I travel a lot for work. Aside from making sure the hotels I stay at have workspaces, clean, comfortable beds, reward programs for us frequent travelers, and proximity to area amenities; I value brands that have strong environmental & social impact goals. Below are 5 sustainable hotel brands I go for when I’m planning my trips.
Have you ever wondered what happens to all that leftover soap, toiletries, and other amenities when you stay at a hotel? I started looking into which hotel brands had a focus on the environment, responsible sourcing programs and worked to reduce their carbon footprint. Below are my top picks for affordable sustainable hotel brands that I tend to frequent while traveling for business.
Best Sustainable Hotel Brands
Hilton Brands
By far my favorite and most frequented of these sustainable hotel brands. Whether you are in a different city every night or staying in one place and looking for an extended stay option, Hilton has an option for you. Learn more about their 2030 Value Chain Targets focusing on reducing their environmental footprint in half through responsible hospitality across their chain of hotels.
Hyatt Hotels
When you think of Hyatt, you may not immediately associate them with sustainability, but you’d be doing them a disservice. Hyatt has a 57% overall CSR rating for their initiatives, which is quite impressive for such a large conglomerate. They also have a 2020 Environmental Sustainability Strategy focusing on stewardship, waste and water reduction and stakeholder engagement. In addition to their environmental commitment, they boast an admirable corporate responsibility program called, Hyatt Thrive. Through partnerships, reports, and employee development, they are holding themselves accountable to the high standards set forth by the industry. They encourage employees to volunteer in the community and are directly tied to several community service organizations. The future of Hyatt is one emboldened by responsible business, environmental and community ingenuity.
Accor Hotels
Accor has a long history of environmental activities. Accor first established its Environment Department in 1994 with a focus on adopting numerous solutions to contribute to the development of local communities, reduce water and energy consumption and limit the environmental footprint of its hotels. With PLANET 21, Accor is reinforcing its determination to put sustainable development at the heart of its activities: 21 commitments that involve customers, partners and employees in order to improve Accor’s sustainability performance.
Their Novotel brand offers eco-designed beds made from wood sourced from sustainably-managed forests (FSC certified), as well as bedspreads and pillowcases made from recycled bottles. Eco-certified soap, shower gel and shampoo is available in their hotel rooms. They also have committed to banning the use of overfished species in their restaurants, focus on reducing food waste and fund tree planting initiatives.
Starwood Hotels
This international hotel chain is well known for their commitment to the environment and to sustainable operating practices. Their network-wide commitment to reducing waste, water, and energy usage has resulted in significant reductions in their environmental impact. They also encourage guests to participate in green initiatives like reusing towels to save water and electricity. Their new chain, Element, adopts sustainable practices across the board, from using all Energy Star appliances to providing only ecofriendly sheets and towels.
Marriott Hotels
Marriott Hotels also shines in this area. Guided by their 2025 Sustainability and Social Impact Goals, as well as the UN Sustainable Development Goals, they’ve commited to creating positive and sustainable impact wherever they do business.
Many of their hotels feature green roofs, which reduce heating and cooling costs and contribute to making more oxygen in urban environments. When it comes to dining, they’ve also on the forefront – they grow a good portion of their produce on site at select hotels or source locally. In 2019, they became a founding member of the Evergreen Alliance, a select group of Arbor Day Foundation partners and collaborators committed to advancing trees and forests as natural solutions for corporate sustainability and citizenship goals. Through this group, we commit to support the planting of 100 million trees by 2022.
These are just some of the ever increasing options for sustainable hotel brands. More and more brands are aiming for making sustainable choices in their offerings and realizing their impact on the environment.
