The Group has already been strongly committed to an important environmental approach for many years and is carrying out various actions to go even further (eliminating all single-use plastics from the guest experience by 2022, aiming for carbon neutrality for our buildings by 2050…). Our hotels also regularly launch their own CSR initiatives! Exemplary properties of which Accor can be proud, and from which other hotels can draw inspiration to contribute on their own scale towards limiting the negative impacts of the hotel industry on the planet.

Discover the initiatives of ibis Wien Mariahilf (Austria), Sofitel Guarujá Jequitimar (Brazil), ibis Barcelona Montmelo Granollers (Spain), Mercure Porto Centro Aliados (Portugal) and Pullman London St Pancras (United Kingdom) which are committed day in day out, as are many other hotels.

ibis Wien Mariahilf (Austria)

In Vienna, ibis Wien Mariahilf (Austria) multiplies its actions to protect the planet. But it is the catering side which makes the hotel stand out in particular, with beehives on its roof to fight against the disappearance of bees, and enabling it to produce its own honey. Once a year, a beekeeper comes to collect the honey in front of the hotel guests to make them aware of this cause. The hosts then have the pleasure of finding this honey at the buffet breakfast. And that's not all: the catering areas are free of single-use plastics, the kitchens use local produce and waste is of course recycled. The result? A gourmet experience that respects the environment!

Sofitel Guarujá Jequitimar (Brazil)

Sofitel Guarujá Jequitimar (Brazil) has set up a circular economy system to reuse treated wastewater thus enabling it to address the challenges of water management and even making the water drinkable. This best practice has already been recognized with the Braztoa Prize for sustainability in the “Hotels” category in 2017 and the first prize of the Brazilian Chamber of Commerce in the “Water” category in 2018. The hotel is also committed in many other areas, such as the use of herbs and vegetables in the kitchen from its own vegetable garden, and it even runs awareness campaigns on environmental issues for everyone (employees, guests, local communities) including specific actions to conserve nature and wildlife very close to the hotel… All these measures allow it to save water, energy and resources, but also to draw attention to these new challenges that can no longer be ignored.

ibis Barcelona Montmelo Granollers (Spain)

ibis Barcelona Montmelo Granollers (Spain) opened in 2005. When the hotel was renovated in 2017, it donated its furniture to the Apadis association. The NGO was therefore able to furnish the solidarity restaurant El Gato Verde, which promotes the professional integration of people with disabilities. In 2018, ibis Barcelona Montmelo Granollers was also awarded Biosphere certification by the Responsible Tourism Institute – guaranteeing the economic, socio-cultural and environmental balance of tourist establishments, by implementing various actions including that of green energy. Through Accor Solidarity, the Group's endowment fund, the hotel also supports the REIR Foundation to promote the professional integration of young people through orientation sessions (delivered virtually since the start of the health crisis).

Pullman London St Pancras (United Kingdom)

In the capital city of London, Pullman London St Pancras is taking steps in particular to avoid food and energy waste. For instance, the hotel has implemented a smart building management control system to save energy. The air conditioning and heating are adapted according to the occupancy rate of the hotel and the flow of people in certain areas through the use of movement detectors. Similar to ibis Wien Mariahilf, Pullman London St Pancras also has its own beehives on the roof! The honey produced there is sent directly to the hotel's kitchens much to the delight of the guests, alongside the herbs grown on site and carefully selected local produce. The hotel also actively cooperates with food banks and local businesses to limit food waste.

Mercure Porto Centro Aliados (Portugal)

Energy and carbon are key areas which our Group can lever to lower its environmental impacts. To reduce the consumption of its hotels, Accor is also working to accelerate the transition to renewable energy and to regulate energy consumption during off-peak and peak hours. In Portugal, Mercure Porto Centro Aliados has implemented many solutions to this end: closing floors during periods of low occupancy, lowering light intensity depending on the time of day, turning off the heating & air conditioning system when rooms are not occupied... But the greatest asset of this hotel remains its solar panels on the roof whose energy allows to heat the building, its water and its pool. A green energy nicely implemented!

Congratulations to these 5 hotels for their great initiatives – and to all our other hotels which are taking steps to bring positive hospitality to life!