Cala Luna Boutique Hotel & Villas strives to protect the environment and educate guests about its importance, all while providing world-class service in a paradisiacal setting. Travelers are getting savvier and are taking into consideration their carbon footprint while booking their vacation and even business trips. They are also thinking about the impact they have on the local community with over tourism becoming an important global issue. Cala Luna is proud to hold the highest Sustainable Tourism certification (level five) from the Costa Rican Tourism Institute. Their sustainability efforts include solar energy, sustainably-farmed produce, bamboo straws, beach cleanups, and more. READ MORE

The coronavirus pandemic continues to have a devastating impact on the hospitality industry. Designers and Architects will be challenged to find ways to make guests feel comfortable, safe and free from exposure to pathogens, while at the same time creating an invigorating and meaningful hospitality experience. The new normal in hotel design will need to use touchless technology to overcome the inherent danger of virus spreading from potentially infected surfaces to guests and hotel staff. Advancements in smart phone applications, facial recognition, voice commands, motion detection, heat sensors and virtual reality will be employed to create an enduring sense of safety in the hospitality environment. READ MORE

Sustainability is more than a buzz word; it is one of the most important issues currently facing our world. For hotels, it's doubly important because of its significant impact on the business' reputation and bottom line. This is why savvy hoteliers have turned their focus on making improvements to conserve energy and water. Sadly, towel & linen reuse programs have become so ubiquitous in hospitality that it has lost its meaning –or worse, it has gained a bad rap among clients don't understand them, see them as a marketing ploy or aren't informed enough about its underlying environmental cause. Do these programs really make a difference? Can they be done better? READ MORE

The most effective decisions regarding sustainability in a building facility are made in the early design and pre-construction stages. Traditional Computer Aided Design (CAD) planning environments, do not support the possibility of such early decisions. Energy and performance analysis are typically conducted, if at all, after the architectural design and construction documents have been produced. This lack of integration into the design process leads to an inefficient process of retroactively modifying the design to achieve a set of performance criteria. In order to assess building performance in the early design and pre-construction phases realistically, access to a comprehensive set of information regarding a building's form, materials, context, and technical systems is required. READ MORE

Hotels that set ambitious sustainability goals must address unique infrastructure, operations, and purchasing challenges, often without a road map. Those that succeed find the effort is worthwhile, enjoying water, energy and cost savings, increases in corporate bookings, and higher staff morale. But to get there, staff report the need for technical training, access to local networks, and support systems for solving problems. Where to begin? In an interview with eco-certifier Green Seal, the Fairmont Chicago's Colleen Sweitzer offers a firsthand account from a property that has reaped significant business benefits from its sustainability achievements. READ MORE