HOLLYWOOD, FLA.—Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming announced wage increases for half its U.S. workforce. The increases apply to U.S. team members and new hires at company managed hotel, casino, and cafe locations nationwide. A total of 95 job classifications, including cooks, housekeepers, security, public space, call center and many more are among the greatest impacted. In some cases, starting wages are increasing by over 60 percent. The new starting wages range between $18 and $21 an hour, with minimal exceptions—more than 2.5 times the Federal minimum wage and exceeding each U.S. state minimum wage. An entry-level team member in Florida, for instance, will receive between $8 and $11 per...

TRENTON, N.J.—Taco Bell is expanding its recycling program with international recycling leader TerraCycle to now collect all brands and types of sauce packets. This means that all condiment or sauce packets, whether Taco Bell or otherwise, can be collected, mailed back with a prepaid shipping label, and given a spicier second life. As an added incentive, for every shipment of waste sent to TerraCycle through this program, collectors earn TerraCycle points that can be donated to a nonprofit, school, or charitable organization of their choice. “Earlier this spring, we tested the idea with consumers to responsibly recycle any brand of...

CHICAGO—Miraval Resorts & Spas, a global leader in wellness destinations, announces its first ever wellbeing wedding offering, the Miraval mindful wedding. Available to book beginning this fall at Miraval Berkshires, the Miraval mindful wedding is a multi-day, immersive experience customized to honor the couple’s intentions. This one-of-a-kind wedding journey includes a thoughtful wellbeing itinerary for the couple, experiential reconnection opportunities for their guests, and a ceremony and reception filled with mindful touch points. Couples and their wedding party will experience Miraval Berkshires’ signature wellness programs and spa services, culminating in a bespoke wedding celebration that opens the door to...

DENHAM, ENGLAND—IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) recently unveiled the latest evolution of its upscale EVEN Hotels brand through an updated design, refreshed restaurant and integrated wellness experience. Developed in collaboration with franchisees, the new EVEN Hotels prototype will be more efficient to build and operate, making investment in the brand more attractive in more markets and driving future growth. With 50 global hotels open or in the pipeline, EVEN Hotels was created to keep travelers’ wellness routines going however they choose to define them. The brand’s evolution will broaden EVEN Hotels’ appeal and capture more demand from guests looking to...

NATIONAL REPORT—While hotel industry revenues and profits are rising, guest satisfaction is declining. According to the J.D. Power 2022 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study, the increase in industry fundamentals has not been met with a corresponding improvement in guests’ perceptions of amenities or services. One of the areas of greatest disappointment is the quality of the guestrooms and facilities. While guests appreciate the enhanced cleanliness prompted by COVID-19, scores for décor and furnishings, in-room amenities, and the quality of bathrooms declined from June 2021 to May 2022. Like all departments, managers needed to cut costs in the Property...

PARIS—Accor and SHe Travel Club, the only independent hotel label designed by women for women, announced a partnership which aims to reimagine the female travel and hospitality experience. SHe Travel Club is the first and only hotel label which leverages technology and women’s individual feedback to create a label specifically designed around meeting their expectations and requirements. Key Accor brands including Sofitel, MGallery, Novotel and Mercure will be part of a 50-hotel pilot in Europe and in the Middle East to encourage the deployment and growth of the She Label. Its ambition is to work hand in hand to raise...

HELSINKE, FINLAND—Scandic Helsinki Hub recently opened its doors in the Finnish capital. Located in downtown Helsinki, the hotel is housed in a 1920s printing house that has been transformed into a large 352-room hotel. Along with unique loft-style rooms, the hotel features inspiring event, meeting and coworking spaces along with a trattoria and bars. Scandic Helsinki Hub is strategically located at the crossroads of downtown Helsinki and the charming Helsinki south district. Vestiges of the former printing house have been elegantly preserved in the design throughout the building, and guests can choose accommodations that offer a variety of special features...

SINGAPORE—Hilton, the fastest-growing hospitality company in Asia Pacific, has been named the top hospitality company to work for in Great Place to Work’s “Best Workplaces in Asia” list for the sixth year running—and third in the top 100 companies across all industries in the multinational category. The win comes off the back of a number of individual country accolades awarded to Hilton this year, including rankings amongst the Best Workplaces in Australia, Greater China, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka as well as certifications as a Great Place To Work in six countries including Fiji, Malaysia, Maldives, New Zealand, Papua New...

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, CALIF.—If you think you see a tree while walking along the outdoor deck of Maggie’s Restaurant at the Desolation Hotel in South Lake Tahoe, you are not imagining things. The outdoor deck of the restaurant is wrapped around a live pine tree. It is just one example of how Desolation Hotel founder and owner Chet Pipkin attempted to leave the site of his eco-luxury micro resort as unscathed as possible. Trees that had to be harvested from the site where a motel once stood were repurposed for the hotel’s construction. Additional lumber from offsite came from...

ATLANTA—ASHRAE and the International Code Council announced joint development of a standard to assess carbon emissions across the entire building life cycle. Proposed ASHRAE/ICC Standard 240P—Evaluating Greenhouse Gas (GHG) and Carbon Emissions in Building Design, Construction and Operation, will provide a whole life carbon approach to support emissions reductions in buildings. The proposed standard establishes how to measure and verify the greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon emissions of a building, or group of buildings, over the entire life cycle. The goal is to provide consistent procedures and data to be referenced by policies, codes, and other standards that address new and...