Asking guests to swear an oath before visiting a city seems like something from a medieval film, but it’s actually part of a new campaign launched this week by Visit Bend. The Bend Pledge is aimed at establishing a code of conduct for all people who spend time in Central Oregon. It’s a web-based initiative that asks potential visitors to abide by a code of conduct that includes items like, “I will make my own memories, but not my own trails,” and, “I will be a respectful guest in Bend’s indoor and outdoor spaces.” Visit Bend CEO Kevney Dugan explained the...

There’s a lot of good and bad advice out there, but the need to diversify your portfolio is non-negotiable. However, it’s not as simple these days to simply look at major markets and dip into them; the advent of technology and rising focus on environmentalism offers a challenge to those looking to make a wise investment. Scepticism remains, however, with personal and political doubts over climate change and faith in “classic” industries. This article will help you to get a handle on green financing. The Context The Paris agreement of 2016 has been the turning point for the world’s market. The demands of the...

The Biophilia hypothesis, according to Encyclopedia Brittanica, is the “idea that humans possess an innate tendency to seek connections with nature and other forms of life.” Biophilia has influenced architecture and design significantly in recent years and is highlighted in a new book by Amanda Sturgeon entitled, “Creating Biophilic Buildings.” Be sure to check it out. Amanda is CEO of the International Living Future Institute (ILFI), a leading organization that focuses on the transformation to a world that is socially just, culturally rich and ecologically restorative. She is the founder and driving force behind the organization’s Biophilic Design Initiative...

LONDON—S&P Dow Jones Indices (S&P DJI), one of the world’s leading index providers, and RobecoSAM, an investment specialist focused exclusively on Sustainability Investing (SI), recently announced the results of the annual Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) review. Launched in 1999, the DJSI World represents the gold standard for corporate sustainability and is the first global index to track the leading sustainability-driven companies based on RobecoSAM’s analysis of financially material Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) factors and S&P DJI’s robust index methodology. Every year, RobecoSAM assesses the world’s largest companies via its Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), which uses a consistent,...

Wynn Boston Harbor is well on its way to its eventual opening in the summer of 2019. The $2.4 billion five-star global destination gaming resort will feature 671 hotel rooms, a spa, retail, dining, and ballroom and meeting spaces. It will generate more than 4,000 construction jobs and 10 million labor hours. It is the largest single-phase development in Massachusett’s history. Wynn is spending $30 million to clean up a former chemical plant site that had been inaccessible to the public for more than 100 years. No public funds are being used for the cleanup. Wynn chose Charter Contracting...

With Hurricane Irma bearing down on the Caribbean, Florida and probably other part of the United States, this Green Lodging News editor is getting just a little nervous. My office is based in Odessa, just north of Tampa. I have lived in Ohio most of my life, have gone through some pretty serious storms but nothing like a category 5 hurricane. Everyone knows how important tourism is to Florida. In the first six months of this year, the state welcomed 60 million visitors—a state record. Irma could so some major damage to Florida tourism, its hotels and its many...

Next month will see the release of the second annual Green Lodging Trends Report. I wrote 13 articles for this year’s report—survey results in categories ranging from Air Quality to Water Conservation. Be sure to watch for this year’s free report. Being a communicator myself, I am always interested in how hoteliers communicate their sustainability initiatives to their guests and employees. While there are many who do a great job at it, there are many—for whatever reason—who keep their green story a secret. For this year’s report we asked, “Does the property have space on its website dedicated to sharing...

In case you missed it, Caesars Entertainment Corp. just released its 2017 Citizenship Report. The report, entitled “People Planet Play,” which covers 2016 and select content from the first half of 2017, details Caesars’ sustained progress and leadership across its many corporate social responsibility initiatives. There were many things that stood out as exemplary in the report. First, in terms of progress over the long term, Caesars coordinated the following: -23 percent energy reduction per air-conditioned square foot since 2007; -35 percent greenhouse gas emissions reduction per air-conditioned square foot since 2007; -19 percent water use reduction per air-conditioned square foot since 2008; and 43 percent of...

BRADENTON, FLA.—Can the hotel building community learn green lessons from the residential building community? Of course. If you get a chance to visit a green home community, do it. This past weekend my family and I stopped by Mirabella in Bradenton, Fla. USGBC just awarded the owners of the 70 completed and occupied Mirabella homes LEED Platinum, the highest LEED designation. Mirabella currently has 37 homes under construction with 53 lots remaining, with plans to have those 90 properties also earn the same level of certification. What I noticed first when entering the model home was how quiet it was. Extra...

I am in the middle of writing the articles for the second annual Green Lodging Trends Report. Be sure to look for the final report in September. This year’s survey for the report has produced some interesting data. For example, for the first time we asked if hoteliers have a formal action plan in place to address human trafficking at their property. Fifty percent said they did. Human trafficking and slavery are increasingly being addressed by the hotel industry. Did you know that the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), in partnership with Marriott International, ECPAT-USA, and the Polaris Project, is now offering...