Improving your hotel's CSR: The best advice for implementing effective approaches

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) has become an essential priority for hotels that want to not only attract and retain customers, but also play a positive role in society. A well-structured CSR approach can improve a hotel's reputation, reduce costs, and attract motivated staff. Here are some key tips for improving a hotel's CSR.

What is a CSR approach within a hotel establishment?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), according to the European Commission, is the voluntary integration of social and environmental concerns into business activities and relationships with stakeholders.

CSR represents the voluntary commitment of companies to sustainable development, integrated into their policies, commercial actions and interactions with employees, customers, suppliers, and local actors.

In France, the ISO 26000 standard serves as a reference for CSR, offering a definition and a guide for responsible governance.

A CSR approach must be transparent, with regular reports and reviews, and clearly communicated.

What are the 3 pillars of CSR?

Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is based on three interconnected pillars. They aim to improve economic performance while promoting social responsibility and the preservation of the environment, in line with the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Environmental pillar:

This pillar concerns the impact of businesses on the environment, including the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, recycling, the use of renewable energies and the sustainable management of resources. Many hotels adopt eco-responsible practices to reduce waste, promote recycling, and limit water and energy consumption, raising customer and employee awareness, while achieving significant savings.

Social pillar:

This pillar includes respect for human rights, non-discrimination, equal opportunities, diversity, health and safety at work, and training. Hotels can promote equal opportunities, vocational training and establish quality of life policies at work, thus strengthening their employer brand and improving their management.

Economic pillar:

CSR must support the economic sustainability of the company while contributing to local development. Hotels can opt for local suppliers and engage partners who are also involved in CSR, thus promoting the economy of their territory.

What are the challenges of CSR in the hotel industry?

Although CSR offers numerous advantages, its implementation in the hotel industry poses challenges. Initial investments can be high and short-term financial benefits are not always obvious. International hotel chains also have to navigate through regulations that vary from country to country, making it difficult to comply with sustainability standards.

Resistance to change, both internally and among customers, is another barrier. Hotels need to invest in raising awareness and educating their stakeholders. Effective communication is essential to explain the benefits of CSR to employees and customers, thus encouraging them to support this initiative.

Impact all the pillars of CSR at the same time: dematerialize processes.

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Ecological CSR approaches: reducing the environmental impact of hotels.

Energy Management

• Use of renewable energies: Investing in renewable energy sources, such as solar panels and wind turbines, to reduce carbon emissions.

example : The Fogo Island Inn hotel in Canada uses solar panels and wind turbines to provide much of its energy.

• Energy-efficient lighting and appliances: Replace traditional lightbulbs with LEDs and use Energy Star certified household appliances. Inform guests of the importance of not leaving the lights on when they leave their room to contribute to the preservation of the environment.

example : The Marriot International Group has replaced all of its light bulbs with LEDs, saving millions of kilowatts per year.

Water Management

• Reducing water consumption: Install flow-reducing devices in faucets and showers, as well as dual-flush toilets.

example : The Accor hotel group offers shower hourglasses in its rooms to make customers aware of water consumption.

• Water recycling: Set up greywater recovery systems for garden irrigation and cleaning.

example : The Six Senses Con Dao hotel in Vietnam uses a greywater recovery system to irrigate its gardens.

Waste reduction

• Sorting and recycling: Set up selective sorting points accessible to customers and staff, with clear displays so that everyone can respect the rules.

example : The Eden Lodge hotel in Madagascar has set up selective sorting points throughout the establishment, thus helping to recycle more than 50% of its waste.

• Reduction of single-use plastics: Replace plastic water bottles with reusable alternatives, such as glass bottles, and eliminate plastic packaging. Use reusable glass containers for shampoo and other toiletries. ‍

example : The Hilton hotel group is gradually replacing all its plastic water bottles with glass bottles and using reusable shampoo dispensers.

Ecological and social pillars of CSR: promoting sustainable development!

Sustainable food

• Organic and local menus: Offer dishes prepared from organic and local products to support local producers and reduce the carbon footprint.

example : The Soneva Fushi Hotel in the Maldives offers a menu made entirely of local and organic products.

• Reducing food waste: Use inventory management software to reduce food losses and collaborate with associations to redistribute surpluses.

example : The Accor hotel group uses Winnow software to reduce food waste in its kitchens.

Eco-responsible construction

• Sustainable materials: Use sustainable and recycled building materials when renovating or building.

example : The QO hotel in Amsterdam was built using sustainable and recycled materials, such as recycled concrete.

• Eco-certifications: Obtain certifications such as LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) to ensure that the hotel meets high sustainability standards.

example : The Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, North Carolina, is LEED Platinum certified for its ecological best practices

Employee well-being: social CSR approaches within the hotel team

Training and awareness-raising

• Training programs: Offer continuing education on sustainable practices and the importance of CSR.

example : The Hyatt hotel group offers regular training on sustainable practices to all its employees.

• Commitment and participation: Involve employees in CSR initiatives to promote a sense of responsibility and belonging.

example : The Banyan Tree Hotel encourages its employees to participate in green activities, such as tree plantings and beach cleanups.

Working conditions

• Healthy work environment: Ensuring a safe and healthy work environment, with accident prevention measures.

example : The Four Seasons Hotel offers its employees wellness programs, including yoga classes and health evaluations.

• Equity and diversity: Promote equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion within the team.

example : Marriott International has implemented inclusion and diversity policies that have created a multicultural and inclusive team

Customers and community: the social impact of a hotel's CSR approaches can be felt beyond its walls.

Customer awareness

• Transparent communication: Inform guests about the hotel's CSR initiatives through brochures, websites and displays.

example : The Six Senses Hotel informs its guests about its sustainability initiatives through information booklets available in each room.

• Green loyalty programs: Establish loyalty programs that reward sustainable customer behaviors, such as reusing towels or participating in eco-friendly activities.

example : The IHG hotel group offers the “Green Engage” program, where customers can earn loyalty points by choosing to reuse their towels and sheets.

Community involvement

• Local partnerships: Collaborate with local associations for community projects, such as beach cleanups or tree plantings.

Example: The Ritz-Carlton Hotel regularly organizes beach cleanups and tree planting projects in collaboration with local associations. 

• Responsible events: Organize or support cultural, sporting, or educational events that have a positive impact on the local community.

example : The Fairmont Hotel organizes educational events to raise awareness of environmental issues in the local community. 

A hotel's CSR approaches must be evaluated and improved on an ongoing basis.

Performance indicators

• Performance monitoring: Use key performance indicators (KPIs) to track sustainability progress and identify areas for improvement.

example : The Scandic hotel uses KPIs to track its energy and water consumption and CO2 emissions. 

• Annual reports: Publish annual reports on CSR actions and results to ensure transparency and commitment.

example : Each year, the Hilton hotel group publishes a sustainability report detailing its CSR initiatives and progress. 

Audits and certifications

• External audits: Use external auditors to assess CSR practices and obtain recognized certifications.

example : The Park Hyatt hotel is regularly audited by external organizations for its sustainable practices and has obtained several certifications. 

• Continuous improvement: Use audit results to make continuous improvements to hotel practices.

example : The InterContinental hotel group uses the results of its CSR audits to identify areas for improvement and implement corrective actions. 

By following these tips, hotels can not only reduce their environmental and social impact, but also strengthen their brand image and their competitiveness in the market. The implementation of an effective CSR strategy is an investment in the future, beneficial for the hotel, its customers, its employees and the community.

Thanks to GetWelcom, hoteliers can highlight their CSR commitments.