CSR and Sustainability

📋 Hotels are partnering with sustainable suppliers for property design, focusing on responsible flooring choices. GREENGUARD Gold Certified and FSC-certified products are emphasized. Signature Flooring products meet low-VOC and other standards, contributing to healthful indoor environments. Sustainable flooring offers better durability and lower lifecycle costs, narrowing price gaps with traditional options. Woodura technology, using 1/10th the lumber, increases durability and ease of maintenance. Future trends include circular economy principles, lower embodied carbon, and multifunctional performance.

🏃‍♂️ Leaders in hospitality launch "Hospitality Beats Cancer" with Cancer Research UK to fund life-saving research. The campaign aims to raise £10 million through global events such as a cricket match in Papua New Guinea and a charity walk along Hadrian’s Wall. The launch at Mishcon de Reya, London, saw over 150 senior figures. Current partners feature Castlebridge Hospitality and STR, among others. Cancer Research UK supports over 4,000 scientists.

🌱 Green Project Technologies and HowGood partnered in New York to enhance carbon footprinting and supplier engagement. HowGood will focus on food and beverage suppliers using Carbon Trust-certified methods, while Green Project will address packaging, logistics, and services. The collaboration aims to improve Scope 3 emissions data and support industries in reducing their carbon footprint. CEOs Sam Stark and Alexander Gillet emphasize the importance of precise data for effective emissions reduction strategies, especially in complex food ingredient measurements.

🚨 Today, in Phoenix, AZ, the Arizona House of Representatives issued a proclamation recognizing the hotel industry's prevention efforts against human trafficking. The American Hotel & Lodging Association's "No Room for Trafficking" initiative, launched in 2020, has provided free training in over 34 languages, completed over 2.6 million times. Arizona State Representative Justin Wilmeth introduced the proclamation, emphasizing the industry's commitment to safety and dignity through strategic partnerships and employee education programs.

🌊 In the Westfjords of Iceland, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, Saltverk produces flaky sea salt using geothermal energy. This method requires 90% of the seawater to be evaporated. The company prides itself on using pure, uncontaminated Arctic seawater, avoiding additives and anti-caking agents. The process is labor-intensive, with salt hand-harvested, contributing to its premium status. Saltverk claims to be Iceland's sole producer of this premium grade salt, certified climate neutral.

🏨 Arizona House of Representatives, on February 2026, in Phoenix, issued a proclamation recognizing the hotel industry's anti-human trafficking efforts. This acknowledgment highlighted the work of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) and Arizona Lodging & Tourism Association (AzLTA) in employee training and partnerships with law enforcement. State Representative Justin Wilmeth introduced the proclamation, commending these initiatives. AHLA's Rosanna Maietta and AzLTA's Kim Grace Sabow praised the legislative support for their ongoing community protection efforts.

🏨 IHG's Vignette Collection reached 10 open hotels in Greater China since its 2023 entry. Launched globally in 2021, the collection enhances urban renewal while respecting local culture. At THE ONE Shanghai Downtown, it partners with local artists, supporting educational initiatives. Vignette's ethos emphasizes authenticity, aiming for memorable guest experiences. The brand plans further expansion, boosting IHG's luxury and lifestyle presence in the region.

🏨 Hospitality industry faces sustainability challenges. Over 40 years, sustainability frameworks like Green Key, LEED, and EarthCheck expanded, yet practical integration lags (UNWTO, 2021; WTTC, 2022). Deloitte (2023) and McKinsey (2021) report low employee engagement due to unaligned tasks and lack of impact visibility. Sustainability actions, often treated as transactional, fail to become cultural, as noted by Harvard Business Review (2018). Leaders must embed sustainability into daily activities to achieve meaningful change.

💰 Red Roof partners with Canine Companions from February 2 to February 26, 2026, to support service dog provision. Guests staying at Red Roof Inn, Red Roof PLUS+, HomeTowne Studios by Red Roof, or The Red Collection can save 15% and have 5% of their purchase donated. Since 1975, Canine Companions has placed over 8,400 service dogs. The initiative is part of Red Roof's Room In Your Heart program, which previously supported organizations like St. Jude and United Way.

📚 Apex Hotels and Queen Margaret University rekindled their partnership in January 2026 to launch a scholarship program for hospitality students. Apex will invest £60,000 over four years, aiding up to 20 students with £3,000 each. The first cohort includes five students, chosen in January at Edinburgh's Apex Waterloo Place Hotel. The initiative provides financial aid, industry insights, networking, and job opportunities, reinforcing Scotland's hospitality talent pipeline.