I have a few important items to share this week. First, I am off to Colorado, my favorite state, where I will be attending The Hospitality Show from October 26 to 28 at the Colorado Convention Center in Denver. I posted a preview of this event recently and am looking forward to meeting up with the many suppliers there whose products and services fall into the sustainability category. Be sure to watch for coverage of the show in the coming week.      And, in case you missed it, there was some very good news this past week—timely given the celebration...

When Booking.com releases the results of one of its Travel Predictions reports, the travel industry pays careful attention. Now in its tenth year, Booking.com’s new Travel Predictions spotlight how people want to experience the world. Over the years, these insights have revealed shifts in travel, from cool-cationers chasing cooler climates given extreme heat to conscious travelers reshaping destination choices through social and environmental awareness. Based on insights from more than 29,000 travelers across 33 countries and territories, Booking.com identified 10 defining trends for 2026. The findings reveal that vacations are becoming more individual, more experimental, and more unapologetically true to who travelers really are. Among...

It was just a few weeks ago that I shared news from AAHOA about the terrible September murder of a motel manager in Dallas. His name: Chandra Nagamallaiah. The attack took place in front of his wife and son. The conflict reportedly began with a coworker over a broken washing machine. That slaying came on the heels of the 2024 murders of hoteliers Hemant Mistry in Oklahoma City and Pravin R. Patel in Sheffield, Ala. As if those slayings were not enough, I learned from AAHOA that in the span of just 72 hours last week, three more hoteliers were killed—two in Charlotte,...

The lodging industry is built on the sharing of best practices. This may happen through direct conversations with peers—at your place of work, conferences, trade shows or other meetings. Best practices also come in the form of top-down mandates/suggestions from brands, from listening to podcasts, reading books or other publications specific to hospitality (Green Lodging News, for example), or maybe even from a visit with your local plumber or AC technician. The end result is typically healthier buildings, more energy and water conservation and greater waste management. One of the things I really appreciate about our industry is its willingness...

Deloitte just released the results of its Forecast in Flux: 2025 Deloitte Corporate Travel Study. The report draws on two surveys fielded in July 2025. The 2025 Deloitte Corporate Travel Manager Survey reached more than 150 travel managers, while the 2025 Deloitte Corporate Traveler Survey reached more than 1,000 professionals who took a business trip in 2024 and 2025. Both surveys were U.S.-based. A portion of the study addressed sustainable travel. According to Deloitte, many organizations are taking a closer look at how they manage corporate travel, identifying opportunities to streamline operations and reduce unnecessary impact. Nearly half (48 percent) of travel managers surveyed say their...

PFAS, known as “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily in the environment and can accumulate in the human body, are being phased out in consumer products thanks to legislation such as California Senate Bill 682. That bill cleared the state Legislature on September 13 and is now on its way to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk for his signature. If Newsom signs the bill, California will join other states, including Colorado, Connecticut, Maine, Rhode Island, Vermont and Minnesota, that have banned the use of PFAS in cookware, cleaners, food packaging and other products. Often used in nonstick coatings and...

It has been more than 10 years now since the first 1 Hotels property opened in Miami Beach. Today there are 15 1 Hotels properties open—10 in North America, two in Europe, and three in Asia Pacific. Four more of the luxury lifestyle hotels are on the way—in the U.S., Mexico, France and Greece. This past week I posted news about the new 1 Hotel Copenhagen. The opening of a new 1 Hotel always catches my attention. 1 Hotels are owned and operated by Starwood Hotels, which is a sustainable hotel management company led by Barry Sternlicht and an affiliate of Starwood...

“We now live on a planet where the cheapest way to produce energy is to point a sheet of glass at the sun. This isn’t ‘alternative energy’ anymore—it’s the common sense obvious path.”—Bill Mckibben Let’s hear it for the sun. It will get “star” treatment on September 21—Sun Day. And yes, even though there are still those who categorize solar as “stupidity,” it is a proven clean, affordable technology that has been embraced around the U.S. and the world for a long time—much more so in recent years. One need look no further than a report from the U.S. Federal Energy...

I attended The Clean Show in Orlando, Fla. this past week. Held every two years, it is the premier event for the textile care and laundry industry. It was a great opportunity to learn how the industry is working to add energy and water efficiencies, reduce waste and pollution, and demonstrate its commitment to wellness. A number of companies found in our Green Product & Service Directory exhibited at the show. Click here to access the complete show exhibitor list. Two industry initiatives caught my attention at the show: the Clean Green, and Hygienically Clean certification programs. Both are managed...

“Wellness-Washing.” Have you heard of it? A cousin of greenwashing, whose origin is in hospitality, wellness-washing suggests an attempt at dishonesty or exaggeration of the steps a hotel is taking to provide a healthy environment and wellness options for guests and employees. According to WITT (Wellness in Travel & Tourism) and the Wellness Tourism Association (WTA), wellness-washing is common. That is one reason why the two organizations have partnered to launch the Core Wellness Standards for Hotels. And yes, it is another certification for hotel owners/operators to consider. See wittcertified.com. The article posted on Green Lodging News this past week provides more details, but...