SAN ANTONIO—Thanks to the generosity of its guests, summer was particularly rewarding for the Valencia Group portfolio, including Hotel Valencia Riverwalk in San Antonio, Texas, Hotel Valencia Santana Row in San Jose, Calif., Hotel Sorella CITYCENTRE in Houston, and Lone Star Court in Austin, Texas. The four acclaimed properties are ending the season on a high note by delivering more than 1,000 pieces of men’s and women’s business suiting, as well as a myriad of interview appropriate shoes and accessories, to community nonprofit partners Dress for Success and Career Gear. The bountiful donation caps off the second consecutive year of...

BROOMFIELD, COLO.—Vail Resorts, Inc. announced that Chairman and CEO Rob Katz has established a new donor-advised fund, a charitable giving vehicle, which will be funded from the shares and proceeds he will receive from exercising Vail Resorts share appreciation rights (SARs) that are approaching their 10-year expiration date. This charitable fund, with assets that are expected to total approximately $58 million, will make grants over a long-term period, based on the recommendations of Katz and his wife, Elana Amsterdam. The grants will align with the couple’s charitable giving priorities and will include significant contributions to nonprofit, social service organizations...

BETHLEHEM, PA.—More than 200 volunteers recently gathered at Sands Bethlehem, a Bethlehem, Pa., casino and entertainment destination owned by Las Vegas Sands Corp. (LVS), to help assemble 10,000 hygiene kits for social enterprise Clean the World for the third year in a row. The kits, which are designed to address the significant global and domestic need for personal hygiene products to help people who lack access to basic amenities, will benefit 23 charitable organizations in the greater Lehigh Valley. The volunteer event, which took place at the property, is one of a series of hygiene kit builds at LVS’ properties...

TORONTO—ResortSuite, a global leader in guest-centric hospitality management software, is sponsoring the registration bags for the 2017 International SPA Association (ISPA) Conference and Expo. The conference is being held October 16 to 18, 2017 at Mandalay Bay Hotel in Las Vegas. ISPA announced a partnership with FEED to provide food for 16,000 children in need on behalf of the global spa community. All attendees are receiving a FEED Bag courtesy of ResortSuite, and proceeds for each bag supply 10 meals for the World Food Programme. “We are honored to partner with FEED and ResortSuite to provide meals to children around the...

ASHEVILLE, N.C.—FIRC Group announces their participation in the Sweet Dreams, Full Plates: Hospitality Feeds Families competition that will put 29 Asheville-area hotels in a bit of friendly competition for a good cause. The contest coincides with National Hunger Action Month. The goal is to see which hotel can raise the most amount of money for the MANNA FoodBank. MANNA FoodBank works to assist in aiding the people of Western North Carolina who are struggling to find their next meal. According to the MANNA FoodBank, one in six adults and one in four children in Western Carolina face this problem. The...

MCLEAN, VA.—Yesterday, Hilton kicked off the sixth annual Global Week of Service where more than 355,000* Team Members around the world will have the opportunity to participate in local projects that make a lasting, positive impact in the communities where they live, work and travel. “We are a business of people serving people, and our teams around the world are deeply committed to this philosophy,” said Christopher J. Nassetta, President and CEO of Hilton. “That commitment doesn’t just apply to guests who walk through the doors of our hotels—it’s also about serving in our thousands of communities around the world....

SANTA BARBARA, CALIF.—Mission Linen Supply, a leading provider of linens, uniforms, laundry services and select operating supplies, received a Sustainability Leadership Award in the Business Intelligence Group’s 2017 Sustainability Awards program. These awards honor people, teams and organizations that have made sustainability an integral part of their business practice or overall mission. Mission was recognized for its earth-conscious approach to laundering, processing and distributing linens and uniforms. As early as 1973, Mission installed one of the industry’s first wastewater recycling systems, and to this day the company demonstrates its dedication to sustainability by implementing water reclamation systems, energy-efficient equipment, paperless...

PHILADELPHIA—As a responsible participant in the world’s seafood supply chain, Aramark, a global provider of dining solutions to businesses, schools, universities, hospitals and stadiums, is making significant progress toward its 2018 commitment to purchase 100 percent of its U.S. contracted seafood from sources that meet Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program recommendations. Today, 90 percent of the company’s frozen finfish and 100 percent of canned tuna purchases meet the Seafood Watch recommendations and by the end of 2018, the company expects to have transitioned all salmon and shrimp products to Seafood Watch “Best Choice” and “Good Alternative” categories. “Responsible and...

LONDON—According to GlobalData, a recognized leader in business information and analytics, the climate change imperative and the rise of responsible travelers is creating a compelling business case for sustainable tourism. The company’s latest report: “Top Trends in Sustainable Tourism: An analysis of the key trends in sustainable tourism and the business opportunities they create for the travel and tourism industry” reveals that increased awareness of social, economic and environmental sustainability has spread rapidly through the digital world and social media. This has given rise to a new type of tourist, characterized by environmental and cultural sensitivity. Such travelers are more likely to...

HONG KONG—The organizers of the annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), are pleased to announce the winners for the HICAP 2017 Sustainable Hotel Awards. The 28th annual HICAP will be held October 18 to 20, 2017 at the InterContinental Hong Kong. The HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards were launched in 2007 and were designed to recognize hotels in the Asia Pacific region creating innovative new methods, strategies, and technologies to face today’s sustainable development challenge, while providing tangible examples of sustainable best practices that can be replicated and adapted across the region. In the category of Sustainable Design, the winner is...