WASHINGTON, D.C.—Fairmont Washington, D.C., Georgetown has installed 275 solar panels on the hotel’s rooftop to offset energy consumption. With a long history of environmental stewardship, Fairmont has fully embraced the company-wide initiative designed to reduce the impact of hotel operations on the environment. “Adding solar panels to our rooftop significantly increases our commitment to energy conservation, and the reduction of carbon emissions contributes to a cleaner environment,” says Mark Huntley, Regional Vice President & General Manager. The solar panels are expected to produce 130,000 kilowatt hours for the first year, and offset electricity by at least 2 percent. Installed by ROI Construction, the...

OCEAN CITY, MD.—Blue Water, a premier outdoor hospitality company, announced a new partnership with Make-A-Wish Philadelphia, Delaware & Susquehanna Valley. This collaboration aims to bring visibility, awareness, and impactful fundraising to Blue Water’s Delaware properties, empowering both guests and team members to support life-changing wishes for local children facing critical illnesses. As part of this initiative, Blue Water will provide co-branded marketing materials across its Delaware locations to spotlight the Make-A-Wish mission, including sharing the story of Leo, a 7-year-old from Sussex County who has bravely battled leukemia, who lived his dream of visiting the Georgia Aquarium thanks to Make-A-Wish. Guests visiting these properties will see visible on-site...

NEW YORK—Eighty-seven percent of U.S. companies say they’ve maintained or increased their investment in business sustainability efforts this year, according to the 2025 U.S. Business Sustainability Landscape Outlook: Executive Perspectives on Supply Chain Disruption, Resilience and Competitiveness, released by EcoVadis. The findings reveal a shifting approach: companies are still prioritizing business sustainability behind the scenes, but fewer are promoting it publicly. Executives see sustainability as a way to stay competitive and resilient, especially at a time when the scaling back of ESG regulatory oversight raises concerns about greater supply chain disruption. The report identifies five major trends shaping corporate sustainability strategy in 2025: ...

TAMPA, FLA.—With roots going all the way back to 1926, McKibbon Hospitality has a long history of developing and managing hotels. Along the way, the company has guided hotels representing all the major brands through their sustainability initiatives—saving energy, water and reducing waste while building a culture of community and giving. For almost three years, Rafael Ibarcena has led McKibbon Hospitality’s Corporate Social Responsibility program. Green Lodging News interviewed Ibarcena, the company’s Corporate Sustainability Manager, to learn about the unique leadership and services McKibbon Hospitality provides and how it interacts with each brand’s own sustainability initiatives. The following are the...

NATIONAL REPORT—Businesses strive more than ever to demonstrate environmental responsibility. Fortunately, tackling waste doesn’t have to be complicated or costly. Smarter waste management lightens your company’s environmental footprint and builds brand credibility with eco-conscious consumers (often with cost savings along the way). This guide to waste management solutions for a better planet outlines effective solutions your business can implement today. Find Your Starting Point with a Waste Audit Every effective waste management plan begins by understanding the problem. A waste audit is a simple yet powerful tool for doing just that. This systematic review of a company’s waste stream involves collecting and...

HOUSTON—Imperial Ridge Real Estate Capital, a national private commercial real estate lender based in Colorado, and Amalgamated Bank announced they have partnered to provide $4 million in Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) financing. In addition to the C-PACE financing Imperial Ridge provided $2.9 million in senior construction financing to support the adaptive reuse of an aging unflagged hotel into much-needed workforce housing in Houston. The property is located near George Bush Intercontinental Airport, an area experiencing strong demand for more attainable housing. The 74,091-square-foot building, originally built in 1983 as a Holiday Inn, is undergoing a full renovation by The 702 LLC, which purchased the...

CANTON, MASS.—Setting a new standard for responsible tourism, Tourism Cares, a global nonprofit dedicated to advancing sustainability for the travel and tourism industry, has unveiled the newest cohort of its Meaningful Travel Map Members—trailblazing destinations dedicated to advancing community-led, sustainable travel worldwide. With this expansion, the Meaningful Travel Map now features more than 550 vetted partners, reflecting the exponential growth and industry-wide embrace of sustainable travel experiences that benefit communities, protect cultural and environmental assets, and foster deeper connections between travelers and destinations. By joining the Map, destinations amplify their sustainability efforts, expand economic opportunities to diverse communities, and...

UPPSALA, SWEDEN—Together with landlord Vasakronan, Scandic plans to open a modern, new 236-room hotel in downtown Uppsala. The hotel will be built in the rapidly growing Södra City (Southern City) area. In addition to a gym, bar and flexible meeting facilities, the new hotel will offer a large restaurant with a view of stunning park areas. The long-term lease agreement between the parties includes a new-build Scandic hotel with 236 rooms. Meeting capacity will be substantial as the hotel will offer seven meeting rooms, the largest of which can accommodate up to 200 people and be divided into three sections. The...

BEIJING—As one of the world’s largest industries representing 10 percent of the global economy, travel and tourism has become an integral part of the modern lifestyle. However, unsustainable travel practices, including the consumption of illegal wildlife products, are putting immense pressure on ecosystems and accelerating biodiversity loss. Tourism also contributes significantly to climate change, responsible for an estimated 6.5 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions in 2023. In ecologically sensitive areas, frequent human activities can lead to habitat destruction, environmental pollution and disturbance of wildlife. According to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF)’s Living Planet Report 2024, there has been a 73 percent...

NATIONAL REPORT—In recent years, ESG—Environmental, Social, and Governance—has gone from buzzword to boardroom priority. But how does ESG look in action for global hotel brands? As sustainability moves from peripheral strategy to operational imperative, Hilton, Marriott, and Wyndham are leading the charge in distinct yet converging ways. This article dives into the ESG progress of these three international hotel chains between 2021 and 2023, highlighting trends, innovations, and opportunities hospitality executives should pay attention to. Whether you're managing a boutique property or overseeing a global brand portfolio, their strategies offer valuable insights into the future of sustainable hospitality. Environmental Progress: Emissions,...