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...

DALLAS—PURE WELLNESS, a leading provider of turnkey wellness premium rooms, providing a refreshing and relaxing experience to guests, announced its expanded partnership with Atrium Hospitality, one of the nation’s largest hotel operators. The deepened alignment will add approximately 70 new properties to the Pure Wellness portfolio spanning a variety of hotel brands including Hilton, Marriott, IHG, and Wyndham, among others. Over the next six months, 32 hotels (360 rooms) will be converted, with an additional 36 hotels (365 rooms) set to join the portfolio in 2024—bringing the total number of Pure Rooms to 874. “We couldn’t be more excited to...

AMSTERDAM—With the Decade of Action in support of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) well underway, businesses all over the world are making significant contributions towards ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring people can live in peace and prosperity by 2030. But how close are we to reaching the Global Goals, and how can companies make sure that they do their best to support them? A new podcast has been launched—The SDG Insider—which not only aims to answer these key questions, but also help companies navigate the overlaps between the 17 SDGs. The series provides a clear link between corporate...

MIAMI—SH Hotels & Resorts, the sustainable hotel brand management company that operates 1 Hotels, the mission driven luxury lifestyle hotel brand inspired by nature; Baccarat Hotels; and Treehouse Hotels, announces the appointment of Pranav Jampani as Vice President of Sustainability. In this role, Jampani will lead the company’s sustainability efforts, leveraging more than 15 years of experience in corporate sustainability and responsibility to reinforce SH Hotels & Resorts’ position as a leader in sustainable hospitality. Jampani will take the lead in advancing sustainability efforts across SH Hotels & Resorts, with a primary focus on 1 Hotels, the first mission-driven luxury...

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) announced 12 college students participated in the inaugural Sands Hospitality Immersion Program last month in Las Vegas. The intensive experience is designed to encourage interest in travel, tourism, and leisure by exposing students to the inner workings of the Las Vegas hospitality industry. Sands and TMCF, the only national organization exclusively representing the Black college community, established the Sands Hospitality Immersion Program to provide students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with a deep introduction to the travel, tourism and leisure industry and its wide range of professional positions, aiming to inspire them...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Viva Resorts by Wyndham announced it has achieved Wyndham Green program certification as part of its comprehensive plan to have its hotels operating at maximum efficiency while minimizing their environmental footprints. This achievement that reaffirms the company’s core values, is the latest development highlighting the hotel brand’s foundational and continued commitment to protecting the environment and the communities it operates in. “Sustainability and giving back to the community have always been part of Viva’s DNA,” said Viva Resorts by Wyndham Corporate Director, Marketing and Public Relations, Erika Sordo. “We strongly believe in protecting the environment and especially our oceans....

VALAIS, WESTERN SWITZERLAND—Six Senses Crans-Montana recently opened its doors, marking the brand’s debut in Switzerland. The ethos is vitality, serenity, and adventure, with exclusive ski-in, ski-out convenience from the south-facing pistes in winter, leading to culinary, cultural, and sporting experiences for the rest of the year. The 78 rooms and suites, and signature Three-Bedroom Prestige Apartment, blend contemporary and traditional alpine finishes and feature large bay windows and generously sized balconies to maximize the connection with natural surroundings. This restful habitat—complemented by the Sleep With Six Senses program, including natural hand-made mattresses, cloud-comfy beds, and a personalized sleep plan—combines all...

NATIONAL REPORT—Keeping your pipes open and clean keeps the plumber away, repair-related costs down, rooms sellable, and keeps unhappy guests from sullying your property’s reputation online. Unfortunately, says Jeff Vance, Sales Director for Instant Power Corp., most hoteliers take a reactive approach to drain issues. “The guest complains, and the hotel manager/worker reacts,” he says. Sound familiar? Proper drain maintenance is critical in a hotel environment. “Hotels have vertical and horizontal/lateral plumbing lines,” Vance says. “Typically, plumbing issues arise when lateral lines get clogged with hair, grease, soaps, toothpaste, fats, oils, paper, and other objects. In addition to those issues,...