NORTH BETHESDA, MD.—Sleep Inn, a leading limited service, lifestyle brand from Choice Hotels International, Inc. known for its modern, nature-inspired, stylish design, has revealed the interior details for its latest prototype, Scenic Dreams. Developed in collaboration with developers, owners, and operators, the refreshed Sleep Inn prototype features redesigned guestrooms and common areas that complement the iconic exterior tower and purple accent lighting previously announced in April 2023. Through consumer testing the Scenic Dreams prototype was found to significantly increase guests’ likelihood to stay, while remaining one of the lowest cost hotels to build and operate in midscale. “Choice Hotels strives to bring an intentional approach to design and...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Hotels & Resorts is celebrating a major milestone for its award-winning Women Own the Room initiative, surpassing 15 hotel openings and more than 50 signings in just over 24 months. The first-of-its-kind offering—which has seen its network of current and prospective women hotel owners climb to more than 550—leverages Wyndham’s scale and influence to break down the unique barriers women face on the path to hotel ownership. According to data from U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics and the Castell Project, while women make up nearly 60 percent of the work force in hospitality, they hold only one leadership spot for every 10...

BRISTOL, ENGLAND—Eunomia Research & Consulting, in collaboration with Plastic Pollution Coalition (PPC), released a comprehensive report on Polylactic Acid (PLA), a popular bioplastic often touted as a sustainable alternative to conventional plastics. The report, titled “Bioplastics Are Trash: The Unforeseen Environmental Consequences of PLA from Production to Disposal” provides an in-depth analysis of PLA’s environmental and social impacts, challenging prevailing perceptions of its sustainability. Additionally, Plastic Pollution Coalition has published a supplemental report, “The Environmental Injustices of PLA Bioplastic Production,” which addresses the environmental injustices of PLA production. The supplement further describes the serious social consequences of producing PLA and...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—The GBTA Foundation, the charitable arm of the Global Business Travel Association (GBTA), has launched GBTA Sustainable Procurement Standards, an educational resource that corporate travel buyers worldwide can utilize to make informed procurement decisions and deliver on their organization’s sustainability objectives. The Standards also align with the Biden Administration’s formal commitment last December to accelerate sustainable travel practices. Additionally, GBTA Sustainable Procurement Standards help ensure suppliers are better prepared to respond to procurement-related requests in a harmonized way by providing a standard set of questions for assessing the sustainability practices of current or potential vendors, partners, and suppliers. The Standards are a free resource...

BERLIN—BeCause, a technology start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel and tourism industries manage its sustainability data, has digitized the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s (the Alliance) HCMI and HWMI methodologies. The new feature, announced during ITB Berlin, will enable hotels to leverage the Alliance’s free industry measurement tools, the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) and Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI). The HCMI, based on the Greenhouse Gas Protocol, is used to calculate a hotel’s carbon footprint, while the HWMI helps hotels calculate water usage on their properties; both are now available within the BeCause centralized hub. HCMI, the only industry-recognized carbon calculation methodology for over a decade, applies...

BANGKOK—An eco-conscious resort, spa, and residential community will soon be coming to a stretch of the South Carolina shores, including Hilton Head Island, Daufuskie Island, and Bay Point Island. Opening in 2026 and spanning multiple coastal locations, Six Senses South Carolina Islands will be conveniently located just a short distance from the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. The hotel management agreement was recently signed by Timothy Pitcher, President of Whitestone, along with partner Redrock Portfolio, Inc., and Six Senses Chief Executive Officer Neil Jacobs and Chief Development Officer Omar Romero, marking the next chapter in a working partnership extending several years. Hilton...

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J.—Continuing its legacy of paying bonuses to team members since opening almost six years ago, Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City has elated thousands of union and non-union team members with news they will be receiving a share of more than $10 million in bonuses. The bonuses were announced at internal Town Hall gatherings. In addition to bonuses, team members had the opportunity to win their share of $100,000 in cash and prizes. The bonuses and prizes served as a thank you to team members for their ongoing commitment to customer service and the success of the resort. The announcement comes on the heels...

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS—Amidst record-breaking participation from over 70 universities worldwide, the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge (SHC) by Hotelschool The Hague launches its 10th edition, signaling a new era of sustainable hospitality. Recognized as the biggest student challenge in the hospitality industry, the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge champions sustainable impact through collaboration in a “Shark Tank”-style competition. Each year, students from diverse disciplines present investible products ready for market integration, with the platform striving to promote, create, and stimulate investments in sustainable solutions that push boundaries and positively impact the hospitality industry. NEOM returns to the Sustainable Hospitality Challenge this year as the event’s...

BERLIN, GERMANY—The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Hotel Sustainability Basics (Basics), the global initiative helping hoteliers on their first steps to improve their sustainability ratings, has reached a significant milestone with over 1,700 hotels verified across 70 countries worldwide. In her speech at ITB Berlin, WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson celebrated the achievement and highlighted the commitment of the industry towards a more sustainable future. Basics is a key pillar to making hotels more sustainable and giving the public an at-glance verification. Hotels groups from major travel and tourism destinations such as France, China, Mexico, India, Germany, South Africa,...

ATLANTA—IHG Hotels & Resorts announced an agreement with EnviroSpark, an industry leader in the design, installation, and operation of electrical vehicle (EV) charging solutions, to make electric vehicle chargers (EVCs) available to all IHG-branded hotels across the United States and Canada. IHG hotels can now partner with EnviroSpark on EVCs depending on their individual needs and requirements. This agreement will further expand on IHG’s 1,100 hotels globally with EVCs and meet the growing customer demand for EV charging on the road while supporting a shift to a low-carbon economy. The EVCs that will be available at IHG-branded hotels in North America are...