NATIONAL REPORT—Even though guests may sign a waiver acknowledging that smoking is not permitted in the guestroom, that policy is increasingly being violated—by cigarette smokers, marijuana users, and by those who vape. In fact, currently 24 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana use for adults 21 years and older, while 38 states have legal medical marijuana programs. Fortunately for hoteliers, there are now smoking detection systems that can send an alert immediately if smoking is taking place and that can provide time-stamped, scientific proof that a room has been smoked in—critical information when a guest or even...

NEW ORLEANS—Last month, the New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) received three prestigious awards: the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) Community Leader Award for the South Central Region and two Love Your City Awards from LifeCity. These awards celebrate the Convention Center’s commitment and achievements around sustainability and equity. “As much as we focus on delivering exceptional events for our clients, our Convention Center teams are also hard at work behind the scenes finding new ways to make our facility more sustainable and our organization more inclusive,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center President and CEO. “We view these awards from the USGBC and LifeCity not just as confirmation that our work...

OTTAWA, ONT.—Green Key Global, the leading sustainability certification organization for the hotel and lodging industry in North America, announced its partnership with BWH Hotels as a preferred supplier of certification for hotel operations’ environmental sustainability practices in the United States and Canada. The partnership will enable BWH Hotels properties to take their sustainability efforts to new heights and implement a standardized sustainability program across the United States and Canada. By partnering with Green Key Global, BWH Hotels can assure guests that they’re staying in a hotel that takes environmental sustainability seriously. “BWH Hotels have already demonstrated a commitment to sustainability...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Westin Hotels & Resorts, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of over 30 hotel brands, unveils its latest offering in Washington, DC—Westin Washington, DC Downtown. After a nearly $80 million investment by ownership group, Sunstone Hotel Investors, the 807-room hotel will offer a sophisticated and contemporary blend of well-being experiences, designed for guests to feel inspired, to rejuvenate, and to maintain their wellness routines while on the road. “From the moment they arrive at Westin Washington, DC Downtown, guests will have endless opportunities to recharge and recover,” said Jennifer Connell, Global Brand Leader, Westin Hotels & Resorts and Vice President, Distinctive...

SACRAMENTO, CALIF.—The California Hotel & Lodging Assn. (CHLA) honored eleven hospitality leaders and four outstanding properties during its annual Stars of the Industry Awards. “Congratulations to our 2023 winners and nominees who embody the spirit of hospitality and help make California a global industry leader,” said Lynn S. Mohrfeld, President & CEO of CHLA. “Your dedication serves as a reminder that our industry thrives when all of us are engaged and committed to excellence on a local level.” Hundreds of exemplary employees and properties were nominated by California hospitality leaders for the 2023 awards. CHLA judges selected winners based on their...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—AHLA Foundation, the charitable arm of the American Hotel and Lodging Association (AHLA), has received a $605,000 grant from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation to support its Empowering Youth Program (EYP) over two years. The primary goal of EYP is to address the critical workforce shortage in the U.S. hotel and lodging industry by promoting equitable hiring practices and training untapped talent, including Opportunity Youth (age 16-24 and currently not in school or employed) and other priority populations. This year’s grant expands on the work of previous funding focused on hospitality training, work readiness skills, and industry exposure for...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—A new report highlights the urgent need for reusable beverage packaging as a solution to the global plastic crisis. The report, produced by ocean advocacy group Oceana, shows that just a 10-percentage point increase in reusable beverage packaging by 2030 could eliminate over 1 trillion single-use plastic bottles and cups and prevent up to 153 billion of these containers from entering our world’s oceans and waterways. Stacked on top of each other, the avoided 1 trillion bottles and cups could reach to the moon and back over 300 times. Global beverage leaders, including The Coca-Cola Company and PepsiCo, have enormous existing reusable...

RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA—Red Sea Global (RSG), the multi-project developer behind the world’s most ambitious regenerative tourism destinations, The Red Sea and Amaala, has achieved the highest score recorded to date in the prestigious Platinum LEED v4.1 Cities: Plan and Design accreditation from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), which serves as a testament to RSG’s steadfast dedication to sustainability and marks a major milestone in the development of regenerative tourism destinations. With an outstanding score of 96 out of 110 points for The Red Sea destination’s phase one masterplan, RSG has solidified its position as a global frontrunner in developing...

MIAMI—Club Med, the pioneer of the all-inclusive concept, announced a variety of new developments including three forthcoming international resorts—the brand’s first resort in South Africa and the first Exclusive Collection (5-Star) resort in South America. These new openings will reinforce Club Med’s shift to exclusively offer 4 and 5-star products and the brand’s ambition to expand its portfolio with three to five openings or renovations per year. Additionally, the brand continues to build on its Happy to Care corporate social responsibility program with a new environmental certification at Club Med Tignes and additional developments in North America. New Beach & Safari Resort: Club Med...

NATIONAL REPORT—It’s no secret that the hospitality industry has had one of the highest employee turnover rates—since well before the pandemic. High turnover rates in any industry are a big cost to the company, and in a high-pressure sector like hospitality, the associated costs can be huge. Not only tangible costs, such as the expenses of recruiting and training new employees, but also the substantial cost of lost productivity among staff. In fact, reduced productivity costs the global economy around 1 trillion dollars each year. Luckily, recent research shows that concentrating on the mental health of your talent can not only increase staff...