AOMORI, JAPAN—Jikeikai Group announced Wellness Hotel Zen-Aomori, Japan’s first wellness hotel. The hotel features a full medical check-up upon arrival, followed by personalized wellness regimens, spa treatments, meditation guidance, nutritional and dietary treatments—and more. To be constructed in the upper levels of the JR Aomori Station Building in the city of Aomori, Wellness Hotel Zen-Aomori combines Jikeikai Group’s 60 years of expertise in hotels and medical facilities in a single purpose-built, world-class offering for those seeking to revitalize their physical and spiritual well-being. Guests begin their stay with a comprehensive health and wellness check. Wellness Hotel Zen-Aomori staff then create a custom wellness program...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Leaders of 23 global travel companies sent a letter to President Biden Tuesday urging greater progress toward reopening international travel—as is successfully happening elsewhere in the world—and warning of dire economic consequences if U.S. borders remain shut. The letter notes that current science, the success of the U.S. vaccine rollout, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)’s own guidance allows for steps toward a safe resumption of international visitation. “While U.S. borders remain closed to much of the world, the remarkable scientific advancements to combat the COVID-19 pandemic and the tremendous vaccine deployment achieved by your administration have allowed the...

ATLANTA—Element Hotels, part of Marriott International, along with Atlanta based RevPAR Development LLC, recently announced the opening of the Element Atlanta/Buckhead, marking the debut of the stylish and eco-focused hotel brand in Georgia. The hotel, which is in the heart of Buckhead, aims to fuel a balanced life for travelers on the road. Designed for today’s healthy, active traveler, Element Hotels has redefined the longer stay experience with a clean, modern, and bright nature-inspired design philosophy featured throughout the hotel. The Element Atlanta/Buckhead boasts 164 suites including spacious studios and the new, innovative Studio Commons concept consisting of multiple rooms...

CHEVY CHASE, MD.—One of the fastest growing hotel management companies in the United States—PM Hotel Group—also happens to be one of the ones most committed to corporate responsibility. The Chevy Chase, Md.-based company has its own Director of Sustainability + Facilities (Christie Berlin), manages four LEED hotels, including one LEED Platinum (Home2 Suites by Hilton Silver Spring, Md.) and purchases 100 percent green energy. “We started 10 years ago with 11 hotels,” Berlin says. “We now manage 51 and are working on three development projects at the moment.” “This company has always been committed to corporate responsibility,” Berlin adds. “It definitely...

COAST SALISH TERRITORY, VANCOUVER, B.C.—Budget 2021: A Recovery Plan for Jobs, Growth, and Resilience, released in recent weeks, suggests that there has been federal investments allocated for rebuilding and recovering the tourism industry as well as for Indigenous communities, yet it remains unclear how the Indigenous tourism sector is specifically being supported, during a critical time for its survival. “There’s a discrepancy with the government saying that they are investing into Indigenous tourism versus funding solutions that we and the industry actually have access to,” says Keith Henry, President and CEO of the Indigenous Tourism Association of Canada (ITAC). “Separate from ITAC’s operational budget,...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—As the world emerges from the pandemic, there is an increasing amount of buzz about sustainability, particularly the climate crisis. Governments around the world are setting ambitious decarbonization targets in advance of the COP26 event in the United Kingdome in December. Investors are putting increasing pressure on companies to measure and disclose their sustainability impacts, and consumers are showing more propensity towards sustainable products. What does this mean for the hospitality industry? While many companies have robust and well-established sustainability programs, and the carbon intensity of the global hotel sector has decreased by 10 percent since 2015, the pandemic has added pressure in areas such as...

CHICAGO—Twenty years after launching the first LGBTQ print ad encouraging travelers to “see the world on your terms,” travel site Orbitz is debuting a new national ad campaign and call to action for LGBTQIA+ travelers as the travel industry readies for a comeback. The campaign, titled “Travel As You Are,” invites all people to travel on their own terms, not the ones society created for them. A short brand film and new manifesto premiered on Orbitz’s LGBTQIA+ travel microsite www.Orbitz.com/Pride with creative appearing online and on streaming video platforms. According to Orbitz Brand Director Carey Malloy, the campaign reaffirms Orbitz’s long-standing commitment to inclusive travel, dating back to the early 2000s when the brand launched a series of advertising firsts in support of LGBTQ travelers. “2020...

PARIS—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts is celebrating the 30th anniversary of its award-winning Fairmont Sustainability Partnership, now part of Accor’s Planet21 program. In continuing to set the industry standard in sustainable practices, Fairmont along with Accor has announced the goal to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050. A commitment has also been made to eliminate any remaining single-use plastics in guestrooms, meeting areas, and restaurants across all hotels by the end of 2022. “Thirty years ago, our forward-thinking team literally wrote the book on environmental sustainability in the hospitality industry with the very first edition of our famed Green Partnership Guides,”...

FRANKFURT AM MAIN—Deutsche Hospitality is putting sustainability at the very heart of its global corporate approach. The group has completely redrawn its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Strategy to emphasize that a strong commitment to the environment and to society will now form the foundation of all business activities. “We need to make decisions which are not detrimental to the environment or to future generations. This should be self-evident to us,” stated Marcus Bernhardt, CEO of Deutsche Hospitality. “Hoteliers are an active part of a society looking to create enduring and sustainable values. For us, Corporate Social Responsibility means taking...

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO—Mexico’s Velas Resorts has surpassed its original goal of 100 free all-inclusive stays to healthcare heroes. Showing appreciation to those who have fought tirelessly against the coronavirus pandemic, the “Let’s Be Thankful” campaign allows individuals to give back just by booking a reservation. For every five-night stay reserved by April 30 at any of the resort collection’s properties, in Los Cabos, Riviera Maya, Riviera Nayarit, and Puerto Vallarta, Velas Resorts put one free night into the prize pot. Nights can also be donated directly to the pool for healthcare workers and will be matched by Velas Resorts. On April...