INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the urgency for companies and individuals to act to protect the wellbeing of the planet, their communities, their employees, and in the case of hotels, their guests. As such, environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives have accelerated. The hotel industry’s commitment to ESG initiatives, while somewhat nascent, is increasing. Rising energy costs, which have increased electricity costs by 10 percent since May 2021, are likely to accelerate the industry’s focus on sustainability, particularly given the shift in traveler preferences toward more sustainable tourism and green accommodations and the growing demand for disclosure around climate risk....

AMSTELVEEN, THE NETHERLANDS—For quite a few years now, many hotels have incentivized guests to skip housekeeping in exchange for a financial reward of some type. Covid-19 certainly increased the number of hotels that don’t offer daily housekeeping—primarily due to staffing challenges—but many hotels around the world still offer it. For hotels that do that, Floris Licht, Chief Planting Officer for Hotels for Trees has a program that not only helps hotel owners but the environment as well. The Hotels for Trees concept is simple: One new tree is planted each time a guest chooses to skip daily room cleaning. The...

WINDSOR, ENGLAND—IHG Hotels & Resorts, one of the world’s leading hotel companies, has opened its new global headquarters in Windsor, U.K. Having started life as an FTSE-listed company in Windsor in 2003, IHG returns to the historic town for its next chapter after being based for the past 15 years in Denham, Buckinghamshire. The building represents not only the company’s global headquarters, but also the head of its Europe, Middle East, Asia and Africa region, helping serve an international business that has more than 6,000 hotels across more than 100 countries around the world. The Windsor One office on Arthur Road...

FLOWER MOUND, TEXAS—Niagara, a leader in high-performance, high-technology, water-saving toilets, introduced its new Phantom One Piece toilet at the 2023 Kitchen and Bath Industry Show (KBIS). The new Phantom is a fresh blend of design and award-winning technology, offering industry leading performance and water efficiency that will help customers reduce water consumption and alleviate high utility bills. The new Phantom One Piece toilet includes Niagara’s patented Stealth Technology, which has won more than 15 industry and EPA WaterSense awards for re-engineering the flush into a high-power, low-maintenance, virtually clog-free, water-efficient solution that has saved billions of gallons of the world’s water. This innovative...

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...

In recent years, Green Lodging News has published articles about companies that offer machines that transform moisture in the air to drinking water. It is a great idea of course and when matched with a glass bottling system can do a great job at eliminating plastic bottle waste. This past week, Accor announced that it is partnering with SOURCE Global, PBC to bring reusable glass bottled drinking water—water from the air—to key hotels in Singapore. Unique to this water is that it is made by SOURCE Hydropanels—a ground-breaking solar-powered technology that harvests the pure, endlessly renewable water vapor in the...

SINGAPORE—Accor is partnering with SOURCE Global, PBC to bring the world’s first truly sustainable bottled drinking water brand to prominent hotels in Singapore. With people, societies, and communities at the heart of its strategy, and a history of embracing innovation and environmentally friendly business practices, Accor will replace single-use plastic bottled water at key hotels in Singapore with premium drinking water packaged in reusable glass bottles and made by SOURCE Hydropanels—a ground-breaking solar-powered technology that harvests the pure, endlessly renewable water vapor in the air and transforms it into premium drinking water. Each Hydropanel can offset more than 50,000 plastic bottles...

PUNTA MITA, MEXICO—A luxury tented resort as unique as nature itself, Naviva, A Four Seasons Resort, Punta Mita, Mexico is now welcoming guests to a world where the deep, green jungle is the backdrop for a personalized retreat. With just 15 luxury tents surrounded by 48 forested acres (19 hectares) on the edge of a private peninsula, Naviva is an adult-only sanctuary that harnesses nature to create an environment that fosters community, personal growth and appreciation for local heritage. Naviva awakens the intrinsic bond that humans have with nature through biophilic design—an architectural approach that immerses people in their natural surroundings. The transformative journey...

BURLINGAME, CALIF.—In its ongoing objective of bringing advanced performance technologies to enhance better sleep and a healthy home and hospitality environment, Standard Fiber, one of the world’s largest suppliers to the home textile market, and Noble Biomaterials, a global leader in antimicrobial solutions for soft surface applications, have formed an exclusive partnership to bring IONIC+ mineral antimicrobial to the home textile and hospitality markets. IONIC+ is the broadest spectrum of antimicrobial technology that protects against the growth of microbes on soft surface materials. The active ingredient in IONIC+ is silver, which is permanently bound within polymer fibers and will not wash out. When applied properly, positively...

VISTA, CALIF.—Each year, Waterless Co. Inc. recognizes organizations, vendors, or customers that have demonstrated exceptional leadership in helping others or are promoting water efficiency by honoring them with their Leadership of the Year Award. For 2022, Waterless Co. honors Project Living Hope, an organization based in Haiti. In a country that has been subjected to assassinations, internal violence, recent hurricanes, earthquakes, and virtually complete lack of potable water, Project Living Hope stands out as “a flicker of light at the end of a long, dark tunnel,” according to Klaus Reichardt, CEO, and Founder of Waterless Co. The organization, founded by Haitian-born Dr. Guesly Dessieux, has been...