One of the advantages to living in Florida is the easy access to wildlife. Near my home there are bobcats, alligators, coyotes, smaller critters such as armadillos, turtles and tortoises, and I don’t have to travel far to see dolphins. While visiting one of my favorite local towns, I watched a fisherman pull in a hammerhead shark. Of course there is an incredible amount of bird life, including bald eagles. One of the gentlest creatures around these parts is the manatee (aka “sea cow”) and Florida has a lot of them. They attract a lot of tourists and November 15...

In my reporting for Green Lodging News, I often come across impressive environmental protection activity by our industry in The Maldives. For those of you not geographically savvy, The Maldives is an archipelagic country in South Asia, located in the eastern Arabian Sea, within the northern Indian Ocean. The country is comprised of 1,192 islands that stretch along a length of 871 kilometers. The Maldives has an average ground-level elevation of around 1.5 meters (4 ft 11 in) above sea level, and a highest natural point of only 2.4 meters (7 ft 10 in), making it the world’s lowest-lying country. The Maldives is very vulnerable to sea level...

A very happy new year to you! I hope that you have a healthy, happy and prosperous 2026. A big thank you to the many suppliers, consultants, public relations professionals, hoteliers, innkeepers, sustainability directors and others who have made Green Lodging News’ 20th year possible. As we move forward into the new year, be sure to keep Green Lodging News at the top of your list when it comes to sharing news about your company’s sustainability initiatives, new products, services, etc. Don’t forget that I accept press releases (Word format, please) as well as longer articles. If you would like...

Soccer, aka football in most of the world, will have a huge environmental impact next year with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Held from June 11 to July 19, the Cup will be co-hosted by 16 cities across three nations: 11 in the United States (Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York/New Jersey, Philadelphia, San Francisco Bay Area, Seattle), three in Mexico (Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey), and two in Canada (Vancouver, Toronto). This historic tournament will be the first hosted by three countries and the first to feature 48 teams. For the many green lodging establishments...

The year’s end is a time to reflect on accomplishes made, setbacks experienced, and to set goals for the coming year. Looking backwards and forwards, I mostly try to be an optimist. Fortunately, in our industry that is easy to do with the majority of the news I receive from suppliers and hotel companies being positive, uplifting, and at times inspirational. Whether at a conference, trade show, or just sitting at my computer, I am often confronted with the goodness of our industry. Perhaps it is a technological advancement, a “wow” moment in green design, the introduction of a plastic...

With 2025 nearing an end, it is time to reveal the 10 most viewed articles on the Green Lodging News website for the year. This list includes only articles posted in 2025. With such a robust archive of articles (15,000+), Green Lodging News articles from previous years often make the actual top 10. 1. Prospect, a New Mountain Lake Resort Opens in The Berkshires. A new destination in Western Massachusetts has opened: Prospect is a year-round retreat situated on the shores of Prospect Lake, nestled on 30 acres in the heart of the Berkshire Mountains. Originally a picnic ground enjoyed by families...

In last week’s column, I featured some examples of charitable efforts in our industry around the holiday season. This week I highlight the efforts of Soul Community Planet (SCP) Hotels and its Epic Holiday Experiences across its properties nationwide. “Each of our hotels celebrates the holidays in a way that reflects its destination’s distinct spirit, natural beauty, and local community,” said Pam Cruse, Co-Founder of SCP Hotels. “Our holiday experiences are an invitation to slow down, to breathe in the wonder, and to remember that presence—not perfection—is the greatest gift of all.” Designed for travelers seeking meaningful connection and celebration, these holiday...

Throughout the year, the best managed hotels in the world give back to the communities that support them, and, thankfully, they do much more. It is the heart of hospitality. Giving of time and money is an essential part of sustainability and you see it at all levels of our industry—from the association level with organizations such as the AHLA Foundation and AAHOA Charitable Foundation to the individual property level efforts of B&Bs to the largest hotels and resorts on the planet. Over the years I have posted thousands of examples of giving. A big thank you to those of you...

NEW YORK—Boutique Design New York (BDNY) wrapped up at the Javits Center in New York on November 10 after a two-day event that featured 750 exhibitors and drew 16,000 industry professionals. Featured were innovations in boutique hospitality design, including new furniture, lighting, and textiles, and accredited sessions focused on topics like AI, wellness, sustainability, and the future of luxury. In the Best of BDNY Product Design Competition’s Sustainable category, the winner was Daltile’s Panoramic Black Diamond. On the trade show floor there were hundreds of collections with robust sustainability stories. It would be impossible to list them all here but the following...

For those of you not familiar with Summit Hotel Properties, Inc., it is a publicly traded real estate investment trust (REIT) focused on owning premium-branded hotels with efficient operating models primarily in the upscale segment of the lodging industry. As of December 31, 2024, the company’s portfolio consisted of 97 hotels, 53 of which were wholly owned, with a total of 14,557 guestrooms located in 25 states. As a REIT, Summit Hotel Properties partners with premium hotel brands, including Marriott International, Inc., Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt Hotels Corp., InterContinental Hotels Group and leading third-party property management companies to operate its lodging...