TAMPA, FLA.—Wellness in Travel & Tourism (WITT), an independent organization composed of experts with over 125 years of combined experience at the intersection of hospitality, wellness, and travel, announced the launch of a wellness certification for hotels and resorts. This groundbreaking initiative aims to transform the hospitality sector by providing prestigious certification criteria that sets properties apart in a competitive market, enabling them to enhance their wellness offerings and attract travelers. “The WITT Certified seal provides hotels and resorts with a significant advantage in attracting travelers by offering objective and rigorous audits of their wellness amenities and services,” said Robin Ruiz, WITT’s CEO and...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Green Key Global—the sustainability certification designed specifically for hotels—announced its first-ever slate of board members and the appointment of Heather McCrory, a hospitality expert with 40 years of experience in the industry, as chair. McCrory recently served as CEO of Accor’s North American and Central American operations, and currently advises the hospitality industry as principal of Heather J. McCrory & Associates. She joins other top hospitality professionals who will guide Green Key Global, the world’s leading hotel sustainability certification provider, which is jointly operated by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and the Hotel Association of Canada (HAC). In addition to McCrory,...

NATIONAL REPORT—Good housekeeping is the backbone of a great hotel. Keeping rooms clean, ensuring the guest experience is top-tier, and reporting any damaged or broken items—it all falls to your housekeepers. That said, it’s possible to have a negative housekeeping experience. Who hasn’t felt the disappointment of returning to their hotel room and discovering it hasn’t been made up? Or wanting to take a nap, but your room is being cleaned? In today’s day and age, guest preferences are a top priority, and as a hotel, you must find ways to impress your guests. But how do you get the balance right when good housekeeping means...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—AHLA Foundation recently announced their third annual No Room for Trafficking Summit will take place July 30, 2024, the same day as the United Nation’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. At last year’s No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Summit, the inaugural grantees of the NRFT Survivor Fund were announced, including: Safe House Project, Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST), Restore NYC, Inc., University of Maryland Support, Advocacy, Freedom, and Empowerment (SAFE) Center for Human Trafficking Survivors. AHLA Foundation also shared quantitative and qualitative data demonstrating the impact the four Survivor Grantees have made to-date with the $500,000 disseminated across their respective organizations: Collectively, the...

SHAWANO, WIS.—NEWH, Inc. recently announced that Diana Dobin of Valley Forge Fabrics is this year’s NEWH ICON of Industry recipient. Alongside E’lexis Brewer, who was honored with the Harvey Nudelman Memorial Scholarship, sponsored by Fabricut Contract, FR One, and Jacquaia Szucs, awardee of the Diversity in Hospitality Scholarship, a partnership between Hospitality Diversity Action Council (HDAC) and NEWH and underwritten by Emerald, Dobin was announced as the recipient as part of HD Expo’s inaugural Women in Design Awards Breakfast. NEWH’s programming at the Las Vegas conference included a booth on the show floecor for attendees to learn more about the...

TAMPA, FLA.—McKibbon Hospitality, an award-winning leader in third-party hotel management, announced its partnership with Procure Impact, a women-owned B2B marketplace for social enterprise product procurement in the United States. Building on McKibbon’s commitment to responsible sourcing and aligning with the company’s guiding principles of Do the Right Thing, Support Each Other, and Love Your Community, McKibbon has committed to the Dignity of Work Pledge with a goal of creating 7,500 hours of work for overlooked populations through purchases of products on the Procure Impact platform. “At McKibbon, we know the simplest form of hospitality is serving others. Everyone desires to be seen, heard, understood,...

PARIS—In a united front, Kylian Mbappé and Accor exemplify their shared commitment to crafting a more inclusive and sustainable future for all. The partnership seals a long-term commitment aimed at furthering corporate social responsibility and bolstering Kylian Mbappé’s initiatives worldwide. Accommodation support and logistical assistance will be extended to “Inspired by KM” activities, with Kylian Mbappé leveraging Accor’s expansive reach through awareness activations across Accor group channels, notably via its loyalty and distribution platform, ALL.com. This strategic collaboration also enriches ALL.com’s appeal, harnessing Kylian Mbappé’s notable influence to attract members and guests while staying true to Accor’s core values....

VICTORIA, B.C.—The Parkside Hotel & Spa announced that it has become a signatory of the Glasgow Declaration on Climate Action in Tourism. This significant milestone marks The Parkside Hotel & Spa’s unwavering commitment to aligning its operations with global scientific recommendations and international agreements to combat climate change. The Glasgow Declaration is a unified call to action for all stakeholders within the travel and tourism sector to address the urgent need for climate action collaboratively. It encourages a shared commitment to reducing emissions in tourism by at least 50 percent over the next decade and achieving Net Zero as soon as possible...

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...