ATLANTA—Davidson Hospitality Group announces a strategic partnership with AHED, Alliance for Hospitality Equity & Diversity, with the overarching goal of making a significant impact on the future of hospitality through development of internships; deployment of a scholarship program; participation in dedicated career fairs and campus takeover events; targeted recruitment of students within underrepresented populations, and creation of new opportunities for qualified graduating students to join manager-in-training programs. Additionally, Davidson Hospitality Group’s Chief Administrative Officer Crystal Beasley has been appointed to the AHED Board, bringing extensive experience and unique perspective to AHED’s existing leadership. “We believe in the power of collective experience, and the...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Highlighting the restaurant industry’s role as a beacon of career opportunity and advancement, more than 300 post-secondary students from 130 colleges and universities and 44 states have been selected to receive a scholarship from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation (NRAEF) during the 2024-2025 academic year. In total, the NRAEF is awarding more than $1 million to invest in post-secondary education for future restaurant workers. This year's scholars highlight the depth and breadth of industry careers for people of all walks of life. Recipients range in age from high school students to those nearly 60 years old, and 65 percent indicate they...

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF.—Soul Community Planet (SCP) Hotels announces the launch of Evergreen Ave Collaborative at SCP Redmond Hotel, its thoughtfully restored hotel in Central Oregon. Complementing the existing hotel, the new collaborative workspace is a community-focused environment designed to foster personal wellness, social good, and environmental stewardship while offering convenient workspaces and amenities. “We’re excited to debut the Evergreen Ave Collaborative to the Central Oregon community,” said Ken Cruse, Co-CEO and Founder of SCP Hotels. “Our goal with Evergreen Ave Collaborative is to offer more than just a place to work. We’ve created a space where the community can come together, connect, and contribute to something...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) this week urged congressional leaders to take up important legislation that would protect consumers from hidden fees in their hotel booking journey before the 118th Congress ends Jan. 3, 2025. In a letter to House and Senate leaders, AHLA President & CEO Rosanna Maietta called on lawmakers to move lodging fee transparency legislation—the House-passed No Hidden FEES Act or the Senate’s Hotel Fees Transparency Act—to President Biden’s desk. These bills would protect consumers by establishing a single and transparent nationwide standard for mandatory lodging fee displays. Maietta also called on lawmakers to take up the HOTEL Act, which would...

DENVER—Under Canvas, the leader in upscale, outdoor hospitality, announced Under Canvas Columbia River Gorge—the company’s first-ever Pacific Northwest location—will open in the summer of 2025. The brand’s 13th camp, Under Canvas Columbia River Gorge, is set on a stunningly beautiful 120-acre property perched along the majestic Columbia River Gorge in Washington’s White Salmon River Valley, a region known for its towering peaks, famed waterfalls and beautiful wineries. Surrounded by pine and oak forested hillsides in the heart of the region’s wine country, this spectacular camp features breathtaking views in every direction—of the verdant White Salmon Valley, snowcapped peaks of the...

SAUDI ARABIA—The NEOM Board of Directors has unveiled Sindalah, its first physical showcase since its announcement in December 2022. Sindalah is a luxury resort island located five kilometers off the NEOM coastline in the Red Sea. Transformed from an idea to reality in a two-year effort involving a 30,000-strong workforce, it marks a significant stride in Saudi Arabia’s tourism ambitions under Saudi Vision 2030. Sindalah’s design combines natural beauty with cutting-edge technology, offering world-class hotels, restaurants, and experiences. By 2028, the island is expected to welcome up to 2,400 guests daily and create around 3,500 jobs, contributing to the Kingdom’s...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Greenview has just released its 2024 Green Lodging Trends Report (GLTR). There were 20,000 participating hotels across 50 countries. There were two data collection methods; direct participation by responding to the GLTR on the Greenview Portal, the sustainability data management platform, or via bulk data set received from companies. Among the companies participating: Hilton Worldwide and Marriott International. Greenview assessed 80 best practices in the 2024 GLTR, including hotel profiles (geographic location, service type, STR chain scale and hotel type). The hotel profiles enabled further data dissections by each of the breakdowns. The report includes roadmaps which offer tangible steps...

NORTH BETHESDA, MD.—In celebration of Giving Tuesday, Choice Hotels International, Inc. announced the 2024 recipients of its “Your Community, Your Choice” grant program. Through this program, Choice supports causes that are meaningful to hotel owners by offering grants to local organizations. These grants have funded causes that address food security, veteran support, aid for abuse and trafficking victims, youth education, animal shelters, and more. This year marks the fifth anniversary of the initiative, which has donated a total of $275,000 to local nonprofits through more than 70 hotels across the United States since its inception in 2019. “At Choice Hotels, we believe in the...

NATIONAL REPORT—Women professionals are prominent throughout the business travel industry, but GBTA research suggests there are still gaps in gender equity as they are still less likely to be in senior executive positions than men. When it comes to women as business travelers, they highly value traveling for work to achieve their goals. Although they travel less frequently for work than men, women continue to take advantage of opportunities to blend business and leisure travel when they do travel and also report prioritizing business travel for training and seminars. This is according to new data from the Global Business Travel...

MIAMI—SH Hotels & Resorts, the sustainable hotel brand management company founded by hospitality visionary Barry Sternlicht, has unveiled plans for 1 Hotel Tokyo. Set to open in 2025, 1 Hotel Tokyo represents a longstanding collaboration with Mori Trust, one of Japan's leading property developers. After years of planning, the two companies are creating a true 1 Hotels experience that's deeply rooted in nature and sustainability. 1 Hotel Tokyo will be located in the buzzing Akasaka district, serving as an anchor to Mori Trust’s Tokyo World Gate Akasaka project. This state-of-the-art complex integrates retail, offices, and the luxurious 1 Hotel experience in a pedestrian-friendly...