CLINTON, MD.—The TownePlace Suites is located across Old Alexander Ferry Road from Joint Base Andrews. A large segment of the hotel’s guest base is military personnel on temporary duty at Joint Base Andrews. The hotel prides itself on providing a “home away from home” and an inviting atmosphere to support troops. Both as part of participating in the military’s mission expanding the use of renewable energy, and as a way to cut costs and maintain affordable rates, the hotel started looking into a solar photovoltaic energy system last year.“We thought that solar would enhance our ability to offer a...

CHEVY CHASE, MD.—The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Co. has become the first Founding Partner of IMPACT 2030: The Global Initiative for the Advancement of Corporate Volunteering. IMPACT 2030 was introduced at the United Nations on Friday, December 5, 2014 on “International Volunteer Day” where The Ritz-Carlton and the fellow Founding Partner companies showcased the meaningful difference their employees are making locally, nationally and internationally through corporate volunteering.IMPACT 2030 is a global private sector led collaboration created to mobilize corporate volunteers to contribute to achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. The Initiative’s partner companies recognize that a commitment to corporate volunteering—when...

LIMA, PERU—The U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) announced that it has joined the Global Energy Efficiency Accelerator Platform, along with the Business Council for Sustainable Energy (BCSE). The Global Energy Efficiency Accelerator Platform is a program of U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki Moon’s Sustainable Energy for All (#SE4ALL) initiative. The USGBC and BCSE constituents represent thousands of businesses and organizations that are driving energy efficiency solutions all around the world.“We are extremely pleased that USGBC and BCSE are joining this global effort to support and catalyze energy efficiency around the world,” said Kandeh Yumkella, special representative of the UN...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AH&LA) and its Foundation today released the definitive industry survey examining the top trends in the hotel industry, which this year is marked by personal service, healthy lifestyles and convenience. The survey, “The 2014 Lodging Study Hotel Trends: An Inside Look at Popular Amenities and Guest Services” conducted by industry data provider STR, illustrates how hotels are adapting to consumer demands by adjusting their services and amenities to take into account guests’ needs.This survey, funded by the American Hotel and Lodging Educational Foundation (AH&LEF), shows that in addition to advancing consumer service,...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Hotel Group, the world’s largest hotel company with approximately 7,590 hotels and part of Wyndham Worldwide Corp., announced its continued commitment to preventing human trafficking by partnering with Polaris, a leader in the global fight to eradicate modern slavery and restore freedom to survivors.As part of the joint effort, Wyndham Hotel Group and Polaris are developing comprehensive training and educational tools for hotel owners and franchisees, property-level staff and employees at its corporate offices and call centers to educate them about all aspects of human trafficking.Human trafficking is a form of modern slavery whereby criminals profit by...

LONDON—To mark Human Rights Day 2014, the International Tourism Partnership (ITP) has released its latest Know How Guide on Human Rights and the Hotel Industry. The guide is a high-level introduction to human rights for the hotel industry—what human rights are, what they are in the context of the hotel industry, steps to implement the UN Guiding Principles and resources for further reading. Hotels touch every corner of the globe and employ and offer hospitality to millions of people very year. The hotel industry therefore has an important role to play when it comes to human rights and it...

FORT LAUDERDALE, FLA.—Koncept Events recently took an inspired cue from their mega client Nutra Blend, and took to the streets of South Florida to extend Nutra Blend’s “Drive to Feed Kids” program to their hotel brand partners in an effort to drive away hunger in South Florida.With seven hotels and more than 116 participants, 215 bagged meals were created and an additional 35 pounds of food was donated to the South Florida chapter of Feeding America. Hotels that participated in this event included the Bonaventure Resort & Spa, W Fort Lauderdale, Sheraton Fort Lauderdale Beach, The Westin Beach Resort...

RICHMOND, VA.—Winners of the Virginia Green Travel Star and Travel Leader Awards will be recognized at the Second Annual Virginia Green Travel Conference & Awards on December 8 & 9 at the Science Museum of Virginia in Richmond, Va. The Virginia Green Travel Star Awards is the recognition program of the Virginia Green program, Virginia’s voluntary initiative to encourage green practices in the state’s tourism industry. The program is run through a partnership between the Virginia Tourism Corp., the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, and the Virginia Hospitality & Travel Assn.  Virginia Green now has more than 1,550 tourism...

PITTSBURGH—Grow Pittsburgh, an urban agriculture nonprofit which teaches people how to grow food and promotes the benefits of gardens in local communities, has updated its Braddock Farms site thanks in part to a $10,000 grant from Fairmont Pittsburgh. The improvements include a custom-built shipping container to be used as a storage facility and office space at the urban farm. Fairmont Pittsburgh secured the grant via the Community Assistance and Responsibility to the Environment (CAREs) program, a charitable initiative of Fairmont Hotels & Resorts which allows hotels to support social, community and environmental projects in their local communities.“We are thrilled...

MCLEAN, VA.—From bushes applauding recyclers and street performers tipping their audience, to a revolving door offering compliments and an unexpected makeover at the DMV, everyday experiences can be made a bit better with an unexpected twist. Home2 Suites by Hilton, Hilton Worldwide’s award-winning mid-tier, all-suite hotel brand, is celebrating this mindset and inviting travelers to think about extended stay travel in a “fresh, new way” with the launch of a new surprise and delight campaign in conjunction with the brand’s 50th hotel opening.The “fresh, new way” campaign, filmed in Atlanta, includes four videos showcasing how challenging the status quo...