ALPHARETTA, GA.—Registration is now open for HD Expo + Conference 2020, North America’s largest event for hospitality design. A bold, experiential showcase of products, services, and industry thought leaders will return to the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas from May 5 to 7, 2020, setting the stage for never-before-seen innovations, interactive experiences and insightful educational programming. “HD Expo is the stage for next-generation product innovations shaping the hospitality design industry,” said Kevin Gaffney, Vice President and Group Show Director for HD Expo. “It is a must-attend event that creates long-lasting professional connections, sparks ideas and inspiration, and pushes...

LONDON—Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has released its annual Luxury Travel Trends Report, looking ahead at what will be shaping the luxury boutique experience in the coming year. From bio-architecture and conscience-free cuisine to dispersed hotels and ultimate relaxation methods, the report has been crafted from the creative, inspiring and novel elements introduced by the luxury brand’s more than 520 independent hotels that together reflect the emergence of a movement or burgeoning trend. For 2020, these small, nimble and progressive hotels continue to set the standard for luxury in the ever-changing travel landscape. The full report is...

DEPOE BAY, ORE.—Soul Community Planet (SCP), a Holistic Hospitality company providing fair-priced lodging centered on the values of personal wellness, social good and the environment, announced the newly renovated SCP Depoe Bay has opened. Located near many of Oregon’s top surf breaks, most picturesque shorelines and best fishing, the new lodge features bohemian-style guestrooms, a communal coworking space, fitness and yoga studio, and Provisions market. “Each SCP venue uniquely embodies the values of Soul, Community and Planet,” said Soul Community Planet Co-Founder and CEO Ken Cruse. “SCP Depoe Bay has been renovated into an intimate surf lodge—ideal for coastal adventure-seekers...

ORLANDO, FLA.—Violet Defense Group announced that it has raised an additional $2 million in funding for its germ-killing business, Violet Defense and its agricultural lighting business, Violet Gro. This round of capital was led by Kirenaga Partners, an early-stage venture capital firm with offices in New York and Orlando, Fla. “This infusion of additional capital will enable us to take both companies to their next level of growth, including further build-out of our management team and the product inventory necessary to accelerate the rich pipeline of opportunities that are developing for our products,” added Terrance Berland, CEO of Violet Defense Group. Violet Defense...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Wyndham Garden, part of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with more than 9,200 hotels in over 80 countries, showcased Arbor: a cost-effective, new-construction prototype with a fresh perspective on guest experience and a smart layout designed to maximize efficiencies and challenge rising construction costs. As part of Wyndham’s efforts to maximize value for owners, Arbor aims to reduce construction costs while enriching the guest experience. The four-story, 110-room prototype is inspired by the harmony of nature, bringing the outside in with elements of dappled light, textured wood, natural fabrics and flexible outdoor space. The...

BANGKOK—Mark Sands has been promoted to Vice President of Wellness at Six Senses Hotels Resorts Spas. Joining the group in 2011 as Area Spa Director, Sands played a significant role in creating and launching many of the brand’s wellness initiatives, while successfully leading spa operations. He’s been working closely with the technical services team on many aspects of spa development and most recently supported the launch of Mission Wellness, the group-wide host well-being initiative. Prior to joining Six Senses, Sands worked at the world-renowned Ananda in the Himalayas for six years. A fan of traditional medicine, in particular Ayurveda, Sand’s...

As ingrained as sustainability has become in our industry’s leading hotel companies, few individual brands have emerged as truly green brands. 1 Hotels comes to mind, of course, but there are few others. As reported on Green Lodging News last month, Lucky Shepherd recently launched its Shepherd Eco sustainable hospitality brand. The first hotel will open in 2022 in Miami. I spoke with Christine Menedis, Lucky Shepherd Co-Founder and CEO last week about her company’s new brand. Menedis told me the Miami property is one of several Shepherd Eco properties in development. The others will be in other cities. Ground will be...

CHICAGO—Hyatt Hotels Corp. and Headspace, a leader in mindfulness and meditation with nearly 60 million users in 190 countries, announced a new global wellbeing collaboration between Hyatt and Headspace that will bring mindfulness exercises, guided meditations and sleep content to millions of employees, corporate customers and guests. This exclusive collaboration is set to launch at Hyatt-branded hotels around the world in the coming months. The alliance with Headspace builds on Hyatt’s holistic wellbeing strategy, which focuses on positively impacting how employees, corporate customers and guests feel, fuel and function—Hyatt’s three landmarks of wellbeing—at work and in life. This collaboration uniquely...

NEW YORK CITY—The WELL Conference, a rich, experiential event for those committed to improving the health and well-being of people through better buildings, communities and organizations, announces that registration is now open for this inaugural event taking place March 29 to April 1, 2020 at the Fairmont Princess in Scottsdale, Ariz. Attendees can register online at thewellconference.com. A first-of-its-kind wellness gathering, The WELL Conference is a curation of information and inspiration from thought leaders, experts and innovators representing multiple sectors of the wellness movement. Registrants may choose from several options to meet various interests, budgets and time considerations. Those wishing to attend are...

The National Restaurant Association just released the results of its annual What’s Hot Culinary Forecast. The What’s Hot survey was conducted in November-December 2019. More than 600 American Culinary Federation chefs rated 133 individual trends in 12 categories, identified in partnership with Technomic, Inc. What is clear from the survey is that sustainability, health and wellness are top of mind among chefs. The top 10 overall trends include: eco-friendly packaging, plant-based proteins, delivery-friendly menu items, healthy bowls, scratch made, creativity with catering, revamped classic cocktails, stress relievers, specialty burger blends, and unique beef and pork cuts. According to NRA, eco-friendly packaging...