Sustainability, eco-friendly, green, and other descriptors are marking what appears to be a sustained business trend. The headlines are continually using the term sustainability. However, my perception is that the term needs to be explained if not defined.
At the end of last year, Highgate Hotels reached our goal to have 150 third-party eco-certified hotels by 2024. We also published our latest environmental and social governance (ESG) report, which details forward-thinking initiatives involving green concrete, reforestation and regenerative agriculture, and using leftover cooking oil for sustainable aviation fuel production.
In this second half of the interview with Dalené Claassens, Hotel General Manager at Babylonstoren, a rural resort located near Paarl, South Africa within the Cape Winelands vinicultural region, we take a closer look at some of the key onsite features that make this property both a one-of-a-kind destination for any traveler and a world leader in regenerative tourism. Indeed, delivering a truly unforgettable guest experience at this caliber is wholly dependent on all the various agricultural, immersive culinary and wellness programs that are on offer for visitors.
As the year 2025 unfolds, the business events sector—encompassing corporate travel, conferences, and other significant gatherings—finds itself at a critical juncture. The global imperative to address climate change and social equity has shifted market dynamics, compelling hotels and venues to provide ever more detailed sustainability data in response to corporate Requests for Proposals (RFPs). This “new normal” places higher expectations on hospitality providers to demonstrate robust environmental policies, socially responsible practices, and transparent reporting.
New reporting requirements will oblige companies to pay closer attention to their sustainability data and goals and the disclosure of their annual progress. With more transparency will come a greater expectation for business travel to play its part in addressing climate change. Less talk and more action will be needed to avoid accusations of greenwashing.
True hospitality is a story of people, the lands they live on, the foods they eat, the activities they do day in, day out, and all the cultural nuances that make life so joyous. Hospitality is also about giving back and stewarding the larger community, leaving the land better off for all stakeholders rather than a merely extractive enterprise catering to only travelers.
Several large hotel brand companies in the United States, as well as hotel ownership groups, have now formally committed to require third-party sustainability certifications for their properties. These must be from an approved and generally known and respected nonprofit certification body like Audubon International. These companies have embarked on a sustainability transformation journey for their physical assets, along with program and employee behavior changes in their hotel operations. The goal is to positively impact team culture, their overall business, and the community. They deserve credit and recognition for showing such leadership for the hospitality asset class in commercial real estate.
The hospitality industry is at a pivotal moment, balancing the urgent need for sustainability with the demands of an increasingly conscientious traveler. Today’s guests seek more than token gestures like reusing towels and linens; they demand genuine, impactful sustainability initiatives that align with their values. Enter artificial intelligence (AI) – a transformative force capable of propelling the industry toward a future where environmental responsibility, community engagement, and unparalleled guest experiences coalesce.
The Wellness & Sustainability Panel at the 2024 Cayuga Annual Conference explored the intersection of wellness and sustainability in the hospitality industry. Moderated by Susan Barry, the panel brought together experts Holleigh Alexander-Ramsey of Spalign Concepts, Candace Lynch of Zents, and Corey Clark of Honeycomb Strategies to share their experiences and actionable insights.
As we close out a transformative year, Peter Moore, CEO and founder of Lolly, shares his thoughts on 2024’s key trends and innovations while looking ahead to the opportunities and challenges that 2025 will bring.
Ambitious climate and decarbonization efforts have heightened the demand for electrified and energy-efficient buildings. Regulatory frameworks are evolving from simple incentives to stringent compliance measures. Recently, states and cities have enacted building performance standards (BPS) that mandate energy performance and emissions reductions, as well as implementing benchmarking and transparency policies. As a result, real estate operators must meet these standards to mitigate financial risks associated with non-compliance, further motivating them to enhance performance.
The hospitality industry has a concerningly high turnover rate, and things don’t seem to be improving. An astounding 42% of new employees in hospitality leave their jobs within just 90 days. More than 80% of hospitality operators are facing recruitment and retention challenges, and 46% of hospitality workers are only paid the National Minimum Wage – which further exacerbates the negative cycle. This isn’t a sustainable situation, and it’s leading to all kinds of problems. Luckily, some change appears to be on the horizon.
The Center for Hospitality Research at The Cornell Peter and Stephanie Nolan School of Hotel Administration in the SC Johnson College of Business at Cornell University hosted annual Sustainability Roundtables in fall 2022 and 2023. In many ways, the two sessions were part of an essential conversation. For the 2022 roundtable, participants were back on campus and in person for the first time since 2019. With the most severe public health concerns of the Covid-19 pandemic in the rear view, participants were excited to return to Ithaca and embrace the core element of hospitality—gathering together. In contrast, the 2023 roundtable represented the other side of the communications coin—namely, to remove barriers to give people voice through virtual participation.
We all have that one friend who excels at sales—the kind of person who’s smooth with words and can make you believe anything, regardless of the topic. They set high expectations, but eventually, you’re left to face reality (see Figure 1).
Having a strong environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy has become essential for hospitality. While the policies that a hotel enacts must pervade all operations and the corporate company, one particular area that presents challenges is the procurement department, wherein the latest explainer article from Amazon Business addresses three of these as well as three top tactics for more sustainable purchasing.
The hotel industry has gone through a tremendous amount of change since March 2020. Depending on what market the hotel resides in, the ebbs and flows have varied by year and seasons, but as we enter into the end of 2024, things have leveled out. We, as an industry, have identified new need periods as a result, and can leverage marketing to help increase revenue with three key elements: consistency, planning and impact.
Sustainability is a growing problem in the hotel industry. The hospitality sector alone produces 1% of total global carbon emissions each year, with hotels consuming eight times more resources, like water, than their surrounding local communities.
What’s holding hotels back from doing more than basic eco-friendly gestures, like reusing towels or reducing plastic, and embracing sustainable hospitality by adopting a green culture into their business? This article takes inspiration from a recent publication by Dr. Laura Zizka et al. that delves into current hotel green challenges.
As climate change concerns increase, growing consumer demand for sustainability from brands has grown to help drive more positive changes. As the hospitality industry has a significant impact on the environment due to high resource usage, energy consumption, and waste production, consumers are becoming more interested in hotels that are making an effort to adopt eco-friendly practices.
The hospitality industry is stepping up by finding clever ways to shrink its environmental footprint. As hotel owners and guests recognize the importance of sustainability in the industry, they are taking advantage of innovative technology, products, and processes to provide visitors with an awesome stay while reducing environmental impact. Let's check out why sustainability matters for hotels and some cool new ideas that are shaking things up in the industry.