Lodging News to find the various...

I have written about or posted about the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center in New York City numerous times. The Center hosts the annual HX: The Hotel Experience and Boutique Design New York trade shows. The Center is highly energy efficient and even features a green roof that has been home to honeybees and many different bird species. The New York Times just reported that in 2021 the Javits Center rooftop will be the home of a farm on the roof of the extension currently being built. This farm will certainly be unique and give the Center a competitive...

I attended HITEC this week in Houston. There was just one sustainability-focused educational session and I attended it—Saving Energy While Others Pay the Bill: Sustainability and CSR. One of the most interesting stories told during the session was by Lyle Worthington, CIO at The Student Hotel in The Netherlands. The company with 11 hotels throughout Europe partnered with Wageningen University in The Netherlands on a shower experiment at one of The Student Hotels. Worthington discovered, not surprisingly, that students staying at the hotel shower 17 percent longer at the hotel compared to what is typical in a home environment. The...

It is every hotelier’s aim to offer the best experience for his or her guests. That includes a healthy experience free of bed bugs. Chances are you have never heard of NOBBEL, Inc. NOBBEL is the National Organization of Bed Bug Education for Lodging. Using guidelines set forth by the National Pest Management Association (NPMA), NOBBEL has created an online training and certification program for the lodging industry to deal with the growing bed bug epidemic. NOBBEL’S mission is two-fold: 1. To educate the public and the lodging industry about the bed bug epidemic. 2. To offer bed bug training and...

Hersha Hospitality Trust just released its 2017 Sustainability Report. The report represents the progress of the REIT’s EarthView sustainability program which just completed its seventh year. For those of you not familiar with Hersha, the REIT owns and operates 49 branded and independent lifestyle hotels. Since 2010 the company has realized $9.1 million in savings from EarthView. With 2010 as the baseline year Hersha has reduced energy consumption per occupied room by 21 percent, reduced greenhouse gas emissions per occupied room by 25 percent, reduced waste sent to landfills by 45 percent, and reduced water consumed per occupied room...