NEW ORLEANS—The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) has achieved its first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification, a major milestone in its ongoing commitment to sustainability. A building rating system that provides a framework for healthy, highly efficient, green buildings, LEED certification is a globally recognized symbol of sustainability achievement and leadership. This official certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) makes the NOENMCC the largest LEED-certified project in Louisiana, the largest convention center project in the U.S. certified under LEED v4.1 Operations and Maintenance and the first convention center in the world to be awarded initial certification...

SHARM EL-SHEIKH—During this year’s COP27 in Egypt, Radisson Hotel Group reaffirmed its strong commitment to sustainability by signing the Glasgow Declaration and encouraging other hospitality groups to join the call for strong actions to halve emissions over the next decade and reach Net Zero emissions as soon as possible before 2050. Radisson Hotel Group is one of the top 1,000 companies with published approved science-based targets and has taken significant steps to define a clear path to becoming Net Zero by 2050, aligned with the landmark 2015 Paris Accord. Tourism & Travel as a sector represented 1/10 jobs and over...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Foundation (AHLA Foundation) announced a $500,000 donation from Hilton Global Foundation to support the No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Survivor Fund as part of the hotel industry’s united efforts to eradicate human trafficking. The NRFT Survivor Fund will equip community-based organizations with the resources they need to engage and support trafficking survivors—from direct financial support of their short-term, baseline needs to career-related support that can empower survivors and set them up for stability and success. The donation comes after the inaugural No Room for Trafficking Advisory Council meeting at the Hilton National Mall/The Wharf property in...

BETHESDA, MD.—Pebblebrook Hotel Trust announced that it published its fourth annual Environmental Sustainability and Social Responsibility Report covering the company’s Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance in 2021 and its commitment to environmentally sustainable business practices and social responsibility to its employees and other stakeholders. Pebblebrook’s 2022 ESG Report is aligned with international reporting standards such as the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), includes disclosures from the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), and reflects the company’s commitment to understanding and planning for sustainability risks through the Task Force on Climate-Related Financial Disclosure (TCFD). The 2022 ESG Report also sets forth the...

TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—The Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association (FRLA) announced the launch of the FRLA Disaster Relief Fund, an initiative to provide economic relief for Florida’s independent restaurants and lodging establishments and their employees who are financially needy or distressed from the impact of Hurricane Ian. “Florida is known across the globe for our unparalleled hospitality and our world class dining and lodging establishments,” said Carol Dover, President and CEO of the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Association. “To see this industry already reeling from the economic situation in a post-COVID recovery period hit by such historic destruction from Hurricane Ian is devastating. Through...

NATIONAL REPORT—Eliminating single-use amenity waste is one of the hospitality industry’s biggest waste challenges. Amenity dispensers certainly do a good job reducing that waste although some dispensers come with cartridges that need to be recycled. At least two companies have developed dissolvable amenities—each requiring the addition of water by the guest. The first company, Hotel Emporium, offers compostable EcoPods that include powder in containers made from 60 percent bamboo fiber, 30 percent sugarcane fiber, and 10 percent wood fiber. The second company, Nohbo, encapsulates amenities in water-soluble film. The film biodegrades instantly when met with water—an on-site zero-waste solution. No...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance has updated its Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) and is calling on the hospitality industry, including corporate clients and booking platforms, to use common measurement metrics to ensure a transparent and globally comparable approach to carbon, water and waste reporting. To remain up to date amidst a changing landscape of climate action, HCMI has been reviewed and improved based on user feedback and research by Cornell University’s Center for Hospitality Research. This version has been updated to align with the latest GHG Protocol guidance and to better incorporate renewable energy with the support of Greenview. Publicly available carbon emissions factors have...

NATIONAL REPORT—Annual changes in U.S. hotel utility costs and in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), or inflation, have historically proven to be strongly correlated. As of August 2022, CBRE is forecasting CPI growth to be 7.7 percent in 2022, followed by another 3.6 percent in 2023. Since inflation has averaged just 2.2 percent since 2000, these inflation projections have hoteliers concerned about operating costs. Given that rising energy costs are a significant driver of the current rise in CPI, hotel managers are especially worried about utility department expenses. Over the past 50 years, utility department expenses have averaged between 3...

COLOGNE, GERMANY—HRS, the leading global corporate travel and payment technology platform, and GBTA, the world’s largest business travel association, announced results tied to sustainability and corporate lodging from a comprehensive survey of travel management and procurement leaders from Europe and North America. The results from the survey showcase the increasing frequency of sustainability as a key factor in influencing where millions of business travelers may decide to sleep when they are on the road in 2023 and beyond. According to the research, nearly two-thirds (65 percent) say they would prioritize hotels that have earned a validated sustainability certification (i.e. LEED or HRS Green Stay, for...

ATLANTA—AAHOA, the nation’s largest hotel owners association, held its inaugural HerOwnership Conference & Retreat at the Radisson Hotel Cincinnati Riverfront on October 26 and 27. The HerOwnership Conference & Retreat was far from your typical women’s event. While this event was women-centric, it focused specifically on women who are interested in owning their first hotel or learning about owning hotels in general. This conference and retreat was designed to educate women about how to own a property or business and promote women who are interested in exploring hotel ownership. “Seeing all of these dynamic women in all areas of hospitality come together...