Press Releases Green Buildings

Positive hospitality in action at AccorHotels

Published by AccorHotels

April 12, 2017

Over 500 urban vegetable gardens planted worldwide
Nearly 60 per cent less food waste at pilot hotels
Sustained reduction of water and energy consumption

AccorHotels Sustainable Director, Arnaud Herrmann, stated: “A year after our Planet 21 program was extended, I’d like to praise the exceptional way our hotels rallied behind it in 2016. Last year is proof that our “Acting Here” commitment is a reality.

The teams knew they could make things happen, and supported local initiatives with high value impact for our guests, communities and partners.

Whether it was to fight food waste, promote agroforestry or further the energy transition, we applied a “test and learn” approach and tried out new, intelligent tools which have helped us make faster progress towards our objectives.”

Over 500 urban vegetable gardens

AccorHotels, which is present in 1,700 cities worldwide, has committed to developing urban farming and to planting 1,000 vegetable gardens by 2020.

Though just a few months have passed since this commitment was announced, over 500 vegetable gardens have already been planted worldwide, from Bangkok to Rome and Sao Paulo to Kinshasa. In Asia Pacific, 148 AccorHotels have already installed urban vegetable gardens.

Mercure Bana Hills French Village in Danang has gone one step further by creating an in-house garden in their restaurant, La Crique to promote fresh and ready-to-serve food through the installation of a hydroponic system, a process for growing plants without soil.

The hotel also launched in July 2016 the first Planet 21 café in Vietnam, aiming to involve their staff and guests to engage with the local community and to educate them around sustainable practices such as recycling and waste management.

Less food waste

Thirty eight hotels in 13 countries are already using connected solutions to fight food waste in their kitchens and restaurants. The initiative has cut food waste by nearly 60 per cent in the pilot hotels’ kitchens. That’s a total of €540,000 in estimated savings.

Sofitel Bangkok Sukhumvit has partnered with Winnow, a leader in technology that fights food waste, to install a connected solution in its kitchen that weighs food before it is put in the bin.

After using the device, the 345-room hotel has reduced its food waste by 58 per cent and is saving up to €64,000 per year.

Some hotels are also applying other “anti-waste” solutions. For example, instead of discarding usable food from banquets, bakeries and buffets, eights hotels in Bangkok, Thailand collect and deliver the food to the Fatima Centre of the Good Shepherd Sisters, a non-profit organisation dedicated to providing opportunities for at-risk women and girls.

Aiming for carbon neutral buildings

One of Planet 21’s key priorities is to achieve carbon neutral buildings. In 2016, the Group cut its energy consumption by 2.4 per cent and CO² emissions by 3 per cent.

These results are even more encouraging because they were achieved despite particularly unfavorable world weather conditions in 2016 compared with 2015 since demand for heating and air-conditioning increased more than 4 per cent.

In Asia Pacific, some hotels are using air–conditioning with frictionless chillers with magnetic bearing compressor technology. For example, Grand Mercure Fortune in Bangkok, Thailand is achieving a €94,000 energy saving per annum.

“Green Stars”: guests to elect the “greenest” hotel

This year, the AccorHotels establishments’ annual Earth Day event, “Planet 21 Day”, will see exceptional mobilisation around the theme of food & beverage.

The hotels are invited to highlight their greatest achievements in three categories: the fight against food waste, the creation of an urban vegetable garden and the offer of healthy, local food and drink.

The winners will be selected by a vote on social networks. For the first time, guests and internet users will be able to elect the “greenest” hotel.

About AccorHotels

AccorHotels is a world-leading travel & lifestyle group and digital innovator offering unique experiences in more than 4,100 hotels, resorts and residences, as well as in over 3,000 of the finest private homes around the globe.

Benefiting from dual expertise as an investor and operator through its HotelServices and HotelInvest divisions, AccorHotels operates in 95 countries.

Its portfolio comprises internationally acclaimed luxury brands including Raffles, Sofitel Legend, SO Sofitel, Sofitel, Fairmont, onefinestay, MGallery by Sofitel, Pullman, and Swissôtel; as well as the popular midscale and boutique brands of 25hours, Novotel, Mercure, Mama Shelter and Adagio; the much-prized economy brands including JO&JOE;, ibis, ibis Styles, ibis budget and the regional brands Grand Mercure, The Sebel and hotelF1.

AccorHotels provides innovative end-to-end services across the entire traveler experience, notably through the recent acquisition of John Paul, world leader in concierge services.

With an unmatched collection of brands and rich history spanning close to five decades, AccorHotels, along with its global team of more than 250,000 dedicated women and men, has a purposeful and heartfelt mission: to make every guest Feel Welcome.

Guests enjoy access to one of the world’s most rewarding hotel loyalty programs - Le Club AccorHotels.

AccorHotels is active in its local communities and committed to sustainable development and solidarity through PLANET 21, a comprehensive program that brings together employees, guests and partners to drive sustainable growth.

Accor SA is publicly listed with shares trading on the Euronext Paris exchange (ISIN code: FR0000120404) and the OTC marketplace (Code: ACRFY) in the United States.