DENVER—Populus, the country’s first carbon positive hotel, set to open in Denver in summer of 2024, is now accepting reservations for September 2024 onwards. Managed by Aparium Hotel Group, a pioneer in the lifestyle hotel industry, and developed by Urban Villages, a leading real estate developer and environmental steward, Populus will feature 265 guestrooms, a ground floor signature restaurant, lounge and coffee bar, flexible event spaces, a rooftop restaurant and bar offering unobstructed views of the mountains, city skyline, and Civic Center Park. Committed to offsetting both its embodied and operational carbon footprints through Colorado based reforesting efforts, Populus invites guests...

ATLANTA—Interface, Inc., the global flooring solutions company, and leader in sustainability, announced it is focusing on direct carbon reduction and carbon storage to meet the urgency of the climate crisis. The company is aligning its strategy to meet its climate commitments, which do not allow for carbon offsets. The planet is at an inflection point and absolute emission reductions are critical to solving the climate crisis. Beginning in 2025, Interface will repurpose former offset investments to accelerate innovation projects that will result in direct carbon reductions and carbon storage both internally and throughout its supply chain. “We’re ‘all in’ on solving...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The Green Lodging Trends Report (GLTR) is back, and you’re invited to be part of the action. If you own/operate a hotel(s) and are keen on gauging your sustainability performance against industry peers in terms of environmental initiatives, #CorporateSocialResponsibility, and beyond, or are seeking guidance to enhance your sustainability endeavors, participate in GLTR today. The GLTR is the leading global benchmarking study on sustainability best practices in hotels, incorporating #HotelSustainabilityBasics (12 actions established in partnership with World Travel and Tourism Council). Benefits when you participate:  Receive a free benchmark report tailored to your property. Gain recognition and showcase your outstanding sustainability efforts through GLTR. ...

LONDON—Deloitte’s annual “Global Human Capital Trends” report has its finger on the pulse of the most pressing issues for organizations, leaders and workers. The 2024 report, “Thriving Beyond Boundaries: Human Performance in a Boundaryless World,” identifies seven trends that showcase how a combination of business and human outcomes plays a role in organizational success. This year’s analysis reveals that organizations making meaningful progress on these key issues are nearly twice as likely to achieve desired business and human outcomes. Prioritizing human sustainability—the degree to which an organization creates value for people as human beings, leaving them with greater well-being, employability,...

EXETER, ENGLAND—A topping out ceremony was recently held for the Zeal Hotel Exeter. The four-star, 142-bedroom hotel, constructed with half the embodied carbon of a standard hotel, will generate 100 percent of electricity consumed via the photovoltaic roof and wall panels, positioning it firmly in line with the 2050 Paris Agreement requirements and exceeding 2030 targets. The building, which achieved the BREEAM Outstanding rating at the design stage, is currently on schedule in week 39 of a 75-week construction program. As a fully sustainable operation, produce will be sourced locally or grown on site, stimulate economic growth through job creation and...

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS—Amsterdam is saying “no” to new hotels. “We want to make and keep the city livable, for residents and visitors. That means: no overtourism, no new hotels, and no more than 20 million hotel nights by tourists per year,” local government officials said.” Previously granted rights for new hotels still apply. And old hotels that close may make way for new, sustainable, modern hotels. The hotel policy was already strict. As of 2017, only three plans meet the conditions. Nevertheless, hotels are still under construction and hotels are being added. They already had rights before, such as a permit....

NORTH BETHESDA, MD.—Choice Hotels International, Inc. published its 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report. The report details Choice’s latest initiatives to drive sustainability across its portfolio of hotels. This includes new and expanded requirements to help reduce utility usage and identify savings through its revamped Room to be Green verification program. As part of this initiative, the report highlights the growing adoption of Choice’s automated utility tracking dashboard, with over 2,600 properties participating and counting. “At Choice, we’re committed to building a better tomorrow, today. By championing sustainable practices, we’re helping hotel owners save time and money and appeal to guests and corporate clients,”...

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN—BeCause, the Danish start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel, and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, is simplifying the sustainability journey for members by integrating the industry association’s Hotel Sustainability Basics (HSB) framework into its platform. The partnership will enable WTTC to scale its Hotel Sustainability Basics more effectively, broadening its reach and impact within the hospitality industry. By centralizing relevant data within the BeCause platform, the global association will have greater visibility into which hotels have completed the framework and which ones are lagging, empowering it to advocate for more sustainable hotel operations globally. Similarly, hotel management...

BELLEVUE, WASH.—Staypineapple, the national boutique hotel brand, has taken significant steps to strengthen its commitment to sustainable business practices and achieve its goal of providing a greener guest experience. “Staypineapple has taken great strides in its contribution of building a better, more sustainable environment for our guests, team members and communities,” said Dina Belon, President of Staypineapple. “In 2023, we made a number of commitments to reduce our company’s overall carbon footprint and are pleased to announce that we have accomplished several of our major green initiative goals and are on a steady trajectory with our year-by-year commitments of reducing...

AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS—Booking.com has released new research, with insights gathered from more than 31,000 travelers across 34 countries and territories, exploring the latest consumer attitudes, priorities and influences related to sustainable travel. While the annual research reveals a continued sense of desire and awareness, with 83 percent of travelers confirming that sustainable travel is important to them, new insights show a sense of weariness could be emerging globally, fueled by the ongoing challenges that travelers experience to make more sustainable travel choices. The recent study shows that almost half (45 percent) feel traveling more sustainably is important, but not a primary consideration...