Looking for an eco-friendly venue for your next event?
Google searches show an uptick in the term “sustainable hotels” over the past five years (Skift Meetings). Plus, as climate change continues to worsen around the globe, the demand for sustainable venues is increasing.
In this article, we’ll explore things you should look for when choosing an eco-friendly venue and highlight hotels setting the sustainability standard.
Don’t you love it when a hotel or venue has aesthetic decor?
But it’s even better when that decor is sustainably sourced and created with the environment in mind. We love it when hotels decorate their lobbies with upcycled artwork, opt for energy-efficient lighting, and integrate living walls or vertical gardens into their interiors.
Venues like 1 Hotel in Miami decorate their lobby and design rooms with pieces made from recycled materials. Some examples include:
The 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, Hawaii took their commitment to sustainable design to the next level by:
1 Hotels is known for their commitment to sustainable hospitality, proving that luxury and eco-conscious practices can coexist in their event spaces.
(1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii)
It is estimated that the average American hotel room incurs nearly $2,200 in energy costs annually. If a hotel has about 200 rooms, that amounts to almost $500,000 annually!
As a point of reference, in 2019, the average monthly electric bill for residential customers in the United States was $1,380 per year (buildings iot).
Spending that level of money on energy costs means many properties are not using energy sustainably. Let’s look at an example of a hotel that is focusing its efforts on reducing energy consumption.
The newly opened Hotel Marcel New Haven, a part of the Tapestry Collection by Hilton, certainly uses energy efficiently. The 165-room hotel inside the city’s iconic Pirelli building is “powered solely by the sun.”
The 100% electric hotel creates a new standard for environmentally friendly hotel options by using:
Hotel Marcel is on track to becoming the nation’s first Passive House-certified hotel and the nation’s first Net Zero hotel by the end of 2025.
(Photo by Hotel Marcel)
You may have come across terms like "organic", "locally sourced", or "farm-to-table" while browsing a hotel's restaurant menu. But what do these terms really mean? And why should you care?
The truth is, these buzzwords go beyond just being trendy phrases.
They reflect a venue's commitment to food sourcing quality, sustainability, and supporting local communities.
Hilton Hotels takes pride in creating sustainable culinary options for their guests. Here are some of the ways they incorporate mindfulness into their menu offerings:
Looking for a hotel that does more than just recommend you reuse your towels to save water?
Showers and toilets are actually the main culprits when it comes to water wastage in hotels, with laundry and landscaping following closely behind (pure blue sustainability).
The best hotels are going beyond towel reuse programs by switching to water-efficient systems and instituting water management plans.
Meliá Hotels International was just named the most sustainable hotel company in the world for the second year in a row by S&P Global.
Meliá shows their commitment to reducing their water footprint and contributing to water conservation by:
(Photo of Melia Internacional Varadero, Cuba)
It’s estimated that 50-60% of recyclable trash in hotels isn’t being recycled (Roadrunner).
And if it’s not being recycled, then it’s ending up in our already overflowing landfills.
Are any hotels doing something about this?
The Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina has achieved a Gold-level certification from the Green Seal Environmental Standard for Lodging Properties. They show their commitment to reducing their waste production and food waste output by:
(Photo by Sheraton San Diego Hotel & Marina)
The location of your venue also impacts the environment.
When choosing an event space it’s important to consider its walkability, access to public transit, and in what city it is located.
Make sure to take note of how walkable of a location your venue is in.
Selecting an event venue close to local restaurants or activities is not only convenient for attendees but also helps reduce carbon emissions.
Additionally, your attendees will appreciate being able to incorporate some movement into their day rather than having to take a taxi or Uber.
Choosing a venue with easy access to public transportation allows attendees to get to and from the airport, hotel, and venue easier. Take into account the proximity of local buses, subways, or trolleys in the city and their convenience for your attendees.
In addition to researching eco-friendly venues, it may be smart to host your next event in an environmentally responsible city. Here are some of the greenest cities in the U.S. according to a 2023 Rocket Homes analysis.
To determine the rankings, researchers used 11 eco-friendly metrics including the amount of solar energy produced, energy usage, and green spaces.
With an increasing focus on sustainability efforts, cities across the United States are embracing green initiatives.
Many hotels and convention centers are racing to meet the high demand for sustainability practices by obtaining environmental certifications.
If you aren’t sure whether a venue or hotel is “environmentally friendly”, check out what certifications they have.
Some “green” convention centers and event venues in the U.S. that proudly show their LEED certification are:
Here are some additional certifications to look out for when choosing a venue:
It’s been estimated that over 75% of hotels’ environmental impacts can be directly related to excessive consumption.
Events, conferences, and meetings can have a significant impact on the environment, from travel emissions to waste and food production. You can reduce your event’s carbon footprint by choosing a venue that aligns with your business’s environmental goals.
For more ways to reduce your carbon footprint at events, read our blog on how to make your corporate event more eco-friendly.