ATLANTA—AAHOA announced the list of speakers who will be addressing the association’s membership during the 2020 AAHOA Convention & Trade Show, August 11 to 13. AAHOA pivoted to a virtual platform for its convention from its planned event in Orlando after the Florida Department of Health urged public gatherings to be kept to fewer than fifty people because of the surge in COVID-19 infections in the state. “As hoteliers adjust and adapt to the new realities posed by COVID-19, AAHOA is proud to bring our members some of the best minds in the industry to talk about the road to recovery,”...

NANTUCKETT, MASS.—GSN Planet (GSN) has partnered with Hutchinson Consulting to launch its new job board. The GSN Job Opportunity Center is the go-to resource for searching environmentally minded wellness career opportunities and recruiting wellness professionals. GSN is committed to providing its members and community with resources that help them advance in their career journeys. The new job board allows the public to search or post job opportunities for massage therapists, spa directors, healing practitioners, and other qualified professionals who specialize in wellness. Job postings are included as a GSN Membership benefit. All visitors to the site will be able to search available...

QUITO, ECUADOR—After three-and-a-half months with its doors locked, curtains drawn, and only a skeleton crew onsite, Mashpi Lodge has begun welcoming explorers to experience the beauty of the rainforest again. A cocoon in the clouds within the 6,000-acre Mashpi Rainforest Reserve near Quito, Ecuador, Mashpi Lodge has spent the pandemic pause productively, implementing more than 30 protocols and measures designed to prioritize the health and safety of guests and staff, surpassing even the “Safe Travels” protocols recommended by the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). Team members of Mashpi Lodge have been thoroughly trained and tested on every new detail...

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands announced the recipients of the Mr. Sheldon G. And Dr. Miriam Adelson Citizenship Awards, presented by Sands Cares. The award recognizes Team Members across all the company’s business regions who have demonstrated a dedication to giving back to local communities and important causes. The process began with a peer-driven nomination period, where Sands Team Members selected and nominated those among them who most embody the Adelson family’s long-term commitment to philanthropy and legacy of giving. Sands Cares representatives then worked with their respective leadership teams to select three Team Members from each region—Las Vegas, Macao and...

NATIONAL REPORT—One thing that COVID-19 experts agree on is this: the fewer the touch points, the fewer the opportunities for infection. Much has been written so far about touchless check-in but another touch point beginning to receive attention is the water filtration system. Earlier this month, Vero Water, a leading provider of luxury still and sparkling water, introduced its VERO+4 featuring Touchless Technology to meet the heightened sanitation and safety requirements for HORECA establishments because of COVID-19. Similarly, FloWater announced the addition of a foot pedal mechanism to its already self-sanitizing FloWater Refill Stations, making them fully “Touchless.” In the...

COSTA MESA, CALIF.—A year ago, hotel summer marketing and advertising efforts were in full swing with images of epic pools, zen-like spas and cozy bed linens. Today, hotel ads are filled with images of electrostatic sprayers, updates on new cleaning protocols and offers for free last-minute cancellations. These are smart moves, according to the J.D. Power 2020 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index (NAGSI) Study, just released, which finds that meeting guest expectations for cleanliness and proactively communicating with guests prior to arrival continue to be critical drivers of guest satisfaction. “While the COVID-19 pandemic has certainly amplified the importance of...

MADRID—A new set of recommendations published outline how the global tourism sector can continue in its fight against plastic pollution while effectively facing the public health and hygiene challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. The ongoing pandemic has hit the tourism sector hard, putting more than 100 million jobs at risk. Now, as countries begin to recover and tourism restarts in a growing number of destinations, the Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, led by the World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and in collaboration with the Ellen MacArthur Foundation, has provided a plan of action for both public...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced Hyatt’s path forward to welcome back guests and customers to Hyatt hotels, helping them once again experience the joy of travel. With a focus on safety first and wellbeing always, Hyatt is reimagining the hotel journey with new amenities and offerings and taking comprehensive steps to implement enhanced protocols that help colleagues feel comfortable and confident at work. As an extension of Hyatt’s recently announced Global Care and Cleanliness Commitment, Hyatt is collaborating with medical experts from Cleveland Clinic among other trusted medical and industry advisors to fine-tune reopening and operating procedures such as colleague reorientations,...

SAN FRANCISCO—More than 10,000 San Francisco hotel employees are out of work and nearly half of the city’s hotels are closed representing more than half of all guestrooms, according to state data compiled through July 31 as San Francisco remains one of only four California counties not allowing hotels to reopen, the Hotel Council of San Francisco announced today. The 10,899 employees furloughed, temporarily laid off and, increasingly, permanently laid off, represent 44 percent of San Francisco’s 25,000 hotel workers while the 92 closed hotels represent 42 percent of the city’s 215 hotels. The data was compiled by the California...

LENEXA, KAN.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that 13 products on List N, EPA’s list of products expected to kill SARS-CoV-2, have completed laboratory testing for use specifically against SARS-CoV-2, the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. “As part of President Trump’s all-of-government approach to fighting the spread of COVID-19, EPA is continuing its efforts to approve products that have specifically been tested against SARS-CoV-2,” said EPA Administrator Andrew Wheeler. “Each of these products already appears on the agency’s list of approved disinfectants—this additional step provides critical scientific data and information on the tools that the American public are relying...