WASHINGTON, D.C.—Oceana released a new report, “Plastic Foam Needs ‘To Go,’” revealing the dangers behind single-use plastic foam products like clamshell takeout food containers, cups, packing peanuts, and disposable coolers. According to the report, plastic foam, which is also called expanded polystyrene, compromises our health and our oceans. Plastic foam is made with hazardous chemicals, like its main building block styrene, which is toxic to the human nervous system. Styrene is linked to cancer and considered a probable human carcinogen by the U.S. National Institutes of Health. Styrene and other chemicals can easily leach into food and beverages at all temperatures,...

PAGOSA SPRINGS, COLO.—The Springs Resort, a renowned wellness destination in Pagosa Springs, Colorado, is undergoing a transformative expansion. The expansion includes 78 new guestrooms, a thermal spa, a Panoramic Sauna with halotherapy, new wellness amenities, a fresh culinary concept, and modern event spaces. The Springs Resort in Colorado is home to the world’s deepest geothermal spring, fondly called “The Mother Spring.” The expansion aims to broaden the resort’s commitment to its unique approach to relaxation and wellness, “Soakology”. In addition to relocating its spa, the extensive renovation is doubling the resort’s terraced geothermal mineral soaking pools along the San Juan River at...

CHICAGO—JLL has been honored by the International WELL Building Institute (IWBI), the global authority for advancing healthy buildings, organizations and communities, with three prestigious awards in 2024. The accolades underscore JLL’s expertise in delivering WELL at scale and certification for real estate occupiers and investors worldwide. JLL received the 2024 WELL AP Impact Award for having the most WELL Accredited Professionals and WELL Faculty of any organization globally. This recognition highlights the firm’s commitment to developing industry-leading expertise in creating healthier, more sustainable spaces. In addition to the organizational recognition, JLL announced that two of its employees received individual awards: Annalise...

PENINSULA PAPAGAYO, COSTA RICA—Nestled within one of the world’s most biodiverse destinations, Nekajui, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve has officially opened its doors, offering discerning travelers a secluded, ultra-luxury retreat amidst the unspoiled natural beauty of Costa Rica’s Peninsula Papagayo. Named after the Chorotega word for “lush garden,” Nekajui marks a monumental milestone as the first Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Central and South America and the eighth addition to the brand’s exclusive portfolio. Located on Peninsula Papagayo, a 1,400-acre canvas of dry tropical forest atop coastal cliffs, Nekajui’s collection of 107 thoughtfully designed ocean-facing rooms, suites, and three luxury treetop tents seamlessly blend indoor and outdoor living while celebrating Costa...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The global wellness tourism sector has emerged as a pivotal force in reshaping the hospitality industry. By merging traditional tourism with health-centered activities, this sector addresses the growing demand for experiences that enhance well-being. Industry professionals must understand current market trends and adopt forward-looking strategies to integrate wellness across the travel ecosystem. What is Wellness Tourism? This market refers to the notion of traveling with the goal of improving or maintaining personal well-being, according to the Global Wellness Institute. In a world where travel often comes with stress and unhealthy habits, wellness centered vacations offer a way to counter those downsides, transforming trips into opportunities...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corporation announced the formation of the Wellbeing Collective Advisory Board, a team of industry-leading experts dedicated to enhancing Hyatt’s holistic wellbeing offerings, with an initial focus on innovating around how people gather for meetings and events. The Wellbeing Collective Advisory Board will play a crucial role in ensuring that Hyatt guests and customers have access to distinctive experiences that meet their evolving needs and support their holistic wellbeing. Further, as part of the Advisory Board’s initiatives, the group will also seek to elevate Hyatt’s Wellbeing Collective, an expanding collection of properties offering distinctive wellbeing experiences for groups and...

LEBANON, N.H.—FreshAir Sensor, a leading innovator in indoor air quality (IAQ) monitoring, announced it is partnering with the Curator Hotel & Resort Collection to elevate guest experiences and open new revenue paths for Curator properties by enhancing IAQ through molecular air quality monitoring technology. The new partnership enables Curator member properties to ensure higher standards of air quality for guestroom environments and allows them to drive new revenue streams with the new FreshAir Certified solution. Under the partnership, Curator member hotels across the portfolio will have access to preferred terms and choose to implement FreshAir Sensor’s proprietary indoor air quality solutions to...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The global wellness tourism sector has emerged as a pivotal force in reshaping the hospitality industry. By merging traditional tourism with health-centered activities, this sector addresses the growing demand for experiences that enhance well-being. Industry professionals must understand current trends and adopt forward-looking strategies to stay ahead of the competition. What is Wellness Tourism? Wellness tourism is all about traveling with the goal of improving or maintaining personal well-being, according to the Global Wellness Institute. In a world where travel often comes with stress and unhealthy habits, wellness tourism offers a way to counter those downsides, transforming trips into opportunities to support and enhance...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—The global wellness tourism sector has emerged as a transformative force, reshaping the hospitality industry and addressing the growing demand for experiences that enhance well-being. As traditional tourism merges with health-centered activities, industry professionals must adapt to current trends and adopt innovative strategies to stay ahead in this evolving marketplace. Wellness tourism is centered on traveling to improve or maintain personal well-being. In a time when travel often comes with stress and unhealthy habits, wellness tourism offers a counteracting solution, transforming trips into opportunities to support and enhance overall health. This burgeoning sector of the wellness industry is projected to...

MIAMI—The Global Wellness Summit (GWS) released its annual Future of Wellness report, the longest-running, most detailed (130-page) forecast of what will make waves in health and wellness in the year ahead. In last year’s report, it was noted that the wellness market was fast becoming a place of contradictory mindsets. A dramatically more high-tech, medical, hyper-optimizing and expensive market was emerging (“hardcare”). At the same time, there is a sharpening desire for much simpler, low-tech, less relentlessly self-optimizing and affordable wellness, where social and emotional wellbeing matter most (“softcare”). The Analog Wellness trend illustrates the demand for slower, low-tech lives. With the online world’s manipulations, disinformation campaigns,...