NATIONAL REPORT—Fitwel announced a new data insights tool that allows real estate companies to rank their properties’ and entities’ healthy building performance against their peers. A first for the industry, the Relational Data tool adds value to Fitwel Certification by providing users entity-level ranking against like-companies. The announcement marks Fitwel’s ever-increasing product offering, expanding from a healthy building certification to a comprehensive data platform that drives market transformation for the industry. In addition to measuring performance amongst all certified projects on Fitwel, the new tool also measures performance of Walkability & Transportation and Environmental Quality—two of the top five “S” metrics most tracked by...

INTERNATIONAL REPORT—Trees, potted plants and “green walls” may not be conventional forms of interior design, but with growing demand for sustainable, eco-friendly hospitality, hotels are upping their efforts to incorporate “green atmospherics” into their indoor spaces. Whilst people’s behavior is known to be shaped by their physical surroundings, the specific effects of living plants, scent, air quality, natural light and green spaces are not yet known. Focusing on the luxury hotel sector, Professor Jin-Soo Lee of the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University and co-researchers explored the influence of various dimensions of green...

LAS VEGAS—Wynn Las Vegas recently unveiled Wynn Living Well, a program that offers guests curated health and wellness experiences at the resort, ranging from Tom Brady and Alex Guerrero’s TB12 method and golf at Wynn Golf Club, the only course on the Las Vegas Strip, to custom IV therapies at NutriDrip by Clean Market, and bespoke in-room workout videos from Amanda Kloots. “Being away from home does not mean you have to compromise on your desire to stay fit, eat right, or enjoy healthy activity—our program was created to provide our guests everything they need to live well, no matter...

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....

NEW YORK—Nassimi—a leading textile manufacturer and pioneer in sustainable performance upholstery materials—continues to lead the industry toward higher product standards with a move to eradicate Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from all new production. Staying true to its ethos, Nassimi’s commitment to 100 percent removal of PFAS is characteristically bold. As the first textile company to produce phthalate-free faux leather in the early 2010s and remove flame-retardant chemicals from its upholstery materials in 2017, Nassimi has always prioritized self-motivated product improvements. Now, the company has reformulated the last of its textile lines containing PFAS, Resilience TX, to create a...

Within the United States, billions of materials like concrete, steel, and lumber maintain and construct the buildings we use daily. The use and disposal of these materials and new building construction have resulted in substantial environmental impacts with a rise in the air, water, and land emissions. Construction is a significant source of airborne pollution production and has continued to rise since October 2022, with non-residential buildings and multi-family homes up 26 percent. Climate change is pushing polluted air indoors, and to reduce these air quality impurities and their impact on indoor environments, construction contractors should consider bettering outdoor...

CHICAGO—AirAnswers has announced a new partnership with Superstratum. Both companies have joined forces to identify and alleviate indoor mycotoxins and molds that can contribute to symptoms associated with sick building syndrome. Sick building syndrome and other health issues could potentially be caused by molds, mycotoxins, allergens, and viruses in indoor spaces. AirAnswers is the only commercially available air sampling system that detects, identifies, and measures all biological particles including molds, mycotoxins, viruses, and allergens, down to 0.1 microns in size. AirAnswers’ technology provides users with the capability to assess and to monitor indoor spaces for the presence of biological...

BERLIN—JW Marriott, part of Marriott Bonvoy’s global portfolio of 30 hotel brands, unveils its second property in Germany with the opening of JW Marriott Hotel Berlin. Owned by one of the leading hospitality investment companies Al Rayyan Tourism Investment Company (ARTIC), JW Marriott Hotel Berlin brings guests together through thoughtfully crafted spaces, warm service, and a commitment to well-being. Converting from Hotel Berlin Central District, this announcement marks the completion of the first stage in the property’s transformation to join the JW Marriott brand, set to offer a different perspective to the capital city’s hospitality scene. “JW Marriott blends a...

TARRYTOWN, NEW YORK—Nightfood, Inc., the company pioneering the sleep-friendly nighttime snacking category, believes the hotel industry has an immediate opportunity to support wellness and better sleep by making sleep-friendly snacks available in lobby marketplaces to satisfy guests’ nighttime cravings. “Hotels have been letting their snack business undermine their sleep business, interfering with their commitment to the well-being of their guests,” said Nightfood CEO Sean Folkson. “What you eat before bed matters. Hotel companies have spent billions in their quest to give guests the best sleep possible—making significant capital investments upgrading beds, pillows, and mattresses and outfitting rooms with black-out curtains...

NEWPORT, R.I.—Medical Tourism Training has launched the first of its kind Healthy Hospitality training program to protect hotel and hospitality staff and guests. Incorporating simple, easy to learn skills, Healthy Hospitality training reduces staff sick-days, improves morale, and demonstrates “concerned competence” to customers. The program is an essential addition to hospitality providers’ training and development portfolios. Created by hospitality, public health and e-Learning experts, Healthy Hospitality training equips service providers with the knowledge and skills to deliver workplaces where the transmission of germs can be substantially reduced. This on demand, self-guided online course fulfills the recommendation of the World Travel...