LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International and BetMGM announced a five-year contract extension with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC) and its industry-leading responsible gaming program, GameSense. The program, which BCLC first licensed to MGM Resorts in 2017, enhances MGM Resorts’ and BetMGM’s guest and customer service models by focusing on positive, transparent, and supportive conversations with players about how to gamble responsibly. “Through our partnership and collaboration with BCLC, we’re proud to set the standard and do our part to ensure that gaming is an enjoyable experience,” said Bill Hornbuckle, CEO & President, MGM Resorts International. “As the industry expands, we will...

NATIONAL REPORT—Water is a lifeforce, essential for humans to exist. However, when it comes to construction water is both friend and foe. When water is harnessed and contained it enables modern plumbing, facilitates cleaning and maintenance activities on jobsites and once a building is operational, can serve as a source of art and entertainment. The added value of water is multi-fold when it is utilized to enhance the design aesthetic of a structure and the well-being of the people who use the building. There is a reason that humans crave spending time in the mountains, near streams, waterfalls, lakes, and...

VISTA, CALIF.—During the pandemic, we learned several good restroom habits that kept us healthy. However, public health officials are concerned that many of these protective measures are now being tossed out the window. “Even when restroom surfaces look clean, they may be little more than a Petri dish,” says Klaus Reichardt, CEO and Founder of Waterless Co., Inc. marketers of no-water urinals. “With so many surfaces, counters, knobs, and handles in public restrooms, it’s hard not to come in contact with surface contaminants.” Making matters worse, toilet and urinal plume—the releasing of germs and bacteria into the air when toilets or urinals are flushed—continually...

NATIONAL REPORT—The Vacationer has posted its Sustainable Travel Survey 2023. Click here to see it. The survey was conducted before Earth Day 2023 to find out how Americans feel about sustainable travel, how many are willing to spend more money to travel sustainably, how many plan on making more eco-friendly decisions when planning travel, and what the most important factor is when booking travel. Unfortunately, the results show sentiment is down this year compared to last year. The anonymous survey included 1,017 American adults over the age of 18 and was conducted online using SurveyMonkey’s interface/audience from March 1, 2023, to...

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF.–Soul Community Planet (SCP), the holistic hospitality company dedicated to providing sustainable and wellness-focused hospitality experiences, has announced the acquisition of the Albion River Inn, a luxury boutique hotel located in Mendocino County on the Northern California coast. The property, to be renamed the SCP Mendocino Coast Lodge, marks the brand’s fourth coastal California property. The SCP Mendocino Coast Lodge will be operated in conjunction with the nearby SCP Mendocino Inn & Farm, which SCP acquired in June 2022. SCP Mendocino Coast Lodge will be reimagined as a chic, upscale coastal lodge. It also will feature a farm-to-table...

ST. PETE BEACH, FLA.—TradeWinds Island Resorts—the Island Grand and RumFish Beach Resort—recently donated $21,000 to the Florida Disaster Relief Fund, a result of the resort’s “Shore to Shore” give back program supporting response and recovery activities for communities impacted by Hurricane Ian. From October through December 2022, the TradeWinds donated $20 per room, per night to the Florida Disaster Fund from guests participating in the “Shore to Shore” program. The Florida Disaster Fund is the state’s official private fund established to assist Florida’s communities as they recover during times of emergency or disaster. “Our guests responded in a big way to the...

ROCKVILLE, MD.—From innovative technology to conserve energy and water to even more ambitious diversity goals for hotel ownership, the 2022 Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Report released by Choice Hotels International, Inc. highlights significant new steps that should cut utility costs, save time for franchisees, and increase the company’s ESG commitments. “Choice Hotels International shares a uniting belief that tomorrow will be even better than today, and we are committed to building that better tomorrow,” Choice Hotels International CEO Patrick Pacious says in the report. “As one of the largest lodging franchisors in the world, we are building on more than 80...

QUEBEC—The owners of the Hôtel Nomad Québec, Olivier Donzelot, Romuald Georgeon and their team announced that they have obtained Biosphere Hotel Certification, an international recognition of their commitment to sustainable tourism. The Hôtel Nomad Québec is the first hotel in Quebec City and ranks in the top ten in Canada to receive this certification. According to a project carried out in 2021 by students at the University of Sherbrooke for Tourisme durable Québec, the Biosphere certification is the best sustainability certification. To receive this recognition, Hôtel Nomad Québec had to demonstrate “compliance with actions of Biosphere Sustainable Lifestyle, aligned with...

MIAMI—1 Hotels, the luxury lifestyle hotel brand that cultivates the best of sustainable design and architecture, together with extraordinary comfort and an unrivaled level of service, will celebrate Earth Month with a series of brand and property offerings that honor the beauty of the natural world, promote environmental unity and encourage individuals to take small steps towards sustainability. For the month of April, all eight carbon-neutral properties in North America will launch activities and initiatives that promote a more collective effort towards protecting our planet. As a mission driven brand, 1 Hotels aims to serve as a platform for change....

ATLANTA—IHG Hotels & Resorts and its partner Polaris, a leading organization in the fight against human trafficking, hosted a forum in Atlanta recently to unveil findings from Polaris’ National Survivor Study (NSS). Survivors of human trafficking shared insights on the conditions that make people vulnerable to trafficking and the barriers to rebuilding their lives. Elected officials and executives from Atlanta’s top companies also discussed what the State of Georgia and the business community are doing to help to support survivors and stop human trafficking. The NSS is a scientifically rigorous and survivor-led research project designed to reveal the experiences and needs of human trafficking...