BEND, ORE.—Outdoor enthusiasts can now check into a new hotel in Downtown Bend that is perfectly designed for adventure. Element Bend, the first Element Hotel by Westin to open in Oregon, is now welcoming guests to its spacious, airy studios and one-bedroom suites. Inspired by the natural beauty around us, wellbeing and environmental sustainability are a key focus of the hotel. Guests can take advantage of the abundance of local outdoor recreational opportunities. Hike in the high desert, raft down the Deschutes River, or take a complimentary bike out to discover the beauty of Bend, Ore., then rejuvenate back...

PUERTO VALLARTA, MEXICO—Mexico’s Velas Resorts is showing appreciation for healthcare workers by rolling out a new “Let’s Be Thankful” campaign. The goal for the promotion is to give at least 100 free all-inclusive stays to those who have fought tirelessly against the coronavirus pandemic. The resort collection, with properties in Los Cabos, Riviera Maya, Riviera Nayarit, and Puerto Vallarta, will offer a special promotion to help individuals say thanks to members of the healthcare community just by booking a reservation. For every five-night stay reserved by April 30, Velas Resorts will put one night in the prize pot for stays...

NEW YORK—Legislation winding its way through the State Legislature could make New York the second state in the nation to ban environmentally troublesome, individual-size plastic bottles from hotels and motels. The legislative push—led by State Senator Todd Kaminsky and by Assemblymember Steve Englebright—is the latest step in the Legislature’s recent efforts to tackle the ever-growing problem associated with throw-away, single-use plastics. In 2019, the Legislature banned plastic carry-out bags at grocery stores and other retail establishments. And in 2020, it directed the phase-out of polystyrene foam food and beverage containers. Across New York State, tens of millions of tiny shampoo, conditioner,...

ATLANTA, GA.—AAHOA President & CEO Cecil P. Staton issued the following statement in response to the murder of Elkton, Md. hotel owner Ushaben Patel and the wounding of her husband Dilipbhai Patel: “America's hotel owners are shocked and outraged by this senseless act of violence against two small business owners doing their jobs. We offer our deepest sympathies to Dilipbhai Patel and his family, and our community is mourning with them today. Attacks against hoteliers continue to increase, and this is yet another horrendous episode of violence against Asian Americans that is plaguing our society. It must stop now. Throughout...

LANCASTER, PA.— According to Sustainable Composites LLC, 3.5 billion pounds of leather waste is burned or sent to landfills each year. “A pound of scrap is thrown away for every person in the world,” says Frank Fox, partner Sustainable Composites. Fox and his business partner Tom Tymon found that unacceptable and officially launched their company last year—after figuring out a way to turn leather scraps into a very affordable yet luxurious material called enspire leather. The “e” denotes the environmentally positive aspect of the product while recognizing the endless inspiration the product can deliver to designers, manufacturers, and consumers. Fox...

HONG KONG—Shangri-La Hotel, Toronto and Shangri-La Hotel, Vancouver announced they are among the first hotels in the world to become Sharecare Health Security VERIFIED with Forbes Travel Guide. The comprehensive facility verification helps ensure that guests and travel planners can book with confidence at properties that have appropriate health safety procedures in place. This verification comes with an easily identifiable “seal of approval”—the Sharecare VERIFIED with Forbes Travel Guide badge—based on a hotel’s compliance with expert-validated best practices that minimize the risk and impact of COVID-19 and potential future public health events. Developed by Forbes Travel Guide, the global authority on...

COLOGNE, GERMANY—HRS, a leading global corporate lodging platform, introduced a first-of-its-kind solution that gives corporations and employees a way to organize travel more sustainably. HRS’ Green Stay Initiative, in pilot this quarter, leverages proprietary technology to give procurement leaders and everyday business travelers an intuitive system to identify, compare and prioritize hotels that contribute to reducing the ecological footprint of the lodging portion of the typical business trip. HRS is assimilating data from thousands of hotel groups and independent properties as part of a groundbreaking framework, including details on energy consumption, water use, and waste disposal. Through the unprecedented normalization...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. announced it has created the Vaccination Care Program, which will provide a financial award to U.S. and Canadian associates at its managed properties who get vaccinated for COVID-19. Employees will receive the equivalent of four hours of pay upon completion of the vaccination. Marriott International supports global vaccination efforts to help bring the devastating COVID-19 pandemic under control. To encourage associates to get vaccinated, Marriott is also providing education on the benefits of vaccination and directing leaders to allow for schedule flexibility for vaccination appointments. Although the company is strongly encouraging associates get vaccinated, vaccination is...

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands Corp., long known for its commitment to People, Community and Planet, announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to sell its Las Vegas real property and operations, including The Venetian Resort Las Vegas and the Sands Expo and Convention Center for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $6.25 billion. Under the terms of the agreement, an affiliate of funds managed by affiliates of Apollo Global Management, Inc. will acquire subsidiaries that hold the operating assets and liabilities of the Las Vegas business for approximately $1.05 billion in cash, subject to certain post-closing adjustments, and $1.2...

SAN JUAN CAPISTRANO, CALIF.—SCP Hotels launched Every Stay Does Good, driving measurable positive impacts to the world every time a guest checks in for a stay. Through the new program, every guest choosing to stay at an SCP Hotel will enable the following positive impacts to the world around us: SOUL—Provide one youth with WE Well-being lessons, giving them the tools and resources to foster resiliency, create meaningful connections and build life-long skills that promote mental well-being; COMMUNITY—Light the home of one family caring for a critically ill child for 24 hours through Miracles For Kids; and PLANET—Plant one...