CSR and Sustainability

🏆 WASHINGTON—2026 Star of the Industry Award winners were announced at the Night of a Thousand Stars Gala in Los Angeles, where 400 industry leaders gathered. The event, hosted by AHLA and AHLA Foundation, raised over $1.1M for career development in hospitality. Mit Shah was honored with the 2026 Arne Sorenson Social Impact Leadership Award. Key awardees include Anntoinette Peterson (Cleveland, OH), Brandon Markle (Lansing, MI), Daniel De La Cruz (Santa Barbara, CA), and Jazmen Wilkerson (Baltimore, MD).

🌱 Sudamala Resorts, January 2026, Labuan Bajo, Indonesia: Sudamala Resorts introduces a solar energy system at Seraya resort, supplying 80–85% of energy needs with 480 solar panels and a 770 kWh Battery Storage System, reducing 370,000 kg of carbon emissions annually. The resort wins Best Sustainability Program at the ASEANTA Awards 2026. Initiatives include coral reef restoration, waste management, and community projects, highlighting their commitment to eco-friendly tourism and cultural preservation.

🍳 Bangkok, 2025: Lever Foundation reports 69% of Thailand's hotel industry, over 115,000 rooms, pledge for cage-free eggs. Six hotel groups, including COMO and Capella, complete transitions early. Another 28 groups, like Marriott and Hilton, plan global cage-free policies. 31% remain without commitments, including Dusit International. Cage-free eggs are safer and more humane. Lever Foundation aids hotels in adopting sustainable practices, emphasizing food safety and animal welfare.

📃 PATA and Phuket Hotels Association signed a Memorandum of Understanding in Bangkok. The agreement, signed by PATA CEO Noor Ahmad Hamid and PHA Executive Director Jayne MacDougall, aims to promote Phuket as a sustainable tourism destination and includes mutual event promotions, networking opportunities, and knowledge sharing. PHA represents over 110 hotels in Phuket, focusing on destination marketing, education, and environmental action. PATA, founded in 1951, fosters tourism in the Pacific Asia region.

🌏 PATA and APOLA signed an MOU on January 22, 2026, at the Thailand Tourism Forum in Bangkok. APOLA, a not-for-profit, focuses on sustainable growth in Asia Pacific's outdoor lodging, growing annually by 11%. The partnership includes reciprocal membership access, research exchange, and event promotion. Demand for eco-friendly lodgings has surged post-COVID. Both organizations aim to advance sustainable tourism and set industry standards.

🌞 MGM Resorts now powers 100% of its daytime electricity on the Las Vegas Strip with solar energy. Starting December 2025, they receive 115 MW from the Escape Solar and Storage Project in Nevada. The project includes 400 MWh of battery storage. MGM's 25-year agreement with Escape Solar LLC, signed in September 2024, supports their goal of using 100% renewable electricity by 2030, with significant solar installations at various properties, enhancing sustainability and energy cost stability.

📈 January 22, 3:00 p.m. CT marks a pivotal moment for hotel energy reporting. The 12th Revised Edition of USALI introduces a structured Energy, Water, and Waste (EWW) schedule, enhancing financial transparency. Energy ranks as a major hotel expense after labor, influencing profits directly. The Energy account now includes electricity, fuels, renewable energy, and vehicle fuels in both cost and consumption terms. This standardization aids financial reporting, ESG transparency, and boosts operational efficiency across 30,000+ global hotels.

💧 Since 2011, GCSTIMES, with centers in China, US, UAE, France, and Australia, has advanced sustainable practices, serving 140+ countries. Focused on water management and air pollution control, they aid over 100,000 hospitality groups in eco-friendly transitions. By innovating in sustainable materials and smart cards, they fuse technology with cultural preservation, enhancing global heritage through brands like GCS and AUROkeys, promoting a greener footprint in hotels and resorts worldwide.

🏨 Hilton Anaheim, one of the largest West Coast hotels near major convention centers and theme parks, integrates sustainability into its operations. Utilizing LightStay, Hilton’s sustainability platform, the hotel has achieved emissions reductions equivalent to removing 1,700 cars. Recent renovations include 100% LED lighting, smart thermostats, and low-flow water fixtures, enhancing energy and water efficiency. Waste reduction partnerships, such as with Clean the World, have significantly decreased plastic use across its 1,500+ rooms.