COLUMBUS, OHIO—Red Roof, a leader in economy lodging, announced its first fully woman-owned franchise since launching its new RIDE with Red Roof initiative. The property is a Red Roof Inn & Suites conversion located in Richland, Miss., and is the second hotel in owner Kalpana Patel’s portfolio. It brings the number of Red Roof properties owned or partially owned by women to more than 35 percent. RIDE (Road to Inclusivity and Diversity in Entrepreneurship) will expand and further diversify hotel ownership and entrepreneurial opportunities for underrepresented groups by focusing on the business needs of entrepreneurs, providing access to capital, educational resources, and the connections needed to...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Nearly 80 percent of travelers will pay at least 10 percent more for sustainable travel features despite the cost-of-living crisis, a Euromonitor International report has revealed. Forty-one percent of travelers are also prepared to pay more than 30 percent extra for adventure and eco-tourism, according to the Voice of the Consumer: Lifestyles Survey, mentioned in Euromonitor’s newly released Sustainable Travel Index 2023. Europe dominates the Sustainable Travel Index 2023 taking the top 17 places. Sweden continues to top the chart, with Finland second and Austria in third. South American destination, Uruguay, has made the top 20 for the first time, moving up 15 places from...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corp. announced 14 Hyatt-owned hotels in the U.S. have transitioned to 100 percent renewable electricity through Green-e Energy certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to match their electricity use. This step is integral to meeting Hyatt’s 2030 science-based target of adopting renewable electricity across all its U.S. hotels, as part of Hyatt’s World of Care caring for the planet priorities. Hyatt’s science-based target includes reducing Hyatt’s Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 27.5 percent by 2030 compared to 2019. Collectively, the 14 Hyatt-owned hotels using 100 percent renewable electricity through Green-e Energy certified Renewable Energy Certificates (RECs) to...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with approximately 9,100 hotels in over 95 countries, hosted its second BOLD Symposium ahead of the official start of the 2023 National Association of Black Hotel Owners, Operators & Developers (NABHOOD) Hotel Ownership & Investment Summit, followed by a BOLD Bootcamp, a part of its BOLD Incubator. The events are part of Wyndham’s commitment to furthering diversity in hospitality, focused on providing tools and resources to Black entrepreneurs who are exploring the industry and qualified individuals looking to accelerate their path to hotel ownership. Just over a year since...

NEW ORLEANS—The New Orleans Ernest N. Morial Convention Center (NOENMCC) is replacing 1.9 million square feet of traditional roofing with a new, energy-efficient roofing system. The $40 million roof replacement project is part of a $557 million capital improvement plan and will be under construction until mid-2024. “We are taking a comprehensive approach to enhancing and transforming our massive facilities in order to elevate the visitor experience and reduce our environmental footprint here at the Convention Center—from new technology inside to new exterior greenspaces and a fantastic new heat-deflecting roof,” said Michael J. Sawaya, Convention Center President/CEO. “This is an...

LAS VEGAS—Caesars Entertainment, Inc., the largest casino-entertainment company in the U.S., released its 2022 Corporate Social Responsibility report. The report highlights progress toward Caesars’ diversity, equity and inclusion goal of gender and racial parity in leadership roles by 2025, progress toward the company’s goal of reduction in Scope 1 + 2 emissions by 100 percent by 2050, investment in local communities, Team Member support and more. “In 2022 we focused on enhancing our existing goals as well as offering more robust support for our Team Members and communities,” said Heather Rapp, Senior Vice President of Corporate Social Responsibility for Caesars Entertainment....

ATLANTA—IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG), one of the world’s leading hotel companies, introduced IHG LIFT, an owner growth program focused on creating more hotel development support for historically under-represented groups within the hospitality industry, and further diversifying IHG’s hotel owner community. The company’s new program will help unlock common barriers to hotel ownership among these groups and empower diverse owner-entrepreneurs for success. IHG will commit more than $30 million over the next five years to support the program, which includes support, access to capital and help along the hotel lifecycle, for owners who qualify in the U.S. and Canada. The...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—A very sobering study by UKG suggests that nearly 70 percent of employees feel that their manager has more impact on their mental health than their therapist or their doctor, putting their influence on par with that of their life partner. And 60 percent of employees worldwide say their job is the biggest factor influencing their mental health. So, it’s no wonder that people are quitting in droves if their workplace has a negative influence on their mental health and personal lives. Increasingly, a healthy workplace environment and job satisfaction are highly prioritized by workers of all ages. Fortunately, improving morale...

MÉRIDA, MEXICO—WAYAM Mundo Imperial may only have 52 suites but its efforts to reduce its environmental footprint surpass green-focused properties much greater in size. The property in Mérida, Yucatán, Mexico just earned LEED Gold certification—the first one in Mérida with LEED certification and an ideal partner for Yucatan´s LEED Platinum International Congress Center. Fernando Zepeda, General Manager of the 72-employee WAYAM Mundo Imperial, says the hotel’s owners embarked on the path toward LEED certification about five years ago, though their commitment to sustainable development goes back decades. The property opened in the summer of 2020, right in the middle of the pandemic....

GUANACASTE, COSTA RICA—Four Seasons Resort Peninsula Papagayo is introducing a modern reflection of the coastal resort lifestyle with the addition of Virador Beach Club, a barefoot luxury escape; Wellness Shala to give a home to the resort’s expansive wellbeing offerings; transformation of Kids For All Seasons and Arnold Palmer Signature Golf course renovation focusing on sustainability. The project is led by Peninsula Papagayo developers Mohari and Gencom; together with Four Seasons, they have envisioned a sense of quiet luxury. A global design team is creating a resort experience with a foundation of style that takes inspiration from the landscape with an underscore on...