CSR and Sustainability

🏡 The Social Hub's expansion into Portugal starts with a 271-room hub in Porto's Bonjardim district, opening in spring 2025, featuring coworking spaces, a bar, rooftop pool, and 39 long-term apartments. A €60 million investment develops 11,200sqm in Porto, with plans for Lisbon. Florence's Social Hub Belfiore opens February 2025 with 550 rooms and an 80,000 sqm space including a 7,000 sqm park. Rome's Social Hub opens March 2025 with 392 rooms and a 24,000 sqm space with a 10,000 sqm park. The TSH Talent Foundation donates 1% of global revenue to social initiatives.

🏨 Solenne Ojea Devys, at the helm of OKKO Hotels since its founding in 2014, aims to align the business with strong values and a sustainable, responsible hotel model. The company's strategy focuses on consolidating existing practices, training 100% of employees, increasing soft mobility usage from 8% to 20% by 2025, and structuring a purchasing policy with CSR criteria, including partnerships with EcoVadis, B Corp, or mission-driven companies. Devys emphasizes carbon footprint reduction, food waste combat, and waste sorting. She also prioritizes sector-wide evolution through open sharing of actions and best practices. OKKO Hotels introduced the “A hotel for my parents” initiative, offering 200 free nights per year in each Paris hotel, totaling 1,000 nights, in partnership with Fondation Comyces pour l'Enfance. Devys encourages industry-wide participation in social commitment projects.

🏨 Lynsey Kreitzer, influenced by a college friend, began her hospitality career in a sales position at a hotel in Cleveland, Ohio. Her parents, especially her mother's empathy and leadership and her father's work ethic and integrity, shaped her values. Kreitzer is optimistic about the future of diversity and inclusion in the industry, noting advancements in training and best practices. She also highlights the lodging industry's progress in promoting women to leadership roles and the importance of mentorship for all genders.

🌾 Kainoa Horcajo, founder and principal of Mo'olelo Group, discussed integrating culture into hospitality on March 1, 2025. The insights are aimed at benefiting businesses and the people they serve. The episode includes resources and music by Clay Bassford from Bespoke Sound: Music Identity Design for Hospitality Brands. The podcast is available on Hospitality Daily Podcast's website and Buzzsprout.

🏕 Armony Marival Resort & Spa Punta de Mita, part of Accor’s MGallery Hotel Collection, opens in Punta de Mita, Mexico, marking the brand's debut in the country. The luxury resort boasts 212 guest rooms, 56 suites with balconies and terraces overlooking the Pacific, and features biophilic design and Huichol-inspired decor. Six dining venues offer local cuisine, including Divum Restaurant with zero-kilometer fare. The spa provides seven treatment cabins and a Huichol shaman-led Pacific Ceremony. The resort supports the Pietro Rizzuto Foundation and Fundación de Corazón de Niña. MGallery Hotel Collection comprises over 120 boutique hotels globally.

☕ Starbucks is slashing 1,100 current support jobs and numerous unfilled positions, with notifications sent on Feb. 25. This is part of the "Back to Starbucks" initiative for operational efficiency and technological advancements in the partner and customer experience. CEO Brian Niccol announced the global support team restructuring, which includes 16,000 employees, on Feb. 24 but does not impact retail store personnel. North American VP+ leaders must now be present in Seattle or Toronto offices three days weekly.

🔴 Hilton and American Express donated 20,000 hotel room nights to families affected by recent LA wildfires, aiding over 5,000 adults and 2,000 children. The collaboration with 211 LA resulted in bookings at over 160 Hilton-branded California hotels, providing immediate shelter. The Beverly Hilton transformed meeting rooms into 'comfort zones' and organized pet-friendly areas, while Hilton Garden Inn LAX El Segundo sparked a local donation drive. Over the past five years, the companies have provided over 2 million rooms during crises.

💸 Amanda Hite was honored with the 2025 Shatterproof Hospitality Hero Award by Shatterproof, a nonprofit organization, during the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS) in Los Angeles, California. She became the first woman and seventh recipient of the award. Hospitality executives raised $2.1 million for Shatterproof at the event. The hospitality industry has donated over $9.6 million to Shatterproof since 2016. Hospitality brands are pledging to adopt Shatterproof’s Just Five program and support the annual Walks to End Addiction Stigma.