ATLANTA—InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG) announces the opening of the newly-renovated, InterContinental New York Barclay, which made its grand debut to New York society in 1926 as one of the original “Railroad” hotels. For generations the hotel served as one of New York’s most preferred addresses and now, The Barclay is celebrating its return following a $180 million, 20-month top-to-bottom renovation with more than 420,000 square feet of redesigned interiors. The revitalized hotel brings to life The Barclay Experience—quintessential New York sensibility, sustainable practices and a celebration of the thriving, fast-paced local culture, while continuing to offer international expertise. These...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton Worldwide awarded more than $320,000 to the 117 recipients of the 2016 Travel with Purpose Action Grants. Grants are awarded to Hilton properties and corporate offices that submit the most creative ideas to drive value for their hotels and strengthen the local communities where they operate.“Now in our fourth year, Travel with Purpose Action Grants have been awarded to more than 300 properties providing over $880,000 to support projects around the world,” said Maxime Verstraete, Vice President of Sustainability, Hilton Worldwide. “The grants are a clear demonstration of our team members’ spirit of creativity and hospitality in...

BANGKOK—Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas announced the latest project in the group’s expanding portfolio in the island country of Fiji. This small archipelago in the South Pacific is comprised of 332 islands and nearly one million inhabitants spread throughout the major islands of Viti Levu and Vanua Levu. Approximately one-third of the islands are uninhabited, ranging in size from 3,800 square miles (10,000 square kilometers) to tiny islands or spits of sand a few hundred acres (meters) in circumference. Known for its idyllic crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, thick tropical forests and excellent climate, Six Senses Fiji is...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—RCI, the global leader in vacation exchange, announced the winners of its annual RCI Green Award program, recognizing Wyndham Ocean Boulevard with the highest honor.Now in its fifth year, the RCI Green Award program recognizes the most environmentally-conscious resorts within the company’s exchange network. The application process includes a thorough audit of green practices with stiff competition among the many properties that admirably implement sustainable business initiatives.Applicants for the RCI Green Award were evaluated on innovations in energy and water conservation, waste management, community outreach and environmental management. The evaluation process, winner selection and verification system was completed...

WAILEA (MAUI) HAWAII—Fairmont Kea Lani’s commitment to responsible tourism practices and sustainable hotel management will take another leap forward next month with the completion of a rooftop photovoltaic (PV) project. The Fairmont Kea Lani’s latest sustainability project includes the installation of 1,528 rooftop PV solar panels. The 500 kilowatt solar installation is expected to offset more than 10 percent of the resort’s current energy demand and reduce CO2e emissions by 457 metric tons of CO2e annually. This reduction in CO2e emissions is the equivalent of 96 passenger cars or 138 homes.“At the Fairmont Kea Lani we are committed to...

MCLEAN, VA.—DoubleTree by Hilton, one of Hilton Worldwide’s 13 brands, celebrated National Pay it Forward Day last week with the launch of “Nice Travels,” an integrated, multichannel movement driving random acts of kindness to prove that “nice” is contagious. The idea behind “Nice Travels” is that when a guest stays with DoubleTree by Hilton, “nice” stays with them, starting with the warm chocolate chip cookie welcome that each guest receives.To spread this simple, yet powerful, idea across the globe and prove that nice does travel, DoubleTree by Hilton will identify, share and reward niceness through innovative, real-time social listening;...

ATLANTA—Interface, the world’s largest commercial modular carpet company and a sustainable business pioneer, announced a significant milestone in the company’s Mission Zero journey: the Interface Americas manufacturing sites now operate using 96 percent renewable energy, bringing the company’s global renewable energy usage to 84 percent. This milestone is being achieved with the addition of directed biogas to meet the thermal energy needs of the company’s flagship operations in Troup County, Ga.“Getting our factories in Americas to near 100 percent in renewable energy is a significant achievement—one that is a first for our industry and likely for industry in general,”...

NEW YORK—In celebration of Earth Day 2016, Booking.com revealed findings from its global Sustainable Travel Report, identifying what the term “sustainable travel” means to consumers, how sustainable accommodations are viewed, and what the future holds for eco-conscious travelers.Nearly half (47 percent) of American respondents said they consider themselves to be sustainable travelers, rising to 72 percent amongst Chinese respondents and dropping to 25 percent amongst the Japanese, with findings showing a wide spectrum when it comes to what people understand “sustainable travel” to mean. More than half (58 percent) of Americans consider the act of staying in eco-friendly accommodations...

LAS VEGAS—MGM Resorts International ranked fifth on the “Top 10 Regional Companies” list for diversity best practices, according to DiversityInc, one of the nation’s leading sources on workplace diversity management. This year marks the 11th consecutive year MGM Resorts has been recognized for its Diversity and Inclusion Initiative by DiversityInc, which ranks companies based on the results of an annual survey.“It’s clear that corporate America understands how diversity and inclusion strengthens everything from recruiting and retention to overall business success,” said Luke Visconti, DiversityInc’s Founder and CEO. “We saw more than 1,000 companies submitting for contention on the list....

GLENS FALLS, N.Y.—JUST water, an ethically sourced 100 percent spring water in a paper-based bottle, announced a new, plant-based bottle. Kicking off production on April 22, the JUST water bottle is now made with 82 percent renewable resources that come directly from plant-based materials, reducing greenhouse gas emissions by up to 74 percent compared to a range of PET plastic bottles.“Our mission from the onset was to deliver a product that is responsibly sourced, and packaged for environmental and social impact, while holding ourselves to the goal of continuous improvement,” said Grace Jeon, JUST CEO. “It’s taken quite a...