OSLO, NORWAY—Nordic Hotels & Resorts announced the grand opening of its newest luxury hotel, Sommerro, located in the heart of Frogner in Oslo’s West End. One of Europe’s most anticipated launches of 2022, the urban retreat is set within the former headquarters of Oslo Lysverker, the city’s original electrical company, and is energizing the neighborhood and its surroundings with a new sense of creative spirit that pays tribute to Norway’s cultural heritage. Providing a home away from home for both travelers and locals, the iconic 231-room Art Deco hotel is complete with 56 branded residences, seven restaurants and bars, meeting...

NEW YORK—Finding the right best practices for a bike or e-bike lending program should not be taken lightly. Your choice of bike supplier could mean the difference between happy, satisfied guests and staff and both groups getting stressed due to middle-of-nowhere breakdowns and mechanical messes. If you do get your bike and e-bike program right, it can be a shining, brand-building amenity for your property—and keep guests coming back for more. Green Lodging News recently spoke with Lauren Jones, Director of Partnerships for New York-based Priority Bicycles, to not only learn more about her company but to also get a...

CHICAGO—Miraval Resorts & Spas, a global leader in wellness destinations, announces its first ever wellbeing wedding offering, the Miraval mindful wedding. Available to book beginning this fall at Miraval Berkshires, the Miraval mindful wedding is a multi-day, immersive experience customized to honor the couple’s intentions. This one-of-a-kind wedding journey includes a thoughtful wellbeing itinerary for the couple, experiential reconnection opportunities for their guests, and a ceremony and reception filled with mindful touch points. Couples and their wedding party will experience Miraval Berkshires’ signature wellness programs and spa services, culminating in a bespoke wedding celebration that opens the door to...

DENHAM, ENGLAND—IHG Hotels & Resorts (IHG) recently unveiled the latest evolution of its upscale EVEN Hotels brand through an updated design, refreshed restaurant and integrated wellness experience. Developed in collaboration with franchisees, the new EVEN Hotels prototype will be more efficient to build and operate, making investment in the brand more attractive in more markets and driving future growth. With 50 global hotels open or in the pipeline, EVEN Hotels was created to keep travelers’ wellness routines going however they choose to define them. The brand’s evolution will broaden EVEN Hotels’ appeal and capture more demand from guests looking to...

MCLEAN, VA.—Hilton and Peloton Interactive, Inc.v announced an industry-first partnership, making Hilton the first hospitality brand to feature Peloton Bikes across its entire U.S. hotel portfolio of 18 award-winning brands. By the end of the year, nearly all 5,400 U.S. Hilton-branded hotels—from Hampton by Hilton to Waldorf Astoria—will feature at least one Peloton Bike in every fitness center, providing guests with a more holistic wellness experience, including access to Peloton’s world-class instructors and expansive connected fitness content. A recent Hilton survey of U.S. travelers indicated an overwhelming 98 percent of respondents are prioritizing wellness activities while on the road, and...

MENDOZA, ARGENTINA—Argentina’s renowned female winemaker, Susana Balbo, has opened her first hotel, SB Winemaker’s House & Spa Suites, in the famed wine region of Mendoza. After four decades dedicated to the wine industry and international recognitions, Balbo created the bespoke estate and luxury boutique hotel with her daughter, Ana Lovaglio Balbo. The hotel features a sense of place as well as the hostesses’ authentic wine roots in everything from design, décor, and setting to culinary experiences, art, wellness, and nature. It’s also about exclusivity. Guests will feel as if they’re staying in a private estate, where Susana and Ana become...

CHICAGO—Hyatt recently launched a new collaboration between Thompson Hotels and the nation’s largest yoga studio brand, CorePower Yoga, to offer a series of not-your-average rooftop workout classes rooted in the mindfulness of yoga, designed to transform the minds and bodies of guests, CorePower Yoga members and locals. Classes are available complimentary to Thompson Hotels guests at participating properties and accessible to CorePower Yoga members and locals. “At Thompson Hotels, we aim to create valuable experiences that align with the priorities of our guests and that includes how they stay well and fit on the road,” said Crystal Vinisse Thomas, Vice President & Global...

BURLINGAME, CALIF.—To ensure consumers get a full night of deep, restful sleep and wake up refreshed, Standard Fiber, one of the world’s largest suppliers to the home textile market and manufacturer of basic bedding products, has expanded its collaboration with 37.5 Technology, a global leader in sustainable thermoregulation material science, to offer a broader scope of bedding products made with the innovative temperature regulating technology. Bedding made with 37.5 Technology helps keep you warm when you’re cold and cool you down when you’re hot—continually adjusting to maintain a climate of personal comfort throughout the night. By using the thermoregulating properties of volcanic minerals, which...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Green Seal recently announced a prohibition on any per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in all Green Seal-certified cleaning and personal care products. Products certified to Green Seal’s updated standards will be verified to be PFAS-free and to meet one of the highest benchmarks for safety and environmental protection in the marketplace, the group announced. Green Seal’s standards have prohibited long-chain PFAS formally classified as hazardous. However, a growing body of evidence indicates that short-chain PFAS have the same harmful health and environmental effects as the legacy PFAS they are replacing. Green Seal’s updated cleaning and personal care product standards now prohibit...

BOSTON—Force of Nature, the toxin-free cleaning brand on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies in America, launched their new commercial-sized Force of Nature Pro for businesses and organizations of all sizes including spas, hospitals, schools, health clubs, hotels, and more. The brand is making it easier for businesses and organizations to make their facilities toxin-free and sustainable by helping them eliminate single-use plastic bottles and reduce their plastic waste by 97 percent. Force of Nature Pro is an appliance that uses electricity to convert tap water, plus a capsule of salt, water & vinegar, into an all-in-one multi-surface...