MIAMI—SH Hotels & Resorts, an affiliate of global private investment firm Starwood Capital Group led by Chairman and CEO Barry Sternlicht, announced that it will open its award-winning Treehouse Hotel in Miami, the brand’s first U.S. location, in 2025. Treehouse Hotels debuted in London in 2019. Treehouse Hotels are about freedom and fun—the wondrous, childhood feeling of climbing into a treehouse and making up your own rules. Designed to appeal to the child in all of us, Treehouse Brickell will be imaginative and nostalgic—inspired by simple joys. Urban yet earthy. Responsible and caring. Dreamed as a space where travelers can converge...

BEND, ORE.—Outdoor enthusiasts can now check into a new hotel in Downtown Bend that is perfectly designed for adventure. Element Bend, the first Element Hotel by Westin to open in Oregon, is now welcoming guests to its spacious, airy studios and one-bedroom suites. Inspired by the natural beauty around us, wellbeing and environmental sustainability are a key focus of the hotel. Guests can take advantage of the abundance of local outdoor recreational opportunities. Hike in the high desert, raft down the Deschutes River, or take a complimentary bike out to discover the beauty of Bend, Ore., then rejuvenate back...

COLOGNE, GERMANY—HRS, a leading global corporate lodging platform, introduced a first-of-its-kind solution that gives corporations and employees a way to organize travel more sustainably. HRS’ Green Stay Initiative, in pilot this quarter, leverages proprietary technology to give procurement leaders and everyday business travelers an intuitive system to identify, compare and prioritize hotels that contribute to reducing the ecological footprint of the lodging portion of the typical business trip. HRS is assimilating data from thousands of hotel groups and independent properties as part of a groundbreaking framework, including details on energy consumption, water use, and waste disposal. Through the unprecedented normalization...

PALMA, SPAIN—Iberostar Hotels & Resorts is a hotel chain with more than 120 four- and five-star hotels, located in the most popular holiday destinations in Europe, Africa, and America. The Iberostar hotel portfolio offers customers beachfront hotels, city hotels and heritage hotels. In addition, there is the Grand category, the highest level of luxury and excellence. Iberostar’s Wave of Change movement is an initiative based on three complementary but different action lines: eliminating the consumption of single-use plastics, promoting responsible seafood consumption and the improvement of coastal health. Leading Iberostar’s work under the Wave of Change movement is Dr....

FAROE ISLANDS—For those of you not familiar with their location, the Faroe Islands are a North Atlantic archipelago located 200 miles north-northwest of Scotland, and about halfway between Norway and Iceland. Like Greenland, it is an autonomous territory within the Kingdom of Denmark. Last October, the 130-room Hilton Garden Inn Faroe Islands opened on the islands in Torshavn with a bundle of unique green features. Green Lodging News recently corresponded with Kate Mikesell, VP Corporate Responsibility, Hilton, and Martin Restorff, General Manager of the hotel, to learn about those green gems. For Kate Mikesell, VP Corporate Responsibility, Hilton: Q: Explain how...

DENHAM, ENGLAND—IHG Hotels & Resorts has launched Journey to Tomorrow, a series of ambitious new commitments to make a positive difference for people, communities and planet over the next decade. Guided by IHG’s purpose to provide True Hospitality for Good, it will work side by side with those who stay, work and partner with it, to help shape the future of responsible travel—supporting people and making a positive difference to local communities, while preserving the planet’s beauty and diversity long into the future. In an open letter, IHG’s CEO, Keith Barr, said that the global response to Covid-19 has shown what can be achieved when organizations...

LAS VEGAS—Las Vegas Sands has again been recognized by global environmental nonprofit CDP, on its Climate and Water A Lists. This marks the sixth consecutive year the company has appeared on the Climate A List, and the third straight appearance on the Water A List. Being named to the Climate A List highlights the company’s work towards cutting emissions, mitigating climate risks and building Integrated Resorts responsibly, while the Water A List designation recognizes Sands’ accomplishments in promoting water efficiency and conservation. Sands is one of only 64 companies to be named to both the Climate and Water A Lists. “Our...

Go for External Accreditation—The first step is to set yourself an ambitious target, by aiming for certification in sustainable hotel design and operation. This way you can engage and focus the efforts of your entire team generating ideas and adopting practices that will really make a difference. LEED certification, LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is a prestigious, globally-recognized program to acknowledge achievement in sustainability. If you’re about to start work on building a new hotel, ensure you work with the architects and the company responsible for your construction engineering to incorporate the requirements of the standard—whether that’s...

ST. PAUL, MINN.—Ecolab Inc., a global leader in water, hygiene and infection prevention solutions and services that protect people and vital resources, has been recognized for its sustainability leadership by global environmental nonprofit CDP, securing a place on its prestigious “A List” for tackling climate change and protecting water security. CDP is widely considered the gold standard for corporate environmental transparency. Ecolab is one of a small number of companies that achieved CDP’s double “A” rating, out of more than 5,800 businesses that were analyzed. Because of its significant action on climate change and water security risks, Ecolab is recognized...

Names: Kate Mikesell Titles: VP, Global Corporate Responsibility, Hilton and President, Hilton Effect Foundation Company: Hilton Years with Hilton: 11 Primary Responsibility: “My primary responsibility is helping Hilton as it continues to redefine responsible travel. I spend most of my time talking about resources and how we are measuring. Are we on pace? Are we falling behind? It is a lot of conversation with team members and community leaders.” Organization’s most significant accomplishment in global corporate responsibility: “Being able to say this is the direction we want to go and letting our team take over. The Hilton Effect Foundation and the impact it is...