ATLANTA—IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has been named to the Fortune 100 Best Companies to Work For 2025 List by Great Place To Work and Fortune, coming in at No. 17. This year’s ranking underscores the company’s ongoing commitment to enhancing workplace culture and colleague benefits. Being named among the best places to work in the U.S. signifies that IHG Hotels & Resorts has surpassed rigorous standards, solidifying its reputation as an exceptional employer. To determine the 100 Best Companies to Work For, Great Place To Work analyzed the anonymous survey responses of more than half a million employees from Great Place To...

SEATTLE—Populus Hotels, a collection of carbon positive hotels that celebrate and protect the natural world, announced that Populus Seattle has secured two thousand tons of certified carbon credits as a part of its evolving, nature-based sustainability strategy. The certified carbon credits serve to offset the property’s embodied carbon footprint, equating to 1,630 mTCO2e*, making Populus Seattle the second carbon positive hotel in the country by its opening on May 22, 2025, in the city’s storied Pioneer Square. For this latest initiative, Populus Seattle worked with King County’s Forest Carbon Program to acquire high integrity, Verra certified forest carbon credits from King County-based projects whose core impacts include supporting land...

VISTA, CALIF.—Building owners and managers are encouraged to reduce water consumption and improve water efficiency to reduce operating costs and use water more responsibly. However, many don’t understand which factors in their facilities most impact water usage. Identifying these factors is essential for implementing effective water efficiency strategies. The key factors affecting commercial facility water consumption are the following: Occupancy: The number of people using the facility. Property use: Whether it’s an office building, school, arts center, or similar commercial facility. Landscaping: Native or natural landscaping typically requires less irrigation than non-native options. Food service equipment: Water-using appliances and mechanicals older...

NATIONAL REPORT—As conversations around sustainability grow across industries, hoteliers have to ask: Is this something we should be focusing on? If you’re going for a higher star rating, sustainable operations initiatives may be a lot lower on your priority list than daily room cleanings, providing hair dryers and other star requirements. However, sustainability may be more valuable for your hotel than you realize. It can reduce water and energy consumption and staff workloads, potentially saving you money. Sustainable operations initiatives can also be marketing differentiators, helping you showcase the value of your hotel beyond good star ratings. Below, we look at why sustainable tourism...

NATIONAL REPORT—The HVAC industry stands at a critical juncture, facing substantial regulatory pressures aimed at reducing its environmental impact through the phased elimination of high Global Warming Potential (GWP) refrigerants. Driven by international agreements and local environmental guidelines, manufacturers, suppliers, and service providers are swiftly transitioning towards more sustainable alternatives. This shift is fundamentally reshaping compressor technologies, retrofitting procedures, and lifecycle management strategies for HVAC systems. Globally, regulatory bodies like the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the European Union's F-Gas Regulation, and international environmental protocols, such as the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol, mandate a significant reduction in refrigerants...

MONTSERRAT—The Montserrat Tourism Authority is pleased to release the first edition of the Community Environmental Stewardship Initiative (CESI) Magazine, a vibrant new platform championing local voices and environmental action. CESI is more than a movement; it’s a call to action. It brings together residents, community leaders, and policymakers to protect Montserrat’s breathtaking landscapes and coastal ecosystems. Through collective stewardship, we’re securing a sustainable future for our island, our people, and the tourism industry that depends on the health of our environment. “This launch marks a pivotal moment in our commitment to sustainability,” said Nicole Fagan, Product Development Officer at the Montserrat...

CHENGDU, CHINA—Accor announced the signing of a new Swissôtel hotel in the thriving destination of Chengdu, in partnership with Beijing Tianheng Group. Set to open in 2026, Swissôtel Chengdu Beihu Lake will bring the brand’s signature blend of precision, cultural authenticity, and Swiss premium hospitality to the up-and-coming community of Beihu. Surrounded by the Beihu Ecological Park, the site of the new 150-guestroom hotel is just a short ten-minute drive to the Giant Panda Base, a popular tourist attraction beloved by both Chinese and international travelers. “Swissôtel Chengdu Beihu Lake will provide a meaningful economic boost to the beautiful and fast-growing community of Beihu, attracting visitors and...

SUNNYVALE, CALIF.—Treehouse Hotels has officially landed stateside with its first U.S. outpost: Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley, a happiness-inducing hotel that’s part of the playful lifestyle brand created by hospitality innovator Barry Sternlicht, Founder and Chairman of Starwood Hotels. Treehouse Hotels first took root in 2019 with a celebrated location in London’s Marylebone neighborhood and is continuing to grow—with a much-anticipated second U.K. act that just opened in Manchester and even more global locations on the horizon. Now open in Sunnyvale, Calif., the new Treehouse Hotel Silicon Valley brings Treehouse Hotel’s trademark blend of whimsy and warmth to America’s innovation capital. A...

SHAWANO, WIS.—NEWH, Inc. (Network of Executive Women in Hospitality), the premier association committed to scholarships, advancing education, mentorship, and networking in the hospitality industry, announced The Beck Group as the winner of the inaugural Structures of Hospitality Excellence (SOHE) Award. The Beck Group included The Populus Hotel in Denver as one of their recent projects in their SOHE nomination. The Populus Hotel reflects The Beck Group’s abilities and collaboration with ownership to deliver this project, which redefines sustainable hospitality as the first carbon-positive hotel in the United States, setting a new standard for eco-conscious operations and pushing the boundaries of architectural...

SEATTLE—In honor of Earth Day, Sustainable Travel International released the latest episode of its Sustainable Travel: Where Next? docu-series spotlighting Zurich, Switzerland’s approach to responsible tourism. Produced in partnership with BlackRook Media, the short-form documentary reveals how sustainability in Zurich is a true community effort, rooted in local life and naturally extending to the visitor experience. From mobility and the arts to food and fashion, Zurich demonstrates how solutions that work for residents also enrich tourism, engaging visitors in creative initiatives that benefit both the city and the world. By showcasing the city’s efforts, the episode aims to inspire...