CSR and Sustainability

🏨 easyHotel has secured a £24.5 million loan from CaixaBank for its Spanish expansion, planning to open new properties in Madrid (Spring 2025), Valencia, Barcelona (2025), and Alicante (2026), adding 361 rooms. The hotel chain aims for sustainability with low-carbon rooms reducing CO2 emissions by 20% over 50 years. Previously, easyHotel obtained a £42.5 million loan from Santander UK and £6 million from BRED Banque for a Marseille property, indicating strong financial backing and a focus on growing its network in Spain's dynamic travel hubs.

🍴 New York, January 22, 2025 – The James Beard Foundation announced the semifinalists for the 35th annual James Beard Awards, presented by Capital One. The 2025 Restaurant and Chef Award semifinalists list is available on their website. Renowned for recognizing exceptional talent in the culinary and food media industries, the Foundation introduced three new award categories this year: Best New Bar, Outstanding Professional in Beverage Service, and Outstanding Professional in Cocktail Service. In the past two years, 66% of semifinalists reported a significant increase in business following their nomination. Award nominees will be revealed on April 2, 2025, with the winners celebrated at the Lyric Opera of Chicago on June 16, 2025.

🌱 "Discover 10+ practical ways to make hotels eco-friendly" aligns with eco-conscious travelers’ demands. Tips include saving energy and reducing waste. Authored by Manveen Kaur, the article from Hotelogix Blog was published on January 21, 2025. It suggests steps for sustainability in the hospitality industry.

🏝 European travel and tourism representatives met in Rhodes, Greece, to sign a declaration for sustainable travel and tourism. It establishes a roadmap for collaboration and sustainability goals, emphasizing decarbonisation and policy engagement. Ahead of the EU elections, the declaration advocates for sustainable tourism budget lines and policy support. It reinforces decarbonisation pledges from the Glasgow and Toulouse Declarations, promotes industry awareness, supports SMEs, and encourages education and training. Regular stakeholder meetings will assess progress. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and South Aegean Governor George Hatzimarkos endorsed the event. Organizations involved include A4E, ACI Europe, CLIA, ECTAA, EEIA, ERA, HOTREC, IAAPA, IRU, and Ruraltour.

🍕 Restaurant Pine announces SecondBite 2025 charity event on July 6th at Wylam Brewery, Palace of Arts, Newcastle to support Cancer Research UK. The event aims to surpass last year's £82,063 fundraising total with 20 UK Michelin-starred chefs creating street food dishes, with 500 portions of each available. Entry is free; dish tokens cost £10. Notable chefs include Gareth Ward of Ynyshir, Tom Shepherd of Restaurant Upstairs, and Ian Waller of Restaurant Pine. Proceeds support over 4,000 Cancer Research UK professionals.

🔥 HOTELS Magazine CEO Ali Jahangiri is offering 90 days of free rent to two low-income families displaced by the L.A. wildfires. Available are two newly remodeled, furnished apartments in Costa Mesa, CA, with 2 bedrooms and 1 bathroom each. Affected families can apply by contacting Cole O’Neil at cole@jvgroupinc.com. Decisions will be made shortly to provide some relief to victims of the disaster.

🎨 INNSiDE Liverpool collaborates with dot-art for art classes starting from 2nd March with Botanical Collage, 23rd March features Recycled Liver Bird, concluding with Bookmark Weaving on 27th April 2024. Classes at £45 each include a drink and are held at the hotel's Sky Bar with panoramic city views. An overnight stay is offered from £99, plus a 10% discount on in-house dining. The hotel, located at Old Hall Street, Liverpool L3 9LQ, hosts quarterly art exhibitions featuring local talent.

🏨 ATPI Group, a global travel and events management company, partners with Saudi Arabia's Arjaa Travel to expand in the Middle East. Headquartered in Al Khobar, Arjaa Travel is part of Almajdouie Group from Damman. The partnership promises improved travel solutions, integrating services for strategic planning and analytics. This collaboration anticipates growth aligned with major events like the AFC Asian Cup 2027 and FIFA World Cup 2034 in Saudi Arabia.

🔥 Wildfires in Los Angeles' Palisades and Eaton areas since Tuesday morning have burned over 27 square miles, claimed at least five lives, caused hundreds of thousands to evacuate, and destroyed several eateries, including Reel Inn, Cholada Thai Cuisine, Rosenthal Wine Bar & Patio, and a McDonald’s. Reel Inn, operating for 36 years, launched a GoFundMe for staff. Other closed restaurants listed on Eater include Rancho Bar, Side Pie, and Fox’s. The blaze is now LA’s deadliest fire, with expectations of a rising death toll.

🌍 Sustainable events prioritize their impact on the economy, society, and environment, involving digital alternatives to paper, encouraging eco-friendly transportation, using data analytics for improvement, partnering with green tech vendors, and fostering a culture of sustainability. Event professionals are transitioning to digital floorplans and immersive walkthroughs, reducing travel emissions with digital twins, and promoting public transit, carpooling, or electric vehicles. Analytics help track and refine energy and waste reduction strategies, while collaboration with eco-focused vendors and a sustainability-centric culture attract talent and guests.