From waste reduction and water conservation to energy efficiency and responsible sourcing, our members are working to stay responsible – and are making an impact. America’s hotels are reducing their carbon footprint, saving millions of gallons of water annually, and keeping millions of pounds of plastics and food waste out of landfills each year. Here’s how:
In just 12 weeks, hotels participating in AHLA’s Hotel Kitchen program saw reductions of food waste of up to
38%
High-performing water-using equipment in our hotels like toilets, showerheads, and faucets use at least
20%
less water than standard models
Park Hotels and Resorts estimates their total annual energy reduction in 2020 was
3,600,000 kWh
and their total annual carbon reduction was
1,270,000 kgCO2e
By replacing single-use toiletries with larger pump-style alternatives, we’re able to reduce waste. For example, Marriott International prevents about
500 million
small bottles, or
1.7 million pounds
of plastic, from going to landfills each year
The edible and
sustainable gardens
on-site at some JW Marriott locations grow fruits, herbs, and vegetables that are used for their food and beverage menus
Hilton’s all-electric hotel in New Haven, Connecticut will operate independent of fossil fuels, resulting in
zero carbon emissions
Extended Stay America recycled or donated approximately
376 tons
and
8,166 cubic yards
of waste in 2020
PM Hotel Group exclusively purchases green power to meet
100%
of the electricity needs for their entire hotel portfolio
IHG upgraded their Science Based Target (SBT) to align to the most ambitious target of the Paris Agreement to limit global warming to 1.5°C. The aim is to reduce absolute Scope 1, 2 and 3 greenhouse gas emissions by
46%
by 2030 (from a 2019 base year). This target has been approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi)
MGM Resorts have saved over
5.6 billion gallons
of water going to waste through its conservation efforts, including water optimization systems, water efficient operations, and water recycling
AC Hotel by Marriott San Juan Condada (San Juan, Puerto Rico) promotes local sourcing from around the island of Puerto Rico. Local beer represents
50%
of total beer sales, while other local producers and distributors make up
20%
of the hotel’s food purchases.
85%
of rum sold at the hotel’s venues is also sourced from local distilleries
In 2021, Hilton launched a new
Carbon Neutral
Meeting/Event offering. Participating hotels calculate a meeting’s carbon footprint by using a property’s unique consumption data to create a custom report detailing the predicted carbon, energy, water and waste generated by a meeting. Event planners can then work with the hotel to reduce the environmental profile of their stay by making informed low-waste choices and providing options for offsetting any remaining carbon impact
Converting from fluorescent to LED signage at approximately
4,000
Choice Hotels reduced the use of signage electricity at each hotel by an average of
50%
IHG eliminated the use of
200 million
plastic bottles a year by switching to larger bottles and bulk dispensers in all
843,000
of its guest rooms
IHG was the first hotel company to commit to replacing bathroom miniatures with full size amenities across all brands: The switch to full-size amenities is expected to save at least
850 tonnes
of plastic annually in IHG’s Americas region alone – the equivalent weight of five fully-grown blue whales or 70 double-decker London buses
The JW Marriott Washington, DC was recognized with the 2021 global Energy Management Leadership
award, one of the highest accolades in energy management and conservation, for reducing approximately
725 metric tons
of carbon emissions over three years
The Conrad Washington DC works with local vendors, including a female-owned and operated farm, to source the ingredients in its restaurants. All vendors are carefully chosen for their
sustainable practices
There is a beautiful rooftop garden on the ninth-floor of the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile, which
uses compost
that is made from food waste from the hotel. This garden is also home to four honeybee hives which improves urban biodiversity
Omni Hotels & Resorts utilize LED light bulbs and install energy efficient systems in
all
new-build hotels
The Hyatt Regency San Francisco Downtown SoMa rates the
environmental and social impact
of manufacturers and their products when sourcing products for the hotel
In 2019 and 2020, G6 recycled over
800 pieces
of obsolete or damaged electronic equipment – that’s almost
6 tons
of e-waste that did not go into a landfill
Hilton has recorded more than
$1 billion
in cumulative savings in energy costs since 2009 by measuring and monitoring demand-side energy management in its proprietary environmental and social impact measurement platform, LightStay, used across all of the company’s franchised and managed hotels worldwide
200+
Highgate Hotels are powered by
100%
renewable electricity
Hyatt has introduced new coffee featuring beans from
Rainforest Alliance Certified™
farms, offered at participating brands in guestrooms, restaurants, banquets, and function areas
The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City installed the BioGreen360 system, a waterless food waste digestor technology, which has allowed the hotel to divert all of its food waste, totaling more than
27 tons
during the first year of use
Launched in 2022, IHG’s Hotel Energy Reduction Opportunities (HERO) tool empowers hotels to
increase energy efficiency
by providing customized guidance for hotels to adopt energy conservation measures that make sense to their property
Caesars in Las Vegas saved
30 million gallons
of water in a year after installing more efficient laundry facilities and emphasizing its mission to conserve water
Accor has committed to removing all guest-facing
single-use plastic
items by the end of 2022
The Monsaraz San Diego, Tapestry Collection by Hilton, restaurant operates a
zero-waste kitchen.
Some zero-waste efforts include utilizing freshly grown citrus from the hotel’s courtyard and repurposing used coffee grounds as cocktail garnishes
The Wailea Beach Resort – Marriott, Maui invested $2 million to build a rooftop solar farm that generates an estimated solar production of
663,162 kWh
in the first year. The energy generated by the solar farm will reduce the use of oil by 1,086 barrels annually and reduce the resort’s carbon footprint which approximately equates to 7,753 palm trees and 612 acres of tropical rainforest
IHG is targeting
100%
new build hotels to operate at very low/zero carbon emissions by 2030
Since 2017, Terranea Resort donated more than
21,072
pounds of food,
29,848
rolls of toilet paper, and
63,442
bottles of partially used toiletries
Wyndham
evaluates suppliers
annually through a Responsible Supplier Survey, which includes questions on suppliers’ sustainability efforts, philanthropic initiatives, and human rights protections
All 6,500+
Choice Hotels are required to replace incandescent light bulbs with CFL/LED lighting, deploy a linen and towel reuse program, and provide a recycling receptacle accessible for guests
The Park Hyatt Aviara Resort Golf Club & Spa, California, replaced all the tees and roughs on the golf course with warm season grass that is more resilient year-round. This new grass type helps to reduce water consumption by about
20%
It is also less fertilizer and herbicide-intensive. As less equipment is required to maintain this grass type, there is also a reduction in fuel consumption and carbon emissions
The Renaissance Orlando at Sea World installed water refill stations throughout the hotel and offers guests
reusable aluminum bottles
in place of single-use plastic bottles
IHG partners with Goodr on a
surplus food recovery
program which helps minimize food waste at participating hotels and to support food security in communities across the U.S
Savings on water and energy costs from the towel reuse program in ALL – Accor Live Limitless locations are used to fund tree planting.
One tree
is planted
every minute
Gaylord Rockies recently installed a Combined Heat and Power (“CHP”). These generators not only improved thermal and energy resilience for the hotel but also bring long term savings for the hotel through energy efficiency. By using waste heat to provide hot water, carbon footprint per year was reduced by
30.4%
or
14,000 tons
At the Cavallo Point Lodge in San Francisco all guest rooms use organics linens, towels, and bathrobes derived from
sustainable resources
and
responsible manufacturing
practices. The hotel is also built with recycled materials or made from rapidly renewable resources, like bamboo for the finishing and shredded blue jeans for wall insulation
Hersha hotels only use paper straws and wooden stirrers, preventing the use of over
4 million
single use plastic straws and stirrers every year
Host Hotel’s Ilikai Villas at Andaz Maui at Wailea Resort feature a rooftop solar PV array that generates over
45%
of building electricity usage
Since installing a water recycling project in mid-2018, an average of
79%
of water used on property at the Hyatt Regency Santa Clara has been recycled each month
33%
of IHG business in 2021 was awarded to IHG “Green” suppliers, a designation based on their Sustainable Supplier Questionnaire that assesses the environmental credentials of suppliers
Accor will be actively working to reduce absolute emissions
46%
by 2030. Accor is also the first international hotel group to make a long-term commitment to reach net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The Group is thus aligning itself with the most ambitious objective of the Paris Agreement, namely to limit global warming to 1.5ºC
The Washington Hilton donates excess food and meals to the Ronald McDonald House and DC Central Kitchen;
6-8% of prepared food is donated
The Walt Disney Company has reduced plastics by
80%
in
15,000+
guest rooms by replacing all disposable toiletries with bulk amenities and minimized plastic merchandise bags
The Broadmoor converted
30,000+
existing light fixtures from incandescent to compact fluorescent and LED, reducing their annual electric consumption by
5 million kilowatts
Employee uniforms at Terranea Resort are made of
sustainable materials
like bamboo, chemical-free organic cotton, wool, or hemp
Hilton’s digital key technology is now available at more than
80%
of Hilton’s portfolio and has reduced plastic waste by
125 tons
The Gaylord Palms Resort and Convention Center in Kissimmee, Florida faces a high baseline water stress. To mitigate any water risk, it installs and utilizes low-flow showerheads, faucets, and aerators. The hotel also features drought-resistant plants across the exterior of the property and utilizes an irrigation system that uses
water reuse and reclamation
Though the building which houses Hotel Marcel New Haven was first constructed in 1967, its regular refurbishments with sustainability in mind has kept it ahead of the pack. It has been retrofitted with triple-glazed glass and insulation which contributes to energy efficiency by
reducing heating demand
A new web feature allows guests driving electric vehicles to search for the
1,400+
Hilton hotels with charging stations
Working with hotel partners, Clean the World has distributed nearly
70 million
bars of recycled hotel soap in more than
120 countries
Host Hotel’s 1 Hotel South Beach employs compostable room amenities and reusable wooden key cards to support its
Plastic-Free Initiative
as well as a composting machine to separate organic waste
Northwood Hospitality’s property in West Hollywood, CA partners with Cool Effect on a
carbon offset program
This nonprofit agency is dedicated to helping individuals, organizations, and businesses reduce their carbon emissions by purchasing carbon offsets to neutralize the carbon footprint of a guest’s stay
