Basics: The Perfect Fit by Louvre Hotels Group
Sustainable development has always been a part of the Louvre Hotels Group’s values. Some hotels were very advanced in CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) even before the department was created by the group in 2019. The intention from the outset was therefore to draw inspiration from the network’s best practices and take them into consideration in order to roll out these initiatives on a wider scale. To address the environmental challenges facing our sector, we are working on many aspects of CSR: reducing energy and water consumption, waste management, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fighting against single-use plastic, alternative mobility solutions, responsible procurement, training and awareness-raising for teams and guests alike, etc.
In our global portfolio of 1700 establishments, due to the diversity of hotels, brands, status and countries of implementation, CSR maturity varies across the group. Furthermore, many hotels are taking multiple environmental and social actions but are not promoting these, although we can clearly observe an increase in the expectations of our stakeholders (investors, guests, business clients, etc.). In fact, in a recent study released by Booking.com, 80% of travellers confirmed that it is important for them to travel in a more sustainable way. What’s more, we have observed that over 70% of the RFPs we respond to include environmental and societal criteria. Finally, adopting more sustainable practices also helps to reduce operating costs, at a time when inflation impacts energy costs amongst others.
This is why the deployment of Hotel Sustainability Basics fully makes sense for Louvre Hotels Group.
These 12 sustainability criteria created by the industry for the industry, provide a basis for all our hotels. The initiative enables hotel managers and their teams to enhance their practices through a recognised verified distinction, to structure their CSR approach and to continuously improve their performance with other initiatives according to the characteristics of their hotel and their own interests.
The roll-out of Hotel Sustainability Basics started within Louvre Hotels Group in May 2024 and our target is to have 100% of hotels verified by the end of 2025. This is an ambitious objective, and we are doing everything we can to help hotels achieve it. In addition to creating support tools (guide, checklist, FAQ, etc.), we are organising regular webinars to answer hotels’ questions. In the coming months, we will also be visiting hotels to help them through the verification process. It is important to involve hotels in the process by simplifying the steps as much as possible, by being attentive to their concerns and helping them with any difficulties they may encounter, and by showing them that these actions are beneficial for their establishment and their business.
For some hotels, taking environmental issues into account is already a matter of course and is reflected in the implementation of more demanding ecolabels such as Green Key. For others, the Hotel Sustainability Basics verification is an excellent first step, covering a wide range of essential topics: energy, water, waste, carbon, plastics, plant-based menus, community, reducing inequality, and many others. We believe in our hotels’ ability to integrate these actions and make them their own.
The contribution of all the support and operations departments is also a great help in spreading the message. All members of the group are aware of the importance of moving towards more sustainable practices and integrating these into our operations. And for those who still have actions, we need to show them the benefits of these actions to get them on board. An important driver for hotels is how Basics is good for Business, especially with its recent recognition by Travalyst, the sustainability association of online booking platforms and other distribution partners.
Hotel Sustainability Basics is a global movement that should be a reference for hotel groups and, above all, should be recognisable by guests, who are increasingly aware of hotels’ commitment to sustainability. This is just the beginning of a journey towards more sustainable hotels for a tourism sector that contributes to the well-being of the planet and its inhabitants.
