Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) gathered two of its committees at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in Virginia for a combined summit event in early March—professionals on AHLA’s sustainability and food and beverage committees convened for the 2026 AHLA Responsible Stay and Food & Beverage summits, which have previously been held separately. The ways in which sustainability and food and beverage overlap was a leading topic of discussion for the event, highlighting how hotels nationwide address responsible sourcing, food waste reduction, water conservation, and everything in between.
“Hotels are anchors in their communities and their success ripples through local economies,” says Lauren Pravlik, vice present for committees and member engagement at AHLA, in a prepared statement. “Helping our members operate more efficiently isn’t just good for the environment, it’s also good for their bottom line and for the communities they serve. The tools and resources we have built through our ‘Responsible Stay’ initiative are designed to meet hoteliers where they are, whether they’re just getting started or looking to go further, and events like this are where that work comes to life.”
AHLA launched the “Responsible Stay” initiative in 2022, aimed at helping the more than 30,000 properties it represents reduce environmental impact and operating costs. This year’s summit featured the presentation of the Sustainable Hospitality and Leadership in Design Awards, recognizing these hotels’ progress on sustainability efforts, which were bestowed in collaboration with MindClick (a data-driven sustainability insights program based in Bend, Oregon). The honorees included the following:
- Hotel Verdant (Racine, Wisconsin): Public Space and Guest Room Winner
- Miraval Arizona Resort and Spa (Tucson, Arizona): Other Hospitality Winner
- The Inn at Celebration, Autograph Collection (Kissimmee, Florida): Honorable Mention for Reuse and Repurpose
- Renaissance Boston Seaport District (Boston, Massachusetts): Overall Winner
Additionally, San Francisco’s Argonaut Hotel was named the 2026 Green Key Global Property of the Year, presented by Green Key Global (co-owned by AHLA and based in Ottawa, Ontario), and Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts (of Toronto, Ontario) was given the Hotel Kitchen Champion Award from the World Wildlife Fund (which has its U.S. headquarters in Washington, D.C.) for the hotel company’s leadership in eco-friendly food and beverage practices.
