FORT WORTH, TEXAS—This month The Sinclair, part of Marriott’s Autograph Collection of hotels, will celebrate its one-year anniversary. Located in Fort Worth, the 164-room boutique property was once the Sinclair Oil building—quite the contrast from its status today as one of the most cutting-edge green hotels in the world. In renovating the 17-floor building, Forrest Perkins and Merriman Architects retained the property’s ZigZag Moderne facada and Art Deco interiors but Sinclair Holdings, the hotel’s developer, opted for power over Ethernet (PoE) technology, utilizing Cisco Digital Building Switches, to power the hotel’s lights, window shades, smart mirrors, and minibars. Ethernet...

LAS VEGAS—Caesars Entertainment, Inc., the largest casino-entertainment company in the United States, launched its 2020 – 2021 Corporate Social Responsibility report. The report’s highlights include the company’s response to Team Members and communities during the global pandemic, recognition from CDP in addressing climate change and water security, and a new multi-year relationship with the National Football League that reflects an ongoing commitment to Responsible Gaming. “In a year like no other, the new Caesars Entertainment, which was formed through the acquisition by Eldorado Resorts in July 2020, laid a strong foundation for the future,” said Tom Reeg, CEO of Caesars Entertainment....

RIYADH—The Red Sea Development Company (TRSDC) has announced the signing of nine hotel management agreements with international hotel brands to operate resorts in the first phase of development at The Red Sea Project. The agreements were unveiled on Day 2 of the Future Investment Initiative (FII) 2021, with the collection of hospitality brands set to operate nine of the 16 properties currently under development in the first phase and collectively feature more than 1,700 hotel keys of the total 3,000 planned for Phase One. These include EDITION Hotels and St Regis Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott International; Fairmont Hotel & Resorts, Raffles Hotels & Resorts and SLS...

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF.—Soul Community Planet (SCP) announced its acquisition of Hotel Seven4one, a boutique hotel located in Laguna Beach, Calif. The acquisition marks the second California property and seventh acquisition in the rapidly growing SCP portfolio. The boutique property, which is located at 741 South Coast Highway in Laguna Beach, features 12 rooms, including two suites with kitchenettes. The property is ideal for buyouts, retreats, or for individual room reservations and features an outdoor courtyard with fireplace, living wall, as well as a second story sundeck with panoramic ocean views. “This property will be the perfect complement to our recently acquired Laguna Riviera...

CHARLESTOWN, NEVIS—The Nevis Tourism Authority is spearheading a new Sustainability Project in an effort to make Nevis an eco-friendlier destination and reinforce its commitment to the environment through partnerships and local efforts. The project encompasses the development of Sustainable Nevis, a group dedicated to engaging the island to be proactive in how citizens and residents manage their waste and choose to reduce, reuse, and recycle, with the goal of eliminating single-use plastics. The Sustainable Nevis group, comprised of the Nevis Tourism Authority, various environmental groups and agencies on-island as well as key stakeholders, have launched a campaign that encourages locals to recycle plastics...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) recently announced that it has surpassed one billion square feet of LEED commercial green building space recertified under LEED. LEED recertification is an important effort to measure energy, water, waste, and transportation performance, as well as the human experience of LEED projects. Recertification enables owners to protect their sustainability investments over time. This LEED milestone was celebrated at the annual Greenbuild conference, which was held in San Diego. Over the last year, the green building industry has reached several milestones indicating that green building continues to be an important topic as it provides a foundation...

MIAMI—The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the foremost gathering of international leaders in the multitrillion-dollar global wellness economy, announced another key topic for its upcoming conference: the powerful connection between the built environment and our physical and mental health and the many directions that the “building well” trend is now taking. The conference will bring together leading architects, academics, investors and researchers to discuss how new building and design trends, including the science and innovations behind them, are transforming the built environment—and are leading to unprecedented wellness real estate investment opportunities and development pipelines. Joanna Frank, President & CEO, Center for Active Design,...

BANGKOK—Within just a few hours of the United States, Belize is known for its warm and turquoise water, incredible snorkeling and diving, and active and vibrant culture. Guests and residents at Six Senses Belize will experience something out of this world as the team has worked tirelessly to strike the perfect balance between vivacious beach life and small-scale, secluded island bliss so that residents can enjoy either or both, any time they wish. The resort and residences are uniquely set across two areas. The sun-drenched stretch of secret beachfront on Ambergris Caye, the most sought-after destination in Belize, offers an...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. and Howard University announced the inaugural Howard Hospitality Week, an event beginning October 25 that will bring together the Howard community and hospitality leaders to discuss the need for more diverse and equitable opportunities within the hospitality industry. Over the course of five days, students, members of the faculty and industry leaders will gather on Howard’s historic campus in Washington, D.C. to tackle key hospitality business, leadership, and social impact issues. Howard Hospitality Week is an outgrowth of the work the University and The J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation have begun to create...

NEW YORK—Those attending HX: The Hotel Experience or Boutique Design New York (BDNY) who are looking for educational sessions related to green design or operations will have to attend BDNY this year. HX, as of October 25, has just three educational sessions listed on its website and none of them have green topics. Both shows will be held November 14 to 15 at the Javits Center in New York. HX currently has fewer than 50 exhibitors listed on its website and BDNY in the hundreds—proof that the pandemic is still impacting the willingness of businesses to exhibit and travel. Here...