BEVERLY HILLS, CALIF.—AHLA Foundation raised more than $1,000,000 at its annual Night of a Thousand Stars fundraising gala, bringing together more than 400 industry leaders at the Beverly Hilton to celebrate excellence in hospitality. Proceeds of the gala will support workforce development initiatives for hotel industry employees. The event took on special significance this year as the industry demonstrated its commitment to the recovery and resilience of Los Angeles in the wake of recent wildfires with donations to the Red Cross and LA Fire Department Foundation. AHLA and the AHLA Foundation pledged $10,000 to support disaster relief efforts and will...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The global wellness tourism sector has emerged as a transformative force, reshaping the hospitality industry and addressing the growing demand for experiences that enhance well-being. As traditional tourism merges with health-centered activities, industry professionals must adapt to current trends and adopt innovative strategies to stay ahead in this evolving marketplace. Wellness tourism is centered on traveling to improve or maintain personal well-being. In a time when travel often comes with stress and unhealthy habits, wellness tourism offers a counteracting solution, transforming trips into opportunities to support and enhance overall health. This burgeoning sector of the wellness industry is projected to...

MADEIRA, PORTUGAL—Savoy Signature has transformed five thousand square meters of land in the west of Madeira into cultivated areas, where various vegetables and aromatic herbs are now grown for use in the restaurants of its hotel units. This is just one of the initiatives that form part of the brand’s sustainability project. Under the slogan “Hosting the Future Together”, which has just been launched as a reinforcement of this commitment, the hotel collection promotes various actions that benefit not only guests and employees but also the local community and Madeira’s natural heritage. Sílvia Dias, Head of Marketing and Sustainability at Savoy Signature,...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Marriott Vacations Worldwide Corporation announced it has once again been named to Fortune’s list of World’s Most Admired Companies, ranking among companies with the strongest reputations across industries. To be considered for the list, Fortune surveys executive leaders in each industry to rate peer enterprises on nine criteria from investment value and quality of management and products to corporate responsibility and ability to attract talent. “The hard work and dedication of our global teams along with our commitment to innovation, excellence, and corporate responsibility continues to drive our success and solidify our position as a leader in the hospitality industry,”...

VISTA, CALIF.—The plumbing industry is set for a significant technological transformation in 2025, reshaping facility management, cleaning, and maintenance, according to Klaus Reichardt, CEO and founder of Waterless Co., Inc. He attributes this transformation to advancements in artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT), robots, and enhanced water efficiency technologies. Among the key trends he foresees are the following: 1. Remote Monitoring: New smartphone apps will provide real-time data on building water pressure, flow, temperature, leak detection, and enable water shutoffs. This enables managers to be more proactive in water management 24/7, preventing costly water damage, eliminating emergency cleanups, and improving water...

MIAMI—SH Hotels & Resorts, the parent company of award-winning brands including 1 Hotels, Baccarat Hotels, and Treehouse Hotels, is celebrating its 10th anniversary by officially rebranding as Starwood Hotels, reviving the iconic global brand created nearly 30 years ago by Barry Sternlicht, one of the most innovative and influential leaders in modern hospitality. Along with this bold change, Starwood Hotels is poised for significant growth in 2025, with more than 40 properties open or in development across its three brands on four continents. The rebranding is an exciting return of a trusted name that redefined the hospitality industry. In Sternlicht’s time as Chairman &...

CHICAGO—Registration for the 2025 edition of NeoCon, the premier event for the commercial interiors industry, is now open at NeoCon.com. Taking place June 9 to 11 at THE MART, the show draws more than 50,000 professionals—from architects, designers, dealers, and facility managers to manufacturers and major enterprise clients—as they discover the latest state-of-the-art design solutions shaping our built environments. This year’s theme, “Design Ahead,” will come to life through a conference program headlined by three visionary thought leaders: Annie Jean-Baptiste, Author, Building for Everyone; Alice Rawsthorn, author of Design as an Attitude and cofounder of the Design Emergency podcast; and Chris Barton, Founder and...

SHAWANO, WIS.—NEWH, Inc. (Network of Executive Women in Hospitality), the leading association dedicated to scholarships, education, mentorship, and networking in the hospitality industry, announces its newly-elected 2025 International Board of Directors. The board will continue to advance NEWH’s mission by guiding chapters and disciplines worldwide. Among the new appointments, the most notable is the election of Deidre Schwartz to the position of president-elect. Schwartz will collaborate with current president Sandy Banks for the remainder of the year before stepping into her two-year tenure as president in January 2026. “In reflecting on the 40th anniversary of NEWH this past year, we’ve...

CAM RANH, VIETNAM—Alma Resort Cam Ranh is encouraging the young and the young at heart to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty in the name of the environment. From Monday to Sunday between 3 p.m. to 4 p.m., the award-winning resort’s Kid’s Club offers its “Green Hands, Green Future Tree Planting Activity”. Green thumbs choose between planting three different trees; a Golden Bell, a Bauhinia variegata or a coconut Tree. Participants receive a personalised name tag for their tree as well as regular photo updates of its progress. “Leave your mark on our resort by selecting from three tree...

MIAMI—The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) released its annual Future of Wellness report, the longest-running, most detailed (130-page) forecast of what will make waves in health and wellness in the year ahead. In last year’s report, it was noted that the wellness market was fast becoming a place of contradictory mindsets. A dramatically more high-tech, medical, hyper-optimizing and expensive market was emerging (“hardcare”). At the same time, there is a sharpening desire for much simpler, low-tech, less relentlessly self-optimizing and affordable wellness, where social and emotional wellbeing matter most (“softcare”). The Analog Wellness trend illustrates the demand for slower, low-tech lives. With the online world’s manipulations, disinformation campaigns,...