Marriott reports on its sustainability and social impact, the Ring elevates the healthy workplace movement, and don’t miss the HD Awards ceremony next week. All that and more in this week’s Five on Friday.
Marriott examines its environmental and social progress
The recently opened Delta Hotels by Marriott Dallas Southlake, designed by Merriman Anderson Architects (MAA)
This week, Marriott International released its 2021 Serve 360 Report, which is guided by—and evaluates the hotel giant’s progress toward—its 2025 Sustainability and Social Impact Goals. The new report delves into information and data from the 2020 fiscal year and is split up into four categories. Key takeaways include: Marriott is on track to reach its goal of reducing carbon emissions by 30 percent by 2025, and the company’s goal to invest in 250 adaptive reuse hotel projects is ahead of schedule, according to TravelPulse. However, the goal to have all hotels certified to a recognized sustainability standard is behind schedule. The corporation also plans to invest $35 million to develop hospitality skills in at-risk and underserved communities by 2025 and has so far invested $8 million since 2016. Peruse the full report here.
Ecofriendly coworking space the Ring looks to enhance performance
Workspaces just got a whole lot greener in Clearwater, Florida. The Ring, a new 18,000-square-foot coworking concept founded by investor Daniels Ikajevs, intends to become the healthiest office out there. According to DesignWell, the space features a biophilic design chockablock with greenery, natural wood and cork elements, and wellbeing-focused smart technologies such as specialized air ventilation systems and lighting that mimics the outdoor environment to reinforce users’ circadian rhythms. The Ring is working towards becoming WELL Certified and participated in a recent Harvard study that considers the impact indoor air quality has on human cognition.
The New York Times considers fashion exhibitions
The “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” exhibit at Brooklyn Museum; photo courtesy of Here And Now Agency
Beginning tomorrow, not one, but two of New York’s largest and most-talked-about museum exhibitions will be dedicated to fashion. “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams” is now on view at the Brooklyn Museum through February 20th, 2022, while “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion” at the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Costume Institute runs September 18th, 2021 through September 5th, 2022. To that end, two editors from the New York Times—chief fashion critic Vanessa Friedman and classical music editor Zachary Woolfe—sat down to review the differences of the shows, what kinds of garments belong in a museum, and to debate fashion exhibit versus runway show. “The whole thing may make visitors think twice about American fashion, which was the goal,” Friedman says of the Met show. “That said, I also bet people will be drawn to the Dior show, which demands less of the viewer.” Read the full, engaging exchange here.
Hospitality technology startup Heard hits the ground running
Heard, a Jupiter, Florida-based company co-owned by legendary golfer Tiger Woods, has secured $10 million in funding, according to the Business Journals. The platform vertically integrates hospitality industry needs—including point-of-sale, hardware, software, and payment processing—and aims to eliminate the necessity for third-party solutions. Heard was cofounded by former Wall Street veteran and hospitality entrepreneur Greg Bartoli and tech entrepreneur Chris Langbein. The preferred equity funding round, led by New York-headquartered Diameter Capital Management, increases the value of the startup to $100 million.
The HD Awards are almost here!
The Baja Club Hotel in Baja California Sur, Mexico, a finalist in the Restorations, Transformations, + Conversions category
In four short days, Hospitality Design magazine will announce the winners of the 17th annual HD Awards live and in person in New York. The ceremony will take place at Cipriani South Street, beginning with a cocktail reception at 7 p.m. Our 14 judges (10 for projects, four for products) thoughtfully looked through more than 1,000 entries and narrowed it down to 147 finalists from across the globe in various disciplines. Additionally, we will honor our Hotelier and Design Firm of the Year—Ave Bradley of Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants and AvroKO, respectively—as well as HD/West Elm Student Design Product Competition winner Archana Menon, and the inaugural winner of the Hospitality Diversity Action Council’s (HDAC) Awards of Excellence, Dyonne Fashina of Denizens of Design. Don’t miss out—purchase tickets today!
