Supporting green initiatives: making a difference as a hospitality establishment

Looking for sustainable initiatives for your hotel or hostel?  

Keep on reading this good practice to discover an interesting choice for hospitality businesses to support ongoing green projects, while involving guests and employees in a meaningful experience, where they can see the concrete impact of their choices. 

Picture courtesy of Kapellerput Hotel

The benefits of charity 

If you and your business care about the impacts of the hospitality industry on the environment and society, you may want to help mitigate the negative effects. However, if you are not an environmental specialist, you might ask yourself ‘How do I do it?’ 

Kapellerput Hotel and Conferentiehotel Kontakt der Kontinenten, both Green Key certified hotels from the Netherlands, have shared their solution to maximise the positive impact of their charity efforts and turn it into awareness-raising experiences for the guests and staff: 

contributing to the (re)forestation projects through the Hotels for Trees initiative. 

An opportunity 

 "Hotels for Trees is a non-profit initiative that invites guests to actively participate in the hotel's commitment to sustainability. Guests staying multiple nights at a participating hotel can choose to skip the daily cleaning service, thereby saving resources and contributing to the planting of a tree instead!" 

Tree planting is an initiative that contributes to the environment in multiple ways: 

• Trees remove the carbon from the atmosphere, one of the main drivers and causes of climate change and global warming.  

• Planting native tree species helps preserve and sustain endangered ecosystems. 

• New trees fight with deforestation and desertification and offer green areas for people around the world to enjoy. 

• More trees and bushes can help restore dunes and protect coastal areas from floods.  

• More Trees will improve water management and increase biodiversity 

The programme 

Hotels for Trees is a free programme that any hotel can easily join without obligations. From the guest’s perspective the process works as follows:   

1. Upon arrival, guests are informed about the initiative: during their stay, each day they have an option to put a designated Hotels for Trees door hanger outside of their room.  

2. If the hanger is on the door, the housekeeping team skips the daily cleaning for the guest. 

3. That information is then entered into an online platform. The next day, the guest can see that the ‘Planted trees’ counter on the hotel’s website has been updated - now, thanks to their choice, a new tree will be planted.  

Once per month, a hotel receives an invoice in accordance with the number of trees planted. All donations from the hotels are spent on (re-)forestation projects across the globe or used for running and growing Hotels for Trees.  

With each donation, a certificate is given, stating exactly which trees in which projects have been made possible by the joint donation of the hotels. However, the initiative does not end here! 

Involving other stakeholders 

Shortly after the launch of Hotels for Trees, another opportunity was unveiled: many hotels rent out their spaces for business meetings, conferences, and events. However, these guests often do not stay overnight. A sub-label program “Meetings for Trees” was then invented, to allow hotels to engage with their other stakeholders. 

With the fixed cost of 5 EUR per tree, meeting organisers are approached with an opportunity to partially compensate the carbon emissions related to their event, and plant new trees through the Meetings for Trees initiative.  

Picture courtesy of Kapellerput Hotel

Numbers from the network 

Kapellerput Hotel, in Eindhoven, extends the opportunity to donate 5 EUR and plant a tree to one-night guests. Even though there is no possibility to skip the daily cleaning, hotel guests can still get involved and have their share in the tree planting initiative. As a result, the hotel has planted over 2,600 trees in total.  

 As of July 2024, Conferentiehotel Kontakt der Kontinenten has funded 3, 167 trees through the Hotel for Trees and 444 trees through Meetings for Trees. 

Hidden value 

So, in how many ways can Hotels for Trees help your establishment make a tangible impact on the environment and engage your staff and guests? The benefits include: 

• contributing to reforestation projects that combat climate change; 

• reducing the pressure on the housekeeping team and improve company culture; 

• creating memorable guest experiences thanks to the interactive component of planting new trees; 

• promoting environmentally-conscious tourism among the various stakeholders; 

• Hotels that are based in The Netherlands or Belgium have the opportunity to plant the trees with their own hands; 

• Hotels for Trees has a Dutch ANBI status (special charity trademark including tax benefits for people from Europe who donate). 

Top tips: 

• Kapellerput Hotel gifts their staff new trees as a sustainable birthday gift - why not follow this idea and combine employee recognition with helping the planet?  

• Donations are not ‘just an easy way’, but a ‘smart way’ to increase your sustainable efforts - cooperate and use the expertise of others to drive positive change and support ongoing projects.  

• Help all your stakeholders to become part of the initiative - be creative and look out for small actions that make an impact.  

Picture courtesy of Hotels For Trees

About Hotels for Trees 

Hotels for Trees is a non profit foundation established in May 2021. Hotels for Trees started in the Netherlands and has rapidly expanded in Europe since 2022. A separate entity is established in Australia and North America. Currently Hotels for Trees is active in 30 different countries and has planted over 400.000 trees. Their goal is to expand their operation across the globe in the years to come, whereby they aim to plant at least 1 million trees per year as of 2026, together with their partners. 

Hotels for Trees collaborates with many industry partners to achieve this goal. As Founding Partner Blycolin is financially supporting Hotels for Trees’ growth across Europe and PMS partner Mews offers the “industry first” sustainable addition to their online check-in module and a full integration with the Hotels for Trees Dashboard. 

Hotels for Trees is not linked to any specific country, brand, hotel chain, hotel size or star rating. Anyone can join!

Resource savings and cost cutting for a better planet

Save money and enhance the guest experience, by choosing better options for the planet? Four Green Key certified establishments from France are ready to show you that this is possible. They have prepared some pro tips for you, all based on their successful resource-conservation and reduction journeys.

c. Domaine du Centaure

Mission 1:
Campsite Les Saules shifts to more sustainable energy

Generating electricity and heat by burning fossil fuels accounts for a significant portion of global greenhouse gas emissions that lead to global warming and climate change. According to The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), energy production worldwide generates on average 485 grams of CO2 emissions per kilowatt-hour of electricity. In comparison, solar panels were estimated to emit about 48 grams of CO2 per kWh produced.

Located in the Loir and Cher region in France, and part of the “Sites et Paysages” network, Les Saules campsite has decided to invest in photovoltaic energy. Having considered costs, benefits and the potential return on investment, solar panels have been set up to supply energy for lighting and water heating in the sanitary unit.

The results have exceeded the expectations, with 5400 kWh, 2.5 tons CO2e, and substantial amount of money saved in one year.

Since the efficiency of the panels has turned out to be higher than ever expected, Les Saules has chosen to use then the solar energy to power hair and hand dryers too. Also, setting more PV (photovoltaic) panels is planned, to supply the swimming pool’s pumps and the heat pumps.

Given the unceasing increase in energy costs, the campsite continues working towards its newest goal - becoming self-sufficient in energy to up to 70%.

‘Such a project might be rather expensive, but it will be largely compensated by the long-term savings’ concluded the establishment.

• Worried about the financial aspect? Scroll down to the Top tips section to learn about a possible solution to handle the costs.

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Mission 2:
Hostel Domaine du Centaure restores biodiversity

United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) reports: more than 40% of insect species across the world are declining and a third are endangered. Playing a key role in developing and maintaining soil structure and fertility, pollination, nutrient cycling, and having a crucial bottom position in the food chains, insects are one of the pillars of our ecosystems.

This is why, the Domaine du Centaure, a hostel on the outskirts of Paris, has come up with a biodiversity-preserving initiative that also allowed the establishment to create an attractive green relaxing space for its guests.

The initial step consisted of consulting the gardener in order to carefully select the variety of flowers that would later attract pollinating insects and birds. The land was left uncut until it has become a flowery fallow area. Soil sponges have been installed to ensure the grounds’ moisture, and small dead wood have been brought so new insects could settle in.

The positive impact was soon observed, with the hostel grounds attracting birds earlier than any other area in the neighbourhood.

Seeing the communal benefit and the increased attractiveness of the garden to the guests, Domaine du Centaure has continued the project by installing birds and bats nesting boxes and creating a small pond. Now, the establishment is also in the process of becoming an officially recognised bat sanctuary.

• Do you want to know some final suggestions from the Domaine du Centaure? Keep on reading and discover Top Tips on how you can improve the overall look of green areas in your establishment.

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Mission 3:
Hotels from Saint Marie-de-Ré harvest rainwater

Potable water is a scarce and precious resource. Yet, the hotels Les Vignes de la Chapelle and Hôtel de Ré have discovered that approximately 54% of water consumed within their establishments did not require drinking water quality. As reported by the UN Development Programme (UNDP), as many as 50 litres is ‘the average daily amount used in rich countries to flush toilets’. The potential for improvement was then obvious. The solution? Rainwater harvesting.

c. Les Vignes de la Chapelle

Using collected rainwater on the hotels’ premises turned out to be even more cost-effective and eco-friendly than initially expected. Once the innovation was implemented, it came to the French hotels’ attention that rainwater is often softer than the water from the urban network. That results in less cleaning products being used, allowing the hotels to bring savings and minimise their environmental impact even further.

The water is recovered from the roofs and it has been used primarily for watering hotel gardens and flushing the toilets. However, if the rainfall is not sufficient, a bypass system allows the urban network to automatically take over.

Does it seem like a suitable innovation for your establishment? Are you wondering where to start from?

the Action plan

Step 1

In France (and potentially in your country), it is necessary to contact your regional health agency and verify that such project is possible in the region. It may first seem like a hustle, but Les Vignes de la Chapelle and Hôtel de Ré both agree: savings on the invaluable resources and benefiting the environment are all worth it! You might also need an approval from your local authorities.

Step 2

Once the authorisations have been obtained, other elements must be studied. Consider the local rainfalls’ patterns to decide whether concrete or polyethylene, buried or not, tank makes the most sense for your circumstances. Other equipments will be also necessary, such as a pump, a filter (of good quality to have the clearest water possible), a non-return system, an overflow, aeration and a level indicator.

• Prices may differ significantly dependently on the country, however, do not get discouraged. There are ways to handle it - and you can find one suggestion in the Top Tips section at the bottom.

Step 3

Finally, as rainwater is not drinkable, it is imperative to indicate this in your bathrooms to ensure your guests’ safety. Then, start harvesting rainwater and do something good for environment, while turning your establishment more self-sufficient and eco-friendlier.

c. Les Vignes de la Chapelle

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Top tips:

• You don’t need to implement the whole innovation at once - split the costs and test the potential of solar panels by substituting other types of energy one by one.

• Don’t forget to look out for possible grants - with the growing need for cleaner energy, more financial support, e.g. from your local authorities, might be available.

• There is no need for big garden space - even in the tiniest area, you can create a small ecosystem that your guests and employees can enjoy.

• Domaine du Centaure opted for mowing the garden once per year, but you can also choose to keep mowing the paths regularly - for more organised and neat look.

• Consider getting your employees, local associations or neighbours involved in the ecological project - you will not only do something good the environment, but you will also contribute to the community.

• There are regional and national programmes that can support you financially - in France, it is the “Tremplin for Ecological transition of SMEs” framework created by the French Agency for Ecological Transition (ADEME). Make sure to do thorough research and reach out to people to find the best option!

• ‘Don’t wait any longer to set a rainwater collector. Every minute you waste are savings you are not making, and financial support is possible, so take advantage of it!’

Conserving energy with optimised energy management: Hotel Schweizerhof Zürich

Saving valuable resources starts with identifying the vulnerable areas. Hotel Schweizerhof Zürich has successfully improved its energy management and now shares the strategy behind its better energy conservation.  

A common problem: energy consumption and waste

Tackling energy waste might sound like a particularly challenging issue for hospitality managers. Even though the need for more effective energy management is often recognised, finding practical solutions is not easy.

There is no doubt: hotels and other businesses within the hospitality industry do require a lot of energy to operate. So how can they possibly monitor and reduce its usage?

Hotel Schweizerhof Zürich started its energy management improvement process with identifying a major source of wasted energy and unnecessary costs: the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) in hotel’s guestrooms.

Before addressing this problem, the room temperature was reset manually by the housekeeping team as soon as room cleaning began. However, with almost 100 rooms and many daily departures, sometimes the time between a guest check-out to the arrival of housekeepers was up to several hours! This simply had to be fixed.

An effective solution

The hotel recognised all the benefits and invested in a system that links the hotel software with the ventilation system. Thanks to an automation function, the most energy-efficient temperatures are now automatically set as soon as a guest checks out.

The system also offers other advantageous features, such as automated turn-off of heating and cooling when the windows are open, or manual set-up and adjustment of the temperatures to the season if necessary.

A difference has been noticed in no time: from improved monitoring of energy waste, through limiting the energy usage, and thus reducing the monthly electricity costs, to saving up the time of the housekeepers and lowering the hotel’s environmental footprint. All of it, without affecting the guests not in the slightest.

Top tips from Hotel Schweizerhof Zürich:

• Automation systems exist for all sectors within the hospitality industry – no matter if you are a restaurant, a conference centre, or a small accommodation, you will be able to find an optimal and suitable solution for your business;

• Technology is your ally - keep up with the times and simply look out for the newest, profitable innovations to make the best use of them;

• There is always room for improvement. Continue to identify new opportunities for optimising your resource management and reaching new levels of sustainability.

Local and Circular Approach Elevates Social Responsibility: Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport Hotel

Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport is the first Novotel Airport Hotel in South East Asia to be Green Key certified. As the hotel embraces eco-conscious practices across all its departments, in this article we will share some of its good practices.

©Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

As other certified establishments, Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi adopts sustainable practices in its everyday operations, such as sourcing locally, prioritising eco-friendly products, or phasing out single-use plastics and implementing waste segregation.

However, the hotel has found a unique way to celebrate the recently obtained Green Key certificate with a series of sustainable activities, that complement the sustainability efforts of the hotel.

“We are thrilled to have achieved this milestone [the Green Key certification], and we believe it’s a testament to our commitment to sustainability and environmental responsibility.

©Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Our Green Key certificate signifies our dedication to reducing our environmental impact and implementing sustainable practices throughout our operations. We are excited to share this news with our community and beyond, and we believe that the media activity will help us amplify our message and inspire others to join us in our efforts."

The Green Key Initiative campaign is heavily based on the hotel’s social media platforms, making the idea easily replicable for any other hospitality establishment that wishes to elavate their awareness-raising efforts.

Small environmentally-friendly and community-supporting activities are presented each week to recognise the involved employees, and promote the adoption of sustainable hospitality practices.

Some examples of the hotel’s activities include:

Bananas from our Green Garden: self-grown bananas have been shared among the staff & guests. Additionally, the importance of sourcing locally was highlighted, as well as the idea of using the hotel’s green areas to produce their own foods was promoted.

EM Water Producing:  Leftover food scraps are used as an organic fertilizer for the hotel’s garden.

Songkran OTOP Market: Local producers and store owners are invited to join a hotel lobby market during the Songkran holiday (Thai New Year) to set up their own stalls and present their products to the hotel guests. This way, the hotel supports local businesses and brings its guests an opportunity to conveniently shop for authentic foods and souvenirs.

Songkran Activities in hotel and celebration: Thai New Year was also celebrated by the staff being invited to wear national Thai costumes. Other Thai traditions were brought to the guests, such as a traditional long drum parade.

©Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Pandan Paradise: The herbal teas that are served at the hotel’s Vous Spa are grown by Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport.

Child Care Donation: On one of the staff empowering days, not only essential food and hygiene products were donated to the Slum Childcare Foundation, but also the time of the hotel employees that had an opportunity to interact and engage with the children.

Taste of Thai Arabica: The hotel supports a royal project on coffee planting on the Northern of Thailand, hills of Nan, promoting the consumption of locally grown and responsibly sourced coffee.

Earth Hour : Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport also engages in international initiatives, spreading the word about them amopng the staff and the hotel guests.

The Airport Hotel continues with its successful Green Key Initiative and every Wednesday new activities are posted on the hotel’s Facebook page.

©Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

©Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

“By collaborating with local communities and organisations, the hotel extends its impact beyond its walls, aiming for a sustainable environment for all.

Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport has successfully establised various partnerships with global sustainability leaders on using green certified chemicals and environmentally-friendly cleaning products, and with the help of our partner on food waste, one of our top priorities, we keep growing more organic food in our garden. All in all, every initiative is a step towards a greener future by full engagement of our Heartists [employees] and guests.

At Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport, the commitment to sustainability is not just a duty but a passion, elevating eco-friendly practices while advocating for our staff, guests and the planet alike.”

All photo credits: ©Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Top tips from Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi

• give your staff a chance to engage and be proactive - they might care more than you expect;

• you do not need to organise big, complex campaigns to raise awareness - use your owned resources and focus on promoting and encouraging simple actions for creating big, long-lasting impact for all;

• appreciate your local treasures - from local suppliers to small cultural nuances, hotel guests often appreciate an opportunity to experience authentic things and support local if only they can.
  

About Novotel: 

Novotel Hotels, Suites & Resorts offers destination hotels designed as comforting and energizing places where guests can ‘press pause’ and take time to enjoy the moments that really matter. The brand’s wide array of hotels, suites and resorts offer a multitude of services for business and leisure guests alike, including spacious, modular rooms with natural and intuitive design; 24/7 catering with nutritious choices; dedicated meeting spaces; attentive and proactive staff; family zones for the youngest guests; multi-purpose lobbies; and accessible fitness centers. Novotel, which has over 530 locations in more than 60 countries is part of Accor, a world leading hospitality group consisting of more than 5,000 properties and 10,000 food and beverage venues throughout 110 countries. 

Visit us for more information at www.novotelairportbkk.com/the-hotel/sustainabilities 

©Novotel Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Cultivating Change: the impact of Hotel No11 Community Garden

The historical heritage of the original districts of an 8000-year-old city has an immensurable value, but the lack of green areas might turn into a significant issue for the community and any tourism establishment. How to face such a situation while fostering community engagement and local food production?

Get inspired by the story of Hotel No11 and discover how the Green Key certified hotel has taken action and successfully overcame that challenge creating additional value!

©Hotel No11.

The issue:
lack of green areas

Local residents and tourists can experience the rich historical and cultural heritage of İstanbul, Türkiye, at every turn. However, escaping the urban infrastructure and accessing green public can be quite challenging. This is what used to be reported by the guests of Hotel No11, as the area around the accommodation did not offer many natural spots.

The issue was not beautifying the hotel spaces for its guests’ leisure, as the lack of green area is not a mere aesthetic issue, but a natural and social need. Well aware of these implications, the team of our Green Key-certified establishment came up with a more impactful alternative: transforming an unused hotel terrace into a community garden that could bring not only greenery to the hotel guests but also involve them in a sustainable initiative with local people.

“The initiative to transform the unused terrace space of Hotel No11 into a community garden was motivated by a desire to address the lack of green spaces in the area and to promote sustainability. The goals were multifaceted: to create a green oasis in the city, to engage the local community in sustainable practices, and to contribute to the hotel's sustainability goals by producing organic waste for composting and growing fruits, vegetables, and herbs for the hotel's breakfast buffet.”

From theory to practice:
engaging and upcycling

The project has been in progress for over four years now, during which the forgotten terrace evolved into a fully functioning community space and a garden with a seed bank for the Asmalı Mescit neighborhood. The first stage of the project involved cleaning up and transforming the abandoned terrace into a vibrant green space: second-hand gardening tools were acquired and old guest beds were creatively upcycled and converted into vegetable beds.

Residents and local businesses were also invited to join the initiative, promote sustainability and engage the community in environmentally friendly practices.

©Hotel No11.

©Hotel No11.

Creating social value:
community engagement and other benefits

And, the project turned out to be a great success. First of all, Hotel No11 managed to create a completely new green space for its guests and locals, which is particularly important for a historically dense urban area like this one. The Green Key certified hotel has also gained a garden where fruits, vegetables, and herbs are grown for the breakfast buffet, whereas worm composting stations help manage the organic waste from the hotel and the neighborhood.

But those are not the only benefits of the transformed terrace. Dedicated to the permaculture principles, Hotel No11 hosts multiple gardening events for scholars, volunteers, and permaculture enthusiasts, during which the attendees can share and exchange seeds and fertilizers and learn more about sustainable waste management and food production.

View fullsize

©Hotel No11.

Inspire:
ideas to be replicated

Hotel No11 is proud to share its successful model for community engagement through
shared gardening activities, composting, and seed sharing with the hospitality industry. With great benefits like self-grown organic fruits and vegetables and the reduction of organic waste through composting, the hotel believes that this is a great way to maximise any hotel’s sustainability efforts. Additionally, the seed bank contributes to the preservation and sharing of plant biodiversity within the community, while open activities for hotel guests, neighbours, children, students, and volunteers, raise awareness of permaculture and sustainable living practices, including composting, gardening, rainwater harvesting, and waste
management.

©Hotel No11.

©Hotel No11.

Top tips from Hotel No11:

• Identify underutilized spaces (rooftops, terraces, or courtyards).

• Assess available resources and space for suitability and potential impact

• Engage with local communities, organisations, and experts in permaculture and sustainable gardening to gather support and expertise.

• Utilise upcycled materials and sustainable practices to minimise environmental impact and promote circular economy principles.

• Implement a phased approach to development, starting with small, manageable sections and expanding based on success and engagement.

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How did you like this project idea? Could you adapt it to the needs and circumstances of your establishments? We would love to see that!

Do have you your own brilliant Good Practice that you would like to share with the world? Click here to open the submission form. We look forward to hearing from you!

Many thanks to our Green Key certified Hotel No11 from İstanbul, Türkiye, for sharing their Good Practice with us!