NATIONAL REPORT—Green Lodging News recently reached out to our industry’s amenities companies, giving them each an opportunity to highlight one of their latest products. Not every company responded but here is a roundup of what each company sent to me—in no particular order and in their words: Kure Kure’s stainless brackets and aluminum cylinders offer a more sustainable, elegant alternative to plastic dispensers. Catering to luxury hoteliers and discerning guests, Kure dispensers stand out for their sophisticated beauty, customized designs, and ease of use. Sleek aluminum and stainless design; no plastic bottles Fully customizable digital printing; Stock designs also available Easy...

NEW YORK, N.Y.—Despite the uncertainties of the past year, one thing remains certain: people will always want to travel and will always look to travel for inspiration. And for many Americans, the famed wine region of Tuscany is at the top of their travel wish list. With Italy having eased its border and travel restrictions for vaccinated visitors this summer in accordance with new European Union guidelines, the country’s hotels, restaurants, and attractions are relaunching and preparing to welcome back guests from the United States. Toscana Resort Castelfalfi has officially reopened its doors, offering travelers the opportunity to reconnect with themselves and others after a long...

MIAMI—The Global Wellness Summit (GWS), the foremost gathering of international leaders in the multitrillion-dollar global wellness economy, announced a new location and dates for its 2021 conference. Originally to be held in Tel Aviv, Israel, in mid-November, it will now take place in Boston from November 30 through December 3 at the five-star Encore Boston Harbor—a Wynn property. The 2022 Summit will be held in Tel Aviv in the fall of next year. The Summit is a profoundly global event, and with shifting world travel restrictions, this fall’s conference will be “hybrid”: offering both in-person participation (where delegates are immersed in...

NATIONAL REPORT—The concept of sustainability has been around for decades, popularized by the First World Climate Conference in 1979, the inception of the United States Green Building Council (USGBC) in 1993, and the publication of Vice President Al Gore’s book about climate change (An Inconvenient Truth) in 2006. While other building types were early to adopt this concept, hospitality seemed slow to embrace green building design. Today, hospitality design is making noticeable changes to catch up. Impact on the Environment The world’s environment is affected primarily by real estate, transportation, and manufacturing. Due to the influence that these industries have on...

TORONTO—1 Hotels, the mission-driven, sustainable, luxury hospitality brand is now accepting reservations for its soon-to-open retreat located in the heart of Toronto beginning August 4, 2021. This is the first location in Canada for the award-winning, nature-focused hotel brand founded by hospitality visionary Barry Sternlicht, CEO and Chairman of Starwood Capital Group. The iconic King Street West property was acquired and redeveloped as a luxury lifestyle destination by Mohari Hospitality, a real estate investment company founded by the entrepreneurial investor Mark Scheinberg. The design was developed in collaboration with SH Hotels & Resorts, a subsidiary of Starwood Capital Group, and famed architect and designer...

LONDON—The United States is leading the way in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) green buildings, according to new research by Uswitch.com, the comparison and switching service. As the country that set up the LEED initiative, the United States is a natural leader in constructing green buildings, with 124,212 LEED-certified buildings—the most overall in the world. Competition to be the best green building country is tough. China has over 100,000 fewer green buildings than the United States, with 5,678. However, they still come in second place for the most green buildings. In third place is Canada with 3,066 green...

NEW YORK, N.Y.—After the events of last year shed light on continued systematic racism, a group of leading hospitality professionals, brought together by Hospitality Design magazine, came together to form the Hospitality Diversity Action Council (HDAC). Comprising hoteliers, designers, landscape architects, and purchasers, the group strives to be a catalyst for addressing the issues of systemic and institutionalized racism which has contributed to the lack of diversity within the hospitality industry. Through demonstrated leadership, as well as collaboration with the community, the HDAC will work toward the creation of a more diverse, inclusive, and equitable industry through the implementation of programs,...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Clean the World, a global leader in water, sanitation, hygiene, and sustainability, is enhancing its impact reporting for partners participating in its Hospitality Recycling Program. The reporting allows for a robust look at key social, economic, and environmental data points and is powered by Greenview. Ultimately, the goal is to provide a way for partners to comprehensively measure their environmental and social impact by collecting sustainability data, tracking performance and progress over time, and reporting activities in a transparent way. For more than 11 years, Clean the World has partnered with the hotel industry to recycle soap and bottled amenities. Since its start...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton has been recognized for its commitment to diversity and inclusion by DiversityInc, placing #1 on the 2021 Top 50 Companies for Diversity list. This award marks the company’s seventh consecutive year on the list, which highlights the nation’s top companies that hire, develop, retain, and promote a broadly diverse workforce. Hilton also placed as a Top Company on a record 12 Specialty lists, including: Latino Executives (#2), Mentoring (#3), Philanthropy (#3), Native American/Pacific Islander Executives (#3), Executive Diversity Councils (#5), People with Disabilities (#6), Board of Directors (#6), Sponsorship (#7), Employee Resource Groups (#8), Veterans (#10), Asian American Executives...

SILVERTHORNE, COLO.—The Pad team isn’t just talking about their commitment to sustainability for their new boutique hotel/hostel that opens this summer (July 30) in Silverthorne, Colo., they’re taking action and joining more than 4,000 global sustainability leaders in pledging to adopt a new business model and culture that prioritizes purpose alongside profit. The Pad, a 36-room boutique hotel with hostel-style rooms, was recently certified as a pending B Corp with plans of achieving the full certification when they become eligible after being open for 12 months. The Pad is on track to becoming the first Certified B Corp. in Summit County,...