STATELINE, NEV.—There is no way around it; Edgewood Tahoe Resort, a boutique property nestled on the shores of Lake Tahoe, is one of a kind when it comes to providing an eco-luxury experience for its guests. Sustainability is top of mind during every decision regarding design, construction, operations, and the guest and community experience. The resort’s commitment is best explained on its website: “Every decision we make and action we take must align with our calling to be stewards of the land, guardians of the Lake, and sincere, difference-making corporate citizens of the communities in which we operate.” Edgewood Tahoe...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Kimpton Hotel Monaco Washington DC has partnered with New Columbia Solar to bring renewable energy to their National Historic Landmark building at 700 F St. NW in Penn Quarter with the addition of a 265-kW rooftop solar system. This partnership highlights Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants’ commitment to clean energy and sets a precedent for the modernization of historic buildings across the District with solar power. Constructed as the nation’s first General Post Office in 1842, the building was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1971. Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants utilized its expertise in the area of adaptive reuse to create the...

CHEVY CHASE, MD.—PM Hotel Group recently announced the appointment of Ryan Butler as Corporate Director | Sustainability + Energy. In his role, Butler will enhance the Group’s decade-long commitment to environmental sustainability and PM’s core value of Respect—for one another, guests, communities, and the planet. Butler will lead PM Hotel Group’s strategic sustainability initiatives and be the direct point of contact for internal and external stakeholder collaboration. PM Hotel Group’s sustainability team takes a forward-looking approach, vigorously implementing energy, water, and waste reduction programs as well as seeking opportunities to integrate renewable energy and green power into its portfolio of...

NATIONAL REPORT—The knee jerk reaction of many hoteliers to the topic of sustainability is likely to include statements like “I’d love to, but I can’t afford it …”, “We don’t have the bandwidth…” or “Of all industries, why should hospitality pay to save the planet…?” We suggest a change in perspective. Could sustainability not be seen as a win-win? Could it be that there is untapped potential in sustainability that progressive hospitality firms may be able to uncover? What if engagement in sustainability would not only help the planet and society-at-large but also the competitive position of a hotel? The strategic...

This week I will be attending The NAFEM Show (North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers) in Orlando. The show runs from February 1 to 3 at the Orange County Convention Center. I am looking forward to it and will report on the event in next week’s column. There are currently 541 exhibitors. I will be on the lookout for new innovations and technologies—specifically ones that help hoteliers save energy and water and reduce waste. Within foodservice there has been a lot of chatter recently about the health risks of gas stoves. According to The New York Times, mounting evidence...

LOS CABOS, MEXICO—For nearly two decades, Pueblo Bonito Golf & Spa Resorts—now joined by Quivira Los Cabos—have aided a turtle protection and hatchling release program, boosting the survival rate of an endangered reptile that’s vital to the region’s ecosystem. But what happened last fall was truly something special. “The arrival of the olive ridley turtle occurs in Mexico on the Pacific coast, in the States of Oaxaca and Michoacán, and here in Baja California Sur,” explains Carlos Villalobos, Manager of Pueblo Bonito’s Sea Turtle Protection Program. “What happened last fall in Los Cabos in the Bay of Cabo San Lucas...

OTTAWA, ONT—For more than 20 years, the Hotel Association of Canada’s Green Key Eco-Rating program, run by Green Key Global, has been evolving to keep up with changing trends, technologies, operational practices, standards and expectations. According to Rebecca Bartlett-Jones, Manager, Business Development, Green Key Global, the Eco-Rating program is about to evolve again with a new version of the hotel certification program set to launch on February 1. While previously mostly a North America-centric program, moving forward it will be entirely North America-centric. Already recognized by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC), Green Key Global is working toward accredited certification...

Euronews just released its 2023 Travel Trend Report. Almost all the trends touch on sustainability or wellness in one way or another. First on the list is regenerative travel—nature positive and carbon positive travel. “Tour operators, destination bodies and hotels are tasked with the job of actively repairing, restoring and investing in nature, in order to keep pace with consumer sentiment,” the report says. Third on the list is Rail Revival. Driving the return to this form of travel is the convenience, cost and lower carbon footprint. “A handful of private companies are reviving night trains across Europe,” the report says....

LAGUNA BEACH, CALIF.—Soul Community Planet (SCP), the holistic hospitality company founded on the values of wellness, social good and sustainability, announced it has reached several milestones in its efforts to make regenerative travel a reality. These include achieving its company-wide Net Zero Waste goal for 2022, receiving a new EarthCheck benchmark, and launching the new Pristine Playa program on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula. SCP Exceeds 2022 Net Zero Waste Goal In 2022, SCP achieved superior waste efficiency, with an estimated one pound of landfill waste generated per occupied room—less than half of the estimated industry average. Over the same period, SCP’s...

GUANACASTE, COSTA RICA—In 2006, the innovators behind a car-free town aspired to create a better way of life connecting people to nature in a place where 1,000 acres of a 1,200-acre property would remain undeveloped as a tropical dry forest reserve. After 16 years of planning and construction, that vision is now a reality with the completion of the neighborhood of Beach Town in Las Catalinas. Referred to as one of the most important and beautiful new towns in the world by renowned Notre Dame School of Architecture Professor Douglas Duany, Las Catalinas is located in the northwestern province of Costa Rica. Inspired...