Sustainable Stays

DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY FROM DESIGN TO OPERATIONS

Optimized Operations. Elevated experience.

From design to daily operations, we continuously strengthen our sustainability standards. We are transforming the hotel stay at every level from development to operations, designing hotels with sustainability in mind from the outset, and delivering practical solutions to optimize daily operations for our partners. Our key initiatives in waste management, energy and water efficiency, eliminating single-use plastics, and promoting a circular economy aren’t just about sustainability – they are key drivers of operational excellence, attuned to evolving guest expectations.

88%
of hotels have eliminated single-use plastic
100%
hotels third-party eco-certified by 2026
46%
reduction in carbon emissions by 2030
Scope 1 & 2
Zero
single-use plastics since 2025

The Sebel Sydney Martin Place - AUSTRALIA

Optimizing Resource Management

Reducing our impact. With over 5,600 hotels across 110 countries, we recognize our reliance on resource consumption and responsibility in waste management.

Energy Efficiency

On average, our hotels consume 281 kWh/m2 of energy per occupied room. To improve energy efficiency and reduce our carbon footprint, we are implementing measures to enhance energy conservation, boost efficiency, and transition to renewable energy.

Water Conservation

Our hotels consume an average of ~500 liters of water per occupied room. From guest bathrooms to laundry services, swimming pools, and landscaping, water plays a fundamental role in our operations. Evaluating this dependency and addressing its effects is a crucial step towards more sustainable water management.

Waste Reduction

Our Circular Economy strategy relies on the well-known concept of “refuse, reduce, reuse, repair, recycle” – (re)designing hotels and rooms with the Design & Technical Services team, adapting operations, managing products’ end of life, and setting new standards.

How We Optimize Resource Management

Discover some of the initiatives and innovations reducing our environmental impact

Eco-Innovation for Energy Efficiency

We believe that an open innovation mindset is vital to accelerating progress. For example, our collaboration with eco-tech startup Luniwave shows how smart in-room technologies can reduce water and energy use without compromising guest comfort.

Its LuniShower reduces water consumption through timed flow cycles, while its GreenMiles program rewards guests for making sustainable choices during their stay.

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Water Self-Sufficiency at Raffles Bali

Responsible water management at Raffles Bali was planned before the resort’s first stone was laid. Its water comes from a deep well and is filtered and treated onsite.

Used water goes to a recycling tank where it’s naturally cleaned by aerobic bacteria then used for irrigation. This effort has made the resort almost water self-sufficient, with 97% of water used returning to the land.

Minimizing Waste at Meetings and Events

With over 18,500 meeting and event spaces worldwide, we play a role in reducing the impact of the event sector. Our Event Carbon Reduction Charter mandates hotel actions such as waste recycling, provision of filtered water, and use of reusable table and glassware.

We work with our clients to rethink catering to minimize waste, and our certified Carbon Calculator helps planners design and plan more sustainable events.

Setting New Standards in Eco-Design

Reimagining hotels. Building sustainable hotels secures long-term asset value while meeting the expectations of today’s guests. We aim to embed sustainability from the outset, accompanying and guiding hotel owners in designing sustainable properties.

Sustainability Criteria

Our brand standards now integrate 50 sustainability criteria alongside technical requirements aligned with LEED and BREEAM certifications, ensuring that sustainability is embedded from the very start of a hotel project. Beyond construction, we support owners with an ESG dashboard with extra-financial performance, helping prioritize initiatives that deliver both impact and value.

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A Selection of Our Eco-Design Hotels

Discover a selection of the hotels setting new standards for sustainable design and construction

Leading the Way in Eco-Design

Mercure Katowice - Poland

Setting a new standard for eco-design, Mercure Katowice Centrum’s 260 sqm vertical garden – a living wall of nearly 7,000 plants – greets guests while creating a microclimate that cools the building, produces oxygen, and filters air pollutants.

“Green & Clean” design includes solar power, in-building energy distribution, recycled materials, state-of-the-art rainwater collection, and EV charging stations.

Low-Carbon Design

JO&JOE Gentilly - France

JO&JOE Gentilly is the first BBCA hotel, a French label certifying low-carbon buildings based on four criteria: well thought-out construction, controlled use, carbon storage, and circular economy.

JO&JOE hotels are marked by their use of innovative construction materials – usually super-wood that includes bio-sourced products and low-carbon concrete.

Setting Standards

Sofitel Dubai The Palm - UAE

The roof tiles at Sofitel Dubai The Palm are made from an insulating, sun-reflecting material. It also has double glazing, energy-efficient air conditioning, a heat recovery system, presence detectors for corridor lighting, and 530 sq m of solar panels that cover 45 percent of its hot water needs.

Its eco-design principles made it the first hotel on the Palm Jumeirah to become Green Globe certified.

Accelerating Eco-Certification

Certified sustainable. An internal study told us that 60% of our key Premium, Midscale & Economy clients are more likely to book a hotel that has been eco-certified by a third party. Through strategic partnerships with leading certification bodies including Green Key, Green Globe, and Ecotourism Australia, we are accelerating certification processes across our portfolio.

Meeting a Growing Guest Expectation

In 2024 we tripled our number of eco-certified properties, reaching over 2,600 – up from 480 in 2023 – and we are on track to reach 100 per cent by the end of 2026.

Eco-certification is a competitive advantage. By highlighting eco-credentials on booking platforms, our certified properties gain enhanced visibility and attract the growing segment of conscious travelers who put sustainability at the center of their booking decisions.

Our Eco-Certified Hotels

Discover insights from the General Managers of some of our eco-certified hotels

greet Hotel Lyon Confluence - France

“Our Green Key label is the recognition of our entire team’s eco-responsible commitment, both before and after the opening of the hotel. For our clients, it highlights the excellence of our actions for the planet, embodying a more sustainable hospitality.”

JEAN-PHILIPPE DUPUY
General Manager, greet Hotel Lyon Confluence - France

Peppers Silo Hotel Launceston - Australia

“A key part of our journey has been our relationship with our food producers and growers and a commitment to sustainable food and beverage offering, inspired by our Food Director Massimo Mele and championed daily with passion by our Executive Chef Thomas Pirker.”

PAUL SEAMAN
General Manager, Peppers Silo Hotel Launceston - Australia

VIE Hotel Bangkok, MGallery Collection - Thailand

“Our goal is both to provide the best services for our guests and to be environmentally and socially responsible. Being awarded the Green Globe certification is a testament to our high standards, and it demonstrates our commitment to put guest experience, the environment, and our community first.”

NICOLAS PETH
General Manager, VIE Hotel Bangkok, MGallery Collection - Thailand