#8 | 26/10/2023

Hello

Our Q&A is with Fred Bean, founder and CEO of HotelPORT. Fred (pictured above) and I talked about how hotels have to navigate the many certifications, align their sustainability strategies and engage in an open dialogue on the future pathway.

Fortunately the industry is making huge efforts to keep talking and the GSTC and WTTC have collaborated on how to align standards – this will no doubt change the way for many going forward and hopefully create an upward spiral of best practice.

The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance's summit concluded with the launch of an educational platform to engage all stakeholders on sustainability and the Net Positive Pathway – and we heard how the UK may get its first Passivhaus hotel – a sign of things to come.

Until next time,

Felicity Cousins
Editor, Sustainable Hotel News

HEADLINES

💪 Hilton named best workplace for women in US list

Hilton has been placed at the top spot on the Best Workplaces for Women US list by Fortune and Great Place to Work. The recognition marks Hilton’s fifth year in a row as number one and its seventh consecutive year on the list.

🟠 Construction of UK’s first Passivhaus hotel on the cards

A sustainable development in North Yorkshire, which could result in the UK’s first Passivhaus hotel, is awaiting the green light. Following Passivhaus principles, the building has been designed to deliver high thermal performance, meaning the property will require a much lower amount of energy to heat and maintain temperature, than a standard construction.

🏗️ Largest London hotel granted planning with sustainability at core

The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea’s planning committee has granted planning permission for the extension and renovation of the existing Hilton London Olympia. Designed by Elliott Wood, the hotel will be built with sustainability principles at its core, including carbon retention and energy performance as a key focus, and trees and provisions made for pollinators.

🤝 WTTC and GSTC announce partnership to tackle alignment

The World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) have announced a new partnership.The idea behind the collaboration is to establish a structured framework for hotel sustainability, leading to GSTC Certification.

📚 Alliance calls for alignment and launches education platform at summit

The Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s annual summit has come to a close with a call for action on standards, and the launch of a training system for the Net Positive Hospitality Academy.

🏨 Chiswick Travelodge setting sustainability standard

A new Travelodge in Chiswick, which will open in 2025, will set the sustainability standard for more of the brand’s new-build properties across the capital. Travelodge, one of London’s largest hotel chains, is also planning on a further 100 hotel sites across the capital, which will more than double its portfolio in the city.

🖥️ GSTC and visitBerlin to host webinar on sustainable event planning

Next month the GSTC and visitBerlin will host an open webinar aimed at those planning on holding sustainable events in the capital.

⚡All-electric Sleep opens in Sussex

Sleep also works in collaboration with the LOCASE Green Growth Fund UK and it has estimated it will save 14 tonnes of carbon annually as an all-electric hotel. To put that into perspective, 14 tonnes is the equivalent of around 2.7 homes’ electricity usage a year.

Q&A | Fred Bean, founder and CEO, HotelPORT

We caught up with Fred Bean, founder and CEO of HotelPORT. We chat about how to manage sustainability on a hotel-by-hotel basis, what it means to have the green leaf and how hotels need to shift their strategies and focus on sustainability if they want to be seen.