HENDERSONVILLE, TENN.—Labor-related issues and energy/utility costs are among the top challenges on the mind of global hotel and travel industry professionals, while leisure demand and increased guest spending are seen as the biggest strengths, according to a new survey from STR. The Hospitality Industry Sentiment survey is STR’s first longitudinal study of hotel and travel industry professionals, with initial findings captured between November 29 and December 11, 2022, from 200 respondents across the globe. “While respondents cited similar challenges around the globe, professionals in North America indicated that labor supply and cost challenges were number one on their list,” said Brannan Doyle, Research...

LAS VEGAS—Wynn Las Vegas recently unveiled Wynn Living Well, a program that offers guests curated health and wellness experiences at the resort, ranging from Tom Brady and Alex Guerrero’s TB12 method and golf at Wynn Golf Club, the only course on the Las Vegas Strip, to custom IV therapies at NutriDrip by Clean Market, and bespoke in-room workout videos from Amanda Kloots. “Being away from home does not mean you have to compromise on your desire to stay fit, eat right, or enjoy healthy activity—our program was created to provide our guests everything they need to live well, no matter...

PAGOSA SPRINGS, COLO.—Club Wyndham, the nation’s largest vacation club and flagship vacation ownership brand in the Wyndham Destinations portfolio as part of Travel + Leisure Co., announced the donation of five lots of land in Pagosa Springs, Colo., to Habitat for Humanity of Archuleta County (Habitat Archuleta). This is the company’s first land donation to Habitat for Humanity. The five individual lots of land donated by Club Wyndham Pagosa are in residential areas of the county and will be developed into affordable single-family housing for residents in the Pagosa Springs area. A dedication will soon take place where the families will be...

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH—Element Hotels and Le Méridien Hotels & Resorts—part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 30 brands, together with The Ritchie Group and Garn Development, Utah-based commercial real estate development companies, announce the opening of Le Méridien Salt Lake City Downtown and Element Salt Lake City Downtown. The dual-branded property commemorates Element’s milestone 100th global opening and its first in Salt Lake City, complementing its location in Moab, Utah. The property also marks the first Le Méridien in Utah, and the first hotel with an expansive rooftop bar in the market. This first-ever combination of the two distinctly unique brands is managed by Azul Hospitality Group, a San Diego-based...

PALMA, SPAIN—Meliá Hotels International has achieved the highest rating in the global travel industry in the latest S&P Global Corporate Sustainability Assessment (CSA), an assessment of the performance in sustainability of companies in 2022. S&P Global’s CSA is the world’s most comprehensive annual assessment of the sustainability performance of companies across all industries, focusing on economic, governance, social and environmental criteria, as well as on industry-specific criteria. Meliá has taken part since 2018, a year in which it was ranked third in the industry. From 2019 t0 2021 the company achieved the top position in the ranking in Spain and...

LAKEWOOD RANCH, FLA.—A century is a long time to be wasting natural gas while cooking but entrepreneur and appliance industry veteran Ray Williams is beginning to put a stop to it. Ray Williams, CEO of VT Burner, along with Brenda Williams, President of the company, have developed a burner for ranges, woks, stock pots, griddles and charbroilers that is 60 percent more efficient than burners used today. The greater the F&B operation, the greater the potential for energy savings. Less gas burned is better for the environment and kitchens do not have to be cooled as much, adding further...

HOLLYWOOD, FLA.— Hard Rock International marked National Human Trafficking Awareness Day last month by expanding action to strengthen the industry’s role in combatting and preventing human trafficking. Human trafficking, which includes commercial sexual exploitation and forced labor, is a complex challenge for the entire global hospitality industry because it intersects a range of organized criminal activities. For several years, Hard Rock has implemented comprehensive protocols to increase awareness of and prevent human trafficking, including training over 27,000 hotel and casino team members globally and collaborating with community partners and advocacy groups. In May 2022, the company signed the ECPAT Tourism Child-Protection Code...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the urgency for companies and individuals to act to protect the wellbeing of the planet, their communities, their employees, and in the case of hotels, their guests. As such, environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives have accelerated. The hotel industry’s commitment to ESG initiatives, while somewhat nascent, is increasing. Rising energy costs, which have increased electricity costs by 10 percent since May 2021, are likely to accelerate the industry’s focus on sustainability, particularly given the shift in traveler preferences toward more sustainable tourism and green accommodations and the growing demand for disclosure around climate risk....

UNITED KINGDOM—Even before the support ends, businesses expect a 101 percent increase in energy bills this quarter, compared to the same period last year, according to the joint Q1 Hospitality Members Survey by UKHospitality, the British Beer and Pub Association, the British Institute of Innkeeping and Hospitality Ulster. The startling figures were raised directly with politicians as UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls gave evidence to a BEIS Strategy Committee session on energy price support. The survey also bolsters concerns raised by the sector about the behavior of energy suppliers inflating quotes, without justification, with 56 percent reporting increased standing charges. The hike in bills is...

NORWAY—You get a real sense of hovering high above one of Norway’s most beautiful fjords. With its distinctive design and location by the Lysefjord, The Bolder has become one of Norway’s most remarkable places to stay. The three new cabins designed by architect firm Snøhetta are now ready to offer guests an experience of nature that is far beyond the ordinary. The weather is really wet and windy as we park the car at dusk on a winter’s day, a few dozen kilometers from Stavanger in Fjord Norway. The atmosphere becomes increasingly magical as we leave the car and walk...