Healthy, vibrant communities are critical to the success of hotel businesses. Prosperous communities not only attract guests, but also draw and retain talented associates, drive economic growth and promote hotel development. In response, FedRooms hotel partners have placed a high priority on corporate social responsibility to give back to the communities and people who have contributed so much to their success. 

These social responsibility initiatives vary in focus to positively impact military veterans, charities, the environment and their surrounding communities and neighborhoods. Hilton Worldwide, for example, has promised to hire 10,000 veterans over the next five years through Operation: Opportunity, which is designed to provide support to the United States military veterans and their families. Operation: Opportunity will also include the donation of millions of Hilton HHonors points for veterans to redeem for free hotel stays while seeking jobs. Additional details are as follows:

• An exclusive military rate will offer a discount between 10-15%, and will be valid at hundreds of participating hotels across the country for active and retired U.S. military who book with a special rate code and present a valid military I.D. at check-in.
• A dedicated military career website, www.hiltonworldwide.com/militarycareers, will be available to match military skills with complementary open positions at Hilton Worldwide.
• A Team Member Resource Group for veterans at Hilton Worldwide will launch later this year to promote professional growth and provide perspective to the company from their unique vantage point.
• A campaign will launch to build awareness among veterans that a world-class hospitality company is seeking their skills and experience at all levels.

Hilton was founded by U.S. Army veteran Conrad Hilton nearly a century ago, and has always been a company committed to supporting military veterans and their families. For more information on Operation: Opportunity, click here.

In addition to Hilton’s promise to help veterans and their families, many other hotels such as Carlson Rezidor, Best Western and Hyatt also have corporate responsibility platforms. Click the links below for more detailed information:

• Carlson Rezidor
• Best Western For a Better World
• Hyatt Thrive

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The General Services Administration (GSA) has recently updated the per diem rate changes for the lower 48 Continental United States (CONUS), which are the maximum allowances that federal employees are reimbursed for expenses incurred while on official travel. As of April 1, 2014, Shepherdstown, WV (Jefferson County) is now a non-standard area. The per diem rate for Shepherdstown through September 2014 is $84.

For more information about Federal Per Diem rates on-the-go, download the government-produced Per Diem app to your smart phone! The app allows travelers to quickly look up Federal government per diem rates by city/state and ZIP code in locations throughout the United States and its territories.

• A full list of Per Diem highlights can be found here.

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For frequent travelers, it can be difficult to stick to an exercise routine when constantly on the go. To solve this problem, a number of hotels are now facilitating healthy habits on the road with specific amenities offered to guests in addition to the typical workout room. Just because you have to stay away from home does not mean that you need to break your routine! Here are our top three FedRooms picks for fit travelers:

Kimpton Hotels: Partnering with PUBLIC bikes, Kimpton offers free, rentable bikes for all hotel guests. Kimpton also equips each hotel room with a yoga mat and free, on-demand fitness TV.

Omni Hotels and Resorts: “Get Fit Kits” are offered to all Omni guests, which include a canvas bag, a floor mat, two dumbbells, an elastic exercise band and a booklet with exercise ideas.

Westin Hotels and Resorts: The RunWestin program offers a downloadable trail map and running guide to all guests, along with New Balance clothing and shoes for renting purposes. The Westin also offers guests with the option of booking a room with a treadmill, stationary bike, and other exercise equipment so you do not even have to leave your room to work out!

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