TROY, N.Y.—Audubon International—the environmentally focused non-profit organization offering members numerous certifications and conservation initiatives to protect the areas where we all live, work, and play—announced that Keweenaw Mountain Lodge Resort, a remote and history-steeped destination in Copper Harbor, Mich., has been awarded Gold Certification in the Green Hospitality program. Built in 1934 as a Depression-era Works Progress Administration project but privately owned since 2018, the resort received its Gold certification on May 15 after working with Audubon International’s team of specialists to increase its commitment to sustainable best practices at all levels, from water quality and conservation to waste minimization, resource...

LONDON—IHG Hotels & Resorts, a global leader in hospitality, announces the launch of its Low Carbon Pioneers program, which brings together energy efficient hotels that have no fossil fuels combusted on-site* and are backed by renewable energy. This group of low operational carbon hotels is the first community of its kind in the industry and will help IHG test, learn and share findings on sustainability measures. The ambition is to inspire other properties to join the program and also help encourage wider adoption of carbon reduction practices across IHG’s estate. The first Low Carbon Pioneer hotels span different IHG brands...

NATIONAL REPORT—As a people driven business, the world of hospitality and tourism is known for its commitment to customer centricity where customer service and satisfaction are key performance indicators. Paradoxically, or for that precise reason that the “customer is king”, the industry grapples with the pervasive issue of sexual harassment. While sexual harassment is an important issue in every industry, the hospitality sector is plagued by it (Gibson & Guskin, 2017). Sexual harassment is ranked among the most prevalent issues by both hospitality students (Yeung & Pine, 2003) and hospitality employees (Yeung, 2004). Kolmar (2023) shows that between 54 percent and 81 percent...

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES—Hilton announced the results of its Green Ramadan 2024 initiative, which aimed to further reduce food waste across hotel operations during the holy month. Through the effort, Hilton saw a more than 20 percent reduction in post-consumer food waste. Following the success of Green Ramadan 2023 where food waste was reduced by over 60 percent, the program was scaled across 32 hotels in seven countries and served 239,000 guests during iftars and suhoors. Participating hotels in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Türkiye and Malaysia undertook extensive sustainability training, and aimed to close the loop across the...

BETHESDA, MD.—Host Hotels & Resorts, Inc., the nation’s largest lodging real estate investment trust, announced that it has acquired the fee simple interest in a two-hotel complex comprising the 215-room 1 Hotel Nashville and the 506-room Embassy Suites by Hilton Nashville Downtown for approximately $530 million in cash. The acquisition price represents a 12.6x EBITDA multiple or a cap rate of approximately 7.4 percent on the property’s 2024 estimated results. The property is expected to be among Host’s top-25 assets based on estimated full year 2024 results, with expected combined RevPAR of $275, Total RevPAR of $435, and EBITDA per...

MIDWAY, UTAH—Derived from the Aztec definition of “a place where the healing water flows,” AMEYALLI is the only well-being and longevity-focused community built around natural geothermal springs. The property was designed in collaboration with Deepak Chopra and the Chopra Foundation and sits just 40 minutes from the Salt Lake City Airport while neighboring Park City and Deer Valley, providing easy access for ski enthusiasts and adventure seekers. The property's first model home—featured in Phase One of AMEYALLI residence sales—will be completed in June 2024. Located minutes from one of the world’s top ski resorts, AMEYALLI is tucked away in the...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. released its 2024 Serve 360 Report highlighting the company’s global Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) efforts and progress toward its 2025 Sustainability and Social Impact Goals. The Report reflects data for the calendar year ended December 31, 2023. The Report can be accessed here. This year, the Report features an “Around The World Highlights” addendum, which showcases ESG initiatives spanning each of the company’s regions—Asia Pacific excluding China; Caribbean & Latin America; Europe, Middle East & Africa; Greater China; and United States & Canada—and performance tables and appendices with key supporting information and data. “At Marriott International, we take great pride...

NATIONAL REPORT—Artificial intelligence (AI), according to IBM, is technology that enables computers and machines to simulate human intelligence and problem-solving capabilities. When used improperly, AI can wreak havoc. One need not look far in our industry, however, to find examples of how AI is being used in a positive way—in the hotel kitchen to reduce food waste. Two companies utilizing AI in their automated solutions to help hoteliers reduce food waste are Winnow Solutions and Leanpath. Solutions such as those offered by Winnow Solutions and Leanpath are needed because of the volume of food waste generated by commercial kitchens. Between 5...

MCDONOUGH, GA.—A new survey by ALPLA, a global leader in packaging solutions, uncovers critical barriers to the adoption of reusable products, pointing to a significant disconnect between consumer intent and action. Despite a widespread desire to incorporate reusable items into their daily routines, many are held back by cost and quality concerns. This builds on ALPLA’s previous research highlighting a strong generational shift in favor of sustainable packaging, showing that while the intent to adopt sustainable practices remains high, practical barriers such as affordability and perceived quality must be addressed. ALPLA’s latest findings shed light on an exciting opportunity for the industry to...

ATLANTA—AAHOA (Asian American Hotel Owners Association), representing nearly 20,000 hotel owners across the United States, is expressing significant concerns over the recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling in the case of the City of Grants Pass, OR, v. Johnson et al., which criminalized outdoor sleeping. The Court upheld the Grants Pass case late last month, which involved Oregon’s ban on camping for unhoused residents. The Court found the laws that criminalize sleeping in public spaces do not violate the Eighth Amendment’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment, even as the city lacked sufficient shelters and the unhoused residents had nowhere else to go. This decision has far-reaching...