CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Headspace, a leader in mindfulness and meditation with nearly 60 million users in 190 countries, announced a new global wellbeing collaboration between Hyatt and Headspace that will bring mindfulness exercises, guided meditations and sleep content to millions of employees, corporate customers and guests. This exclusive collaboration is set to launch at Hyatt-branded hotels around the world in the coming months. The alliance with Headspace builds on Hyatt’s holistic wellbeing strategy, which focuses on positively impacting how employees, corporate customers and guests feel, fuel and function—Hyatt’s three landmarks of wellbeing—at work and in life. This collaboration uniquely...

SAN DIEGO—Women in Tourism & Hospitality (W.I.T.H.) will host its inaugural conference March 19 through 20, 2020 at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel San Diego-Mission Valley. The W.I.T.H. program recognizes and supports the contributions of women professionals who are significantly impacting tourism and hospitality in the San Diego metro area. W.I.T.H. will bring together corporations, tourism executives, industry insiders, elected officials, entrepreneurs, educators, and students for one full day of motivation, education and networking. “The W.I.T.H Conference is designed to provide strategies and empowerment for women in the hospitality industry to take control of their business, go after what they...

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.—The Beverly Hilton announced a top-to-bottom hotel renovation, to be completed in April 2020, which will reintroduce the Los Angeles landmark to a new generation of leisure travelers, corporate guests and entertainment industry events. The sweeping transformation will encompass all 566 guestrooms, including nine private luxury suites, indoor-outdoor event spaces and meeting rooms, and all public spaces including the lobby and signature restaurant, CIRCA 55. Supporting Hilton in redefining sustainable travel by cutting its environmental footprint in half and doubling investment in social impact projects by 2030, the hotel renovation will bring new environmentally-conscious innovations to The Beverly...

LAS VEGAS—Wynn Resorts CEO Matt Maddox and a coalition of like-minded CEOs have collectively committed to the CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion pledge. Maddox added his name to the pledge which commits companies to prioritize diversity and inclusion as an imperative part of workplace culture. On the heels of becoming the first casino resort in Las Vegas to be certified as a “Great Workplace” by the independent analysts at Great Place To Work, the CEO Action for Diversity & Inclusion pledge is a continuation of Wynn Resorts’ comprehensive approach to ensuring employees and guests feel welcome and accepted. Primary initiatives include...

NEW YORK CITY—The WELL Conference, a rich, experiential event for those committed to improving the health and well-being of people through better buildings, communities and organizations, announces that registration is now open for this inaugural event taking place March 29 to April 1, 2020 at the Fairmont Princess in Scottsdale, Ariz. Attendees can register online at thewellconference.com. A first-of-its-kind wellness gathering, The WELL Conference is a curation of information and inspiration from thought leaders, experts and innovators representing multiple sectors of the wellness movement. Registrants may choose from several options to meet various interests, budgets and time considerations. Those wishing to attend are...

LA GRANGE, GA.—The Resilient Floor Covering Institute and SCS Global Services announce a new program to ensure the continued growth and popularity of Rigid Core Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) marketed and sold in North America. The program is called ASSURE CERTIFIED. “As part of our mission to support the interest of resilient flooring, RFCI and member manufacturers determined there was an urgent need to establish industry-wide standards for Rigid Core LVT quality, no matter where it’s made,” explained Dean Thompson, President and CEO of RFCI. Rigid Core LVT is the fastest growing resilient flooring category. It has evolved quickly from an...

ATLANTA—Washington, D.C. is ringing in the new decade as the number one city on Orkin’s Top 50 Bed Bug Cities list. Meanwhile, Baltimore fell to the second spot after three years as the frontrunner, and Indianapolis joined the top of the list. The list was not broken down by cities with the most problematic hotels. Flint saw the biggest jump moving 16 spots to number 31 after only joining the list in 2018. Pittsburgh and Champaign both broke into the top 20, and Myrtle Beach and Toledo joined the top 50 list for the first time. The list is based on...

FRANKFURT, GERMANY—The winter months are here, and for those of us that are lucky enough to enjoy the comforts of home, it can be a happy and cozy time of year. However, for those less fortunate, it can be one of the toughest. This year Penta is extending their hospitality beyond their guests and into local communities by providing hot soup and sit-down meals to people in need. Penta announced its widest-reaching charitable campaign to date, Souper Heroes, which exemplifies the brand’s philosophy of giving back through direct community engagement. The campaign aims to inspire, to raise awareness and to...

CHICAGO—Comfort food and innovation are pairing up on this year’s list of what’s hot in trends and creations coming to diners from restaurant kitchens. The annual What’s Hot Culinary Forecast, released by the National Restaurant Association, offers a detailed look at the topics, trends, and products—from the ordinary to the surprising—rated sizzling hot by chefs working in kitchens across the country. Diners will see many more alternatives in restaurants this year, as owners and operators adopt eco-friendly packaging, plant-based proteins, revamped classic cocktails, specialty burger blends (mushroom-beef burgers, etc.), and unique beef and pork cuts, which all made the list...

NATIONAL REPORT—The amount of moisture in the air, “humidity,” continually varies. Think of a sponge as an analogy. When relative humidity is 50 percent, the sponge is half full of water. When relative humidity is 100 percent, the sponge is holding as much water as it possibly can. When relative humidity is 0 percent, the sponge is completely dry and free of moisture. Climate Buildings in Orlando, Fla. are more susceptible to humidity challenges than for example, Atlanta. What climate qualities make Orlando more susceptible to humidity than Atlanta? Orlando is situated in an area that experiences high humidity for an...