CSR and Sustainability

🏥 Amanda Hite, president of STR, a CoStar Group company, will be honored as the 2025 Shatterproof Hospitality Heroes honoree for her efforts against addiction stigma during the eighth annual Hospitality Heroes Reception at ALIS on January 29, 2025, in Norwalk, Connecticut. The event, raising funds to transform addiction treatment in the U.S., has collected over $5 million with the support of 100+ hotel companies and 500+ employees since its inception. Hite's involvement includes rappelling for the Shatterproof Challenge and serving on various industry boards. The hospitality sector has twice the rate of substance use disorders compared to other industries.

🏠 Shannon Knapp, CEO of Leading Hotels of the World (LHW), credits her study abroad experience in Geneva and her tenure at American Express's Travel division as formative to her hospitality career. LHW, with over 400 hotels in 80+ countries, launched the Sustainability Leaders collection in October 2023, recognizing nearly 100 hotels for sustainable practices aligned with the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) criteria. The brand has observed a 30% revenue increase for hotels with Spa-Inclusive programs and a 10% extension in guest stays.

📝 Hospitality industry faces 70-80% annual employee turnover, with low wages, long hours, and limited growth opportunities as key reasons. Hospitality America is combating this with mentorship programs led by Justin Deyo, Corporate Director of Operations, who has 20 years of experience. Mentoring includes imparting guest interaction protocols and operation best practices, aiming to foster a sense of value among employees. Notable statistics: 90% of workers with mentors are happy in their jobs, mentored employees are five times more likely to be promoted, 84% of Fortune 500 companies offer mentorship programs, yet only 37% of workers have a mentor. Since the pandemic, mentoring initiatives increased by 30% in organizations. Hospitality America's program emphasizes a culture of PEACH—Passionate, Excellence, Adaptable, Community, Humble—to guide success.

🏨 DoubleTree Suites by Hilton Salt Lake City Downtown, managed by HRI Hospitality and redesigned by Studio 11, completed renovation of its central atrium, lobby, guestrooms, food and beverage concepts, fitness center, and indoor pool. Featuring 241 all-suite rooms, the hotel showcases a new aesthetic inspired by Salt Lake City with geometric carpeting, SLC-inspired artwork, and updated amenities including Crabtree & Evelyn products. Red Beryl Kitchen and Red Beryl Bar offer Southwest cuisine and local beers. Sustainability initiatives include Wi-Suite thermostats and LED lighting.

💪 Mandela Day on 18 July saw City Lodge Hotels' 59 hotels engaging in charity, including cleaning, painting, and donating food to Johannesburg Children’s Home, maintenance for Ikholwa Hope Children Home, soup for Rose Happy Times Elderly Home, cupcakes and juice for Aruka Foundation, an Amazing Race with Reach for a Dream Foundation, and contributing to Chefs With Compassion’s #67000L Soup Drive. George team packed 30,888 meals, while Cape Town hotels provided lunch, activities, and essential items to farm workers’ children. Used hotel linen and soap are recycled into school shirts and new soap bars, with plans to expand these initiatives. COO Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo emphasises the hotel group's year-round commitment to charity, especially on Mandela Day.

💰 Nashville-based Twice Daily, a Tri Star Energy brand, saw a 225% sales increase from January 23 to December 22, 2023, after integrating Paytronix Order and Delivery with its loyalty program. The integration also led to a 55% monthly increase in online orders and a 95% rise in unique customers. Tri Star Energy, established in 2000, operates over 200 convenience stores and supplies fuel across 17 states. The company also owns 20 White Bison Coffee shops in Tennessee and Alabama.

📈 Noida, India-based RateGain Travel Technologies announced Q1 FY2025 financial results on August 12, 2024. Revenue surged by 21.2% YoY to INR 2,600.1 Mn, with operating margins growing to 19.1%. Profit After Tax (PAT) skyrocketed by 82.2% to INR 453.8 Mn. The company boasts a robust pipeline of INR 5,553.1 Mn and an all-time high Annual Recurring Revenue of INR 10,400.4 Mn. RateGain continues to outperform with a 15.7x LTV to CAC ratio and INR 13.0 Mn Revenue per Employee. The global team of 801 maintains a low attrition rate of 10.9%.

📈 Palantir Technologies Inc. partnered with Wendy’s Quality Supply Chain Co-op to boost digital transformation and AI uptake. QSCC, serving over 6,400 Wendy’s in the U.S. and Canada, aims for a fully integrated Supply Chain Network with AI-driven workflows. Initially, QSCC will employ Palantir’s AI Platform for improved decision-making, followed by supply chain management and waste prevention applications. This collaboration is set to enhance sales, operations, and provide Wendy’s a competitive edge, leveraging Palantir's success in enhancing food industry operations with AI.

🏨 As of May, the U.S. faced 8.1 million job openings with only 6.6 million unemployed persons to fill them. Hotel wages have increased by over 15% post-pandemic, yet 76% of hoteliers report being short-staffed. With 61% of Americans planning overnight leisure travel this summer, hotel staffing shortfalls persist. The AHLA pushes for expanded H-2B visas, an initiative backed by President Biden's March legislation, and advocates for more visa allotments, extended durations, and quicker work authorizations for asylum seekers. Concurrently, the AHLA Foundation invests in workforce development, including a Department of Labor-funded apprenticeship program and over $1 million in hospitality scholarships annually, targeting nearly two million hospitality employees and 200+ career opportunities.

🏠 Dorothée Meilichzon transforms London's Henrietta Hotel restaurant into a Parisian bistro with chef Jackson Boxer. Offering classic French cuisine with British twists, such as grilled snails and raclette burgers, the interior features art nouveau, oakwood panelling, and leather, mixing the essence of British pubs with French brasseries. Meilichzon creates a cozy space with red Coralito marble counters, bulbous brass lights, forest-green paint, and bespoke seating banquettes. Henri celebrates Covent Garden's historic market with dim lighting and continues Meilichzon's collaboration with the Experimental Group.