It was about five and one-half years ago that “Stay Well” rooms first emerged in our industry at the MGM Grand. These rooms, created by Delos Living, LLC, include features designed to enhance overall health. From advanced air purification to dawn simulation, circadian rhythm lighting and a healthy mattress, the wellness features are specifically designed to allow rejuvenating sleep, deliver purified air, provide specially filtered water and protect guests against allergens and germs. Other hotel properties have since adopted Stay Well rooms, including some Marriotts but the rooms may have gotten their biggest boost yet at the recent Wyndham Hotel Group’s 2018...

NATIONAL REPORT—The Events Industry Council (EIC) is seeking volunteers to join committees to update and improve its sustainable event standards. The APEX/ASTM Sustainable Event Standards (ASES) were launched in 2012. The standards were intended to provide an overall accepted level of performance for a sustainable/green event. They covered the nine areas of event management: accommodations, audio/visual, communications, destination selection, exhibits, food/beverage, meeting venue, on-site office, and transportation. The event industry has been slow to adopt the standards for the following reasons: as written, the standards are difficult for meeting professionals to understand and interpret, the standards’ structure limits the ability...

SANYA, CHINA—Twenty-four Marriott International hotels in the Hainan Area went dark for one hour to shine a light on climate action in support of Earth Hour 2018. To bring Marriott’s Spirit to serve live in the local community, there was a charity donation initiative for Hainan. On March 24, every guest dining at any of Marriott International Hainan hotels’ restaurants for lunch or dinner, RMB 5 donated to the certified nonprofit organization Sanya Bright Connection supporting children with autism and cerebral palsy. “Marriott is committed to making a positive and sustainable impact wherever it does business, and create opportunities for the...

I recently attended the 5th annual Virginia Green Travel Conference. It was held at the LEED Gold Virginia Beach Convention Center. One of the attendees at the conference was someone from the Hilton Richmond Downtown. For those of you not familiar with the property, it is a historic hotel housed in the former Miller & Rhoads department store, an iconic building with over 100 years of history. Spanning an entire city block, the hotel boasts original features including marble floors and high ceilings. The first thing the attendee did after introducing himself was hand me a 4˝ X 9˝ card...

RICHMOND, B.C.—Employee recognition is crucial for retaining top talent and keeping employees happy. The new Reward Medallions from Imprint Plus easily adhere to staff name badges to reward and encourage success in the workplace. Custom-made gold, silver or white metal medallions offer a tangible way to make staff feel appreciated and noticed for their achievements. Employee award medals can be used in a variety of business situations and can be given to individuals or groups. They can highlight team players, acknowledge associates for going the extra mile, mark the achievement of department sales goals or commemorate years of service with...

NEW YORK—When 600+ wellness experts from 40+ nations gather to debate the future of wellness, a uniquely insightful and global view of trends unfolds. That’s what transpired at the recent Global Wellness Summit (GWS), which brought together leaders from the travel, spa, beauty, fitness, nutrition, technology, medical and architecture worlds. The organization just released their top wellness trends for 2018 (and beyond). “No other trends report is based on the perspectives of so many wellness experts,” said Susie Ellis, GWS chairman & CEO. “And every one of this year’s trends pushes the health and wellness envelope in unexpected ways.” 1. Mushrooms...

SAN FRANCISCO—Visa announced its commitment to use 100 percent renewable electricity across its global operations by the end of 2019. As part of this commitment, announced in conjunction with this week’s Climate Leadership Conference in Denver, Visa is joining the RE100 initiative, a collaborative, global platform developed by The Climate Group in partnership with CDP to increase demand for and delivery of renewable energy. “We are proud to play a role in driving the adoption of renewable energy,” said Al Kelly, CEO of Visa Inc. “For Visa, this announcement is an example of our longstanding commitment to operate as a responsible, ethical...

BETHESDA, MD.—Marriott International’s eco-conscious longer-stay brand Element Hotels and S’well, the fashionable, reusable hydration accessory company, are launching a national partnership, which will be activated at all 26 Element Hotels in the United States. Together, Element Hotels and S’well will be inspiring guests to make a positive impact and mindful choices for the environment and for themselves. As a stylish, reusable product that helps consumers stay hydrated and consume less plastic while on the go, S’well bottles will be available for purchase at Element Hotels’ RESTORE pantry and in each room. Guests will be able to conveniently fill their S’wells...

BUFFALO, N.Y.—PURE Rooms has named Jill Dean Rigsbee as Vice President, Business Development. Rigsbee will be responsible for the leadership of the PURE sales and business development team, managing new business opportunities and customizing solutions to meet hotels’ needs and guest demands. Rigsbee is a well-known trusted advisor in the hospitality industry with over 30 years of experience. She began her career working in hotels with various management companies for over a decade. For six years, she focused on hotel room operation supplies, FF&E and innovative products with Guest Supply. Rigsbee joins PURE Rooms from Avendra, a leading hospitality procurement and services company,...

AMSTERDAM—BookDifferent.com, the first and leading site that allows consumers and businesses to make informed sustainable travel decisions, has launched its Corporate Travel Tool for Travel Management Companies (TMCs). BookDifferent.com is a social enterprise that provides users with the latest data-driven and evidenced-based information on a hotel’s commitment to sustainability in an easy-to-understand way. There are more than 7,000 eco-certified accommodations on BookDifferent.com that have received one or more third-party certifications. Users can also find details on the carbon footprint of all 1.1 million accommodations. The Corporate Travel Tool gives TMCs several options for accessing this information as a data add-on to...