WASHINGTON, D.C.—The AHLA Foundation announced its inaugural No Room for Trafficking (NRFT) Advisory Council, which includes top leaders from across the hotel and lodging industry. AHLA Foundation’s No Room for Trafficking program aims to unite the industry around collective anti-trafficking efforts that meet the needs of today’s hospitality employers, employees, and the communities they serve. In their role, NRFT Advisory Council members help champion and shape the hotel industry’s unified efforts to support human trafficking survivors with critical resources on their path toward empowerment and self-sufficiency, while uniting and inspiring the industry in the continued fight against trafficking. NRFT Advisory Council efforts include...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International, Inc. has published its 2023 Serve 360 Report highlighting data as of year-end 2022, and shared the company’s continued progress on its Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) efforts. Marriott’s sustainability and social impact platform, Serve 360: Doing Good in Every Direction, guides the company’s efforts towards its 2025 Sustainability and Social Impact Goals. The full report can be accessed on the company’s Serve 360 website. “Since its founding in 1927, Marriott has placed a priority on serving its communities and creating a positive impact wherever we do business,” said Anthony Capuano, President and CEO, Marriott International. “With our size...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Hilton Grand Vacations Inc., the industry-leading global vacation ownership company, has been recognized as one of “America’s Greatest Workplaces” in 2023 by Newsweek and Plant-A Insights Group. HGV was honored for creating an engaging work experience and for providing best-in-class personal and professional development opportunities. The company was awarded four stars out of five on their score and is the only vacation ownership company on the list. “Our team members are the driving force behind everything we do at HGV,” said Mark Wang, President and CEO at Hilton Grand Vacations. “Their ongoing commitment and dedicated efforts have propelled us to new...

NATIONAL REPORT—CiCLO™, a sustainable textile technology from Intrinsic Advanced Materials, LLC, could help the lodging industry reduce its plastic waste footprint substantially. CiCLO is a nature-based solution to reducing plastic microfiber pollution. “Adding CiCLO technology to polyester and nylon is scientifically proven to accelerate nature’s bioremediation process,” according to Intrinsic Advanced Materials. “CiCLO technology can be added to polyester and nylon, which are the main components of various fabrics used within the hospitality industry,” explains Andrea Ferris, CEO of Intrinsic Advanced Materials and Co-Inventor of CiCLO technology. “Polyester and nylon are highly durable plastics used in everything from bedding to towels...

DALLAS—Economy lodging brands Motel 6, Proud Sponsor of Pets, and Studio 6 have teamed up with the Humane Society of the United States to support the organization’s More Than a Pet campaign, which works to raise awareness of the pet poverty crisis, provide financial solutions for struggling pet owners, and keep pets and their families together by increasing access to care and supplies. Through the partnership, Motel 6 and Studio 6 will sponsor up to nine truckloads of pet food in areas that need it most, supplying one month of meals to 15,300 animals. The lodging brands have a long history of supporting dog and cat...

ITHACA, N.Y.—The CHSB Index 2023 was released during the eCornell keynote Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry: How Data Is Making an Impact webinar on June 7, 2023. The hotel industry’s largest and longstanding annual data collection of energy, water, and carbon performance, CHSB is the primary reference tool for hoteliers to benchmark their performance, and for various stakeholders including governments and business travelers seeking to calculate the environmental impact of a hotel stay. It incorporates the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) and Hotel Water Measurement Initiative (HWMI) methodologies to provide standardized, industry-backed data to end users. CHSB 2023 is the...

OWINGS MILLS, MD.—David S. Brown Enterprises announces plans for a new lifestyle Element hotel offering at Metro Centre in Owings Mills. Crescent Hotels & Resorts, the management company for the Marriott Owings Mills Metro Centre will be managing the brand-new Element as well. This summer, the real estate developer will break ground on the Element by Westin hotel, joining the AAA Four Diamond Marriott Owings Mills Metro Centre which opened to positive reviews in December 2021. Element Hotels, a part of Marriott Bonvoy’s portfolio of 31 leading brands, is designed for today’s healthy, active traveler looking for longer stays. The...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Climate change, freshwater depletion, unsustainable use of resources, and biodiversity collapse are some of the most pressing challenges faced by humanity today. As the world’s population increases, so does the pressure on the world’s natural resources and on local communities. While hospitality might on the surface be less damaging than other industries where pollution is more visible (manufacturing, transport, agriculture, etc.), the hospitality service sector and its supply chain are directly affecting and being affected by sustainability matters. Energy and water consumption, working conditions, employment, waste, and carbon emission are among the issues which need to be urgently...

BANGKOK—Six Senses will open its first Greek resort in partnership with Grivalia Hospitality, one of the most significant investors in the ultra-luxury hospitality sector in Greece. It will be located on a southerly white-sand cove on Megalonisos, one of the 10 Petalioi islands and islets with some of the finest undiscovered beaches in the “Greek Maldives”. Six Senses Megalonisos will be a short boat ride from the port of Rafina, just across the mainland from Athens, or Marmari on Evia’s West coast. Whereas the island of Evia or Euboea was said to have been separated from mainland Greece by a...

ALEXANDRIA, VA.—TRSA, the association for linen, uniform and facility services providers, celebrates its Clean Green certification as the program embarks on its second decade. The certification is earned by companies that demonstrate leadership in environmental sustainability and meet certain benchmarks for water and energy conservation and emissions reduction. Over the past decade, 34 companies with 111 plants have shown their commitment to sustainability by meeting the requirements of the Clean Green certification. These companies have implemented water, energy, and fuel conservation measures to reduce their facilities’ environmental impact and shrink their carbon footprints. The commercial laundry industry, led by Clean Green certified...