The Royal Riviera Hotel, Qatar receives the Green Key Certificate

The Royal Riviera Hotel, a 4-Star city hotel located in the heart of Doha, receives the Green Key certificate. The establishment has shown an incredible dedication to putting environmentally friendly, sustainable solutions into practice.

© The Royal Riviera Hotel

Mr. Essam Ragheb Kortam, The Royal Riviera Hotels’ General Manager shares his thoughts on the importance of sustainable development and the Green Key certification for the establishment:

“At The Royal Riviera hotel, we are aware of the necessity to transform our hotel into a greener, more sustainable place. We have implemented Green Key’s mandatory and a variety of their recommended environmental criteria around the property. Our team is working hard to encourage our guests to reduce, reuse and recycle by providing information in all guest rooms and public areas such as information on the TV screen. In addition, we make sure to mainly use reusable items in our establishment, such as cloth napkins, and silver wear for our food and beverage services. If we need to provide our guests with single-use items, we ensure that these are produced out of sustainable and recyclable materials, such as our paper cups.”

In addition to that, the Royal Riviera hotel has implemented several sustainable practices to reduce its environmental impact such as:

• Water efficient fixtures to monitor water consumption and reduce the water wastage.

• Development of a system to reuse the wastewater from Air-Conditioning for the fountain, floor, wash and watering the hotel plants.

• Tracking and monitoring energy consumption to reduce its environmental footprint.

• Using eco-labelled fixtures and appliances.

• Reducing waste by the implementation of dust bins for recycling paper, plastic, metal, food) in guest rooms and public areas.

• Reducing food waste by the implementation of a new plan that should improve food storage. Furthermore, leftovers are donated to charity organisations.

• Promoting well-being by providing healthy food options in the buffet area and a la Cart menu.

• Improved indoor air quality by frequently monitoring the air quality index.

• Focus on the cooperation with suppliers of local products and materials.

• Awareness raising actions such as providing guest information about the sustainability initiatives of the establishment and the Green Key program at the front desk, the rooms, the public area and on the website.

 Mr. Essam Ragheb Kortam adds:

“Our goal is to contribute to building a more sustainable world for all. For this, we have created an incentive program to encourage our staff to participate and improve our environmentally friendly practices. Creating a more sustainable environment is very important to us and we continue to work on this daily.”

© The Royal Riviera Hotel

Finn Bolding Thomsen, Director of Green Key International says:

“The Green Key certification of the Royal Riviera Hotel in Doha can be seen as a confirmation of the team’s efforts in fostering a more sustainable future.”

The Royal Riviera hotel is the eight hotel in the Qatar to be certified with Green Key, and their commitment to the implementation of the Green Key criteria is, therefore, another important step towards more sustainability in the country. An increasing amount of certified establishments in any country can be seen as essential development towards more sustainability in the tourism industry, as it gives travelers the option to choose staying in an environmentally friendly accommodation during their holidays.

Learn more about the hotel here.

InterContinental Sofia is the only Green Key certified establishment in Bulgaria

As the only Green Key-certified hotel in Bulgaria, the InterContinental Sofia Hotel can serve as an example for other establishments in the country that want to work on their sustainable development and be involved in the Green Key programme. 

© InterContinental Sofia Hotel

 The hotel's sustainability ambition is to go beyond the regular separate collection of waste. For this reason, the hotel has installed special glass recycling machines on every second floor, which transform glass into powder. The containers specifically designated for the glass powder are then collected by a contractor and sent directly to a glass manufacturing plant. 

The glass recycling machines are managed electronically and when full, the signal shows that its container should be replaced. The machines also register the quantity of glass collected and within several months of operation, the InterContinental Sofia hotel has delivered over 9000kg of glass transformed to powder, which can then be repurposed in several industrial applications. 

Angelo Zuccala, General Manager at InterContinental Sofia Hotel says:

“I am proud to have the honour of accepting such international recognition and for our hotel to become the only holder of the Green Key certificate in the country. We are happy to continue to contribute to the IHG "Journey to Tomorrow" program and invest in what is the most important to all of us - our guests, colleagues and owners, namely to work with care for society and to grow sustainably.”

© InterContinental Sofia Hotel

Additionally, Stanimir Georgiev, a National Operator of the Green Key programme in Bulgaria adds: 

“InterContinental Sofia Hotel proved to be a reliable Green Key applicant that not only followed the Green Key criteria but has turned the philosophy of the programme into a working style and a way of life. The support of the hotel owners, the impressive sustainability strategy of the InterContinental Hotels Group hotel chain, the ambition of the management and the dedication and commitment of the entire hotel team are a sure guarantee that the common efforts to introduce quality management with environmental and social responsibility and minimal carbon footprint inevitably lead to success.” 

Click here to learn more about InterContinental Sofia Hotel.

Green Key establishments in Trinidad and Tobago were certified for the second year in a row

On November 10th 2022, the Green Key National Jury of Trinidad and Tobago unanimously agreed to recertify two tourism establishments: Adventure Eco Villas and Shepherd’s Inn Tobago, for their second consecutive year.

© Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities & Transportation, Green Key certification of Shepherd’s Inn, Tobago

Each establishment proved that they maintained the Green Key standard. Not only were they able to meet the required second-year certification standards, but both establishments also exceeded the minimum required compliance with 5% guideline criteria. Owners of both establishments proved their commitment to sustainable development and their actions help to promote Trinidad and Tobago as an eco-friendly destination. 

In the words of Mr Ean McKay, owner of Adventure Eco-villas: 

“The team at Adventure Eco Villas on Adventure Farm and Nature Reserve in Tobago in the Caribbean are elated to be re-certified as a Green Key Facility. This further endorses all our sustainable endeavours which we will continue to share with our visitors and the wider public. Working together with nature.”

© Division of Tourism, Culture, Antiquities & Transportation, Green Key certification of Adventure Eco Villas

Moreover, because of its continuous commitment to Green Key, Shepherd’s Inn Tobago was invited to participate in a pilot programme funded by the Global Environment Facility (GEF) and facilitated by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) for Trinidad and Tobago, Aruba, Curaçao and Sint Maarten. Shepherd’s Inn received 26 units of R-290 air conditioning, which proved to have the lowest climate impact, and data loggers for other air conditioning units that the establishment is currently using. 

Mr Anslem Simon, Project Manager for Trinidad and Tobago shared his thoughts: 

“Shepherd’s Inn, Tobago, was identified as one of these pilot sites, based on the establishment’s Green Key Certification and commitment to reducing its carbon footprint. The project will collect data on energy consumption, which will then be used to show a comparison in energy usage and cost savings for the more energy-efficient R-290 ACs. The project is proud to be partnering with Shepherd’s Inn to promote a more sustainable cooling pathway for Trinidad & Tobago.” 

Green Key Trinidad and Tobago continue to be a partnership between the Tobago Tourism Agency and Green T&T working together to improve its services on sustainable development. 

To learn more about Adventure Eco Villas and Shepherd’s InnTobago visit their website.

Radisson Antananarivo WaterFront, Madagascar receives the Green Key certificate

Rebranded from Tamboho Boutik Hotel to Radisson Antananarivo Waterfront in January 2022, the hotel receives the Green Key certificate for its incredible work towards sustainability. 

© Radisson Hotel Antananarivo Waterfront

The hotel is located near the business area of Ankorondrano, by the tree-lined area of Tana Waterfront. It has 30 stylish rooms and suites in traditional Malagasy architecture, an on-site restaurant Tamboho, an outdoor terrace, and green gardens, and also offers the possibility of hosting private events.

Radisson Hotel Antananarivo Waterfront is working on various sustainability initiatives including a campaign among the Radisson Hotels called “Own your energy” which is a joint pledge for employees aiming to increase their involvement in energy saving, reduction of energy bills and minimizing the carbon footprint. By committing to a pledge, the employees engage themselves to respect and apply their pledge in the different areas of the hotel.

Another great sustainability initiative is the hotel's Urban vegetable Garden, where the employees are engaged in growing a variety of herbs and vegetables which are then offered to both guests and hotel employees. Radisson Hotel Antananarivo Waterfront also encourages its guests and collaborators to no plastic usage, to create a habit which will lead to reduction of plastic usage on the establishment's side and living in a zero-plastic environment. 

© Radisson Hotel Antananarivo Waterfront

Moreover, through their ongoing Reforestation Programme with Bondy, an enterprise that helps companies to control their impact on the world, the hotel is working on solutions on how to encourage its guests to be more responsible and limit the impact of their consumption during their journey in the hotel.

François van Rens, a General Manager at Radisson Hotel Antananarivo Waterfront added few words on the importance of sustainable development and the Green Key certification for the establishment:

“The Radisson Waterfront Antananarivo team takes pride in lowering our footprint, doing our part to promote sustainable tourism in beautiful Madagascar and contribute to Radisson Hotel group’s objective to be net-zero by 2050. With Green Key we raise awareness, create enthusiasm, involve our guests and partners, and empower the team to “think planet” and be creative, our vegetable garden being one of our finest examples.”

Click here, to learn more about the Radisson Antananarivo Waterfront, Madagascar.

HUONE Copenhagen receives a Green Key certificate

HUONE Copenhagen, the most creative event and meeting venue in Copenhagen, has now joined the Green Key network of certified establishments. HUONE Copenhagen is part of the HUONE group, which operates in 3 different countries, Finland, Singapore and Denmark.

(Image: Strand Room in HUONE Copenhagen, which is one of the newly certified Green Key establishments in Denmark.)

HUONE offers creative spaces for business meetings and events and caters to business guests from all over the world. Originally from Finland, the group has a strong focus on people, culture and the environment the venue is part of, hence in recent years, it has taken even more significant steps towards hosting sustainable events.

Opened its doors in the autumn of 2019, HUONE Copenhagen transformed the old SAS airplane hangar into 20 fantastic full-service meeting and event rooms–aims to become the “Business Hub of Copenhagen.” It’s designed to provide a space and full-service needed  for collaboration and innovation.

HUONE Copenhagen is the first out of the four HUONE units becoming the Green Key certified conference facility. On the importance of receiving the Green Key certificate, Louise Adolph, the CEO of HUONE Copenhagen explains:

"[…] As a new player in Copenhagen business meeting and event sector, we strive for excellence in everything we do. It has always been our priority to do the best we can in order to promote sustainability in the event industry. I am truly proud of our first Green Key certification, especially after a long delay with the pandemic.

 Following the Green Key criteria has allowed us to review our operational procedures and encouraged us to communicate about the topic more in depth with the whole team. We were also able to come up with many initiatives to integrate our guests and customers for raising awareness on the importance of integrating environmental and social factors into operations. "[…]

(Image: Evon Blomstedt, speaking at HUONE Copenhagen HUONE & Friends event)

Evon Blomstedt, the founder of HUONE, also shared the excitement of the news:

“HUONE Copenhagen is our newest and proudest HUONE unit. It is the essence of our experience of hosting almost 20k meetings, rightly so, for the No.1 meeting city in the Nordics.

Although we are still a small player compared to big hotels, we have been striving to do our part for a more sustainable meeting industry such as excluding beef from daily menus and paying extra attention to our communication. I’m very excited to see HUONE Copenhagen officially join Green Key certified conference facilities and being part of the city’s effort of becoming the front runner in hosting green meetings, conferences and events ”

HUONE Copenhagen’s effort towards more sustainable events focuses on the environmental impact of the services it provides as well as the social and economic commitment for the local community.

As for the environmental commitment, HUONE Copenhagen is located in a facility that aims to be one of Copenhagen’s most sustainable buildings with solar panels, waste sorting/recycling and district heating and cooling. Water and energy consumption are monthly monitored to control and create an action plan for future improvement. Waste management effort is in place for recycling, communication with guests, no single-use tableware and more. Moreover, the venue has focused on the actions to reduce carbon footprint with procurement/menu design, for instance, ‘No Beef Policy.’ 

Finally, as for the social and economic commitment, HUONE’s creative DNA is founded on a strong belief in the individual’s strengths and personality. The company has a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion as well as paying attention to the well-being of employees and creating a safe work atmosphere for the team.

 Click here, to read more about the sustainable events at HUONE Copenhagen.

Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria in Egypt keeps setting high standards in environmental and social sustainability

The Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria in Egypt has again been certified with the Green Key. With that achievement, the hotel has now been part of the programme for the seventh year in a row!

The Radisson Blu Hotel Alexandria

The Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria has entered the hospitality market with a well-thought-out strategy to meet the needs of a variety of target groups while maintaining high standards of environmental and social sustainability. This includes continuously reducing the energy and water consumption of its guests while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction. The Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria is part of the Radisson Hotel Group, one of the world's largest hotel groups with nine distinctive hotel brands and more than 1,700 hotels in operation or under development in 120 countries. The group's overarching brand promise is "Every Moment Matters" with a signature service ethos of "Yes I Can!".

After opening its doors in 2010, the owners of the establishment have worked hard to achieve the Green Key certificate for the first time in the year 2015. Since then, the establishments efforts to go the extra mile for our environment has not stopped, which is why they now achieved to be certified with the Green Key for the seventh year in a row.

Sustainable development has therefore been part of the hotel’s strategy since the beginning. As a result, the Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria regularly joins different activities focusing on environmental or social sustainability. For example, in the past years, the hotel joined hundreds of cities around the world that turned off their lights for one hour during the international Earth Hour to show that global warming can be reduced by joint efforts of individuals, companies, and politicians. In 2022, the Radisson BLU Alexandria furthermore organised a bike day for their team members to promote the use of sustainable means of transportation amongst the staff.

On the importance of receiving the Green Key certificate, the General Manager of the establishment explains;

“We are passionate about helping others, and that extends beyond the boundaries of our hotel. We believe in acting ethically in everything we do and strive to be a thriving, sustainable and responsible business for people, the community and our planet.

Our team members live Responsible Business every day alongside their hotel colleagues and in their local communities, where we work to create a better future and a better planet for all.”

Please visit the Radisson BLU Hotel Alexandria’s website to learn more about the establishment.

First Hilton Hotel in England to receive Green Key certificate

The Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow has become one of the three hotels in the airport vicinity to hold the Green Key certification.

Representatives from Keep Britain Tidy presented Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow General Manager Richard Lee with the international Green Key Award last week.

Located near the Heathrow airport in London, the Hilton Garden Inn is joining the list of over 3,000 establishments across more than 60 countries that have the leading sustainability certification. Furthermore, the hotel is the first one from the Hilton chain in England to become a Green Key certified establishment.

To receive the certification, the Hilton Garden Inn was submitted to a rigorous assessment to verify that the establishment was complying with the Green Key standards. These standards, set by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and recognised by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, cover areas such as staff involvement, guest information and sustainable management of energy, waste, water, cleaning and food and drinks.

On the choice of the Green Key certification for the Hilton Garden Inn, the General Manager of the hotel Richard Lee has said:

“Sustainability is a core part of our purpose, so Green Key fits perfectly alongside the Hilton Travel with Purpose programme and our owner’s commitment to operating sustainable buildings & businesses. Sustainable and purposeful travel are becoming ever more important to our guests so having a Green Key Award demonstrates our commitment and will give our guests the assurance that they are making a sustainable choice when they stay with us”.

As part of its sustainability strategy, the Hilton Garden Inn London Heathrow has recently implemented several initiatives to reduce the ecological footprint of operations. According to the environmental organisation Keep Britain Tidy, responsible for managing the Green Key programme in England, some of the initiatives from the Hilton hotel focused on:

• Installing solar panels which generate approximately 3% of the hotels’ annual energy use;

• Making use of cutting edge technologies such as the Granuldisk Dishwasher, which uses small pellets and UV light to clean pots, thereby lowering the overall water consumption in the pot wash area by on average 70%, compared to manual pot washing;

• Using EnozoPRO Spray Bottles which utilise tap water, diamond plates, and a small electrical charge to create Ozone Water, a safe and effective multipurpose cleaner, which replaces the need for synthetic chemicals that contribute to chemical pollution.

To learn more about the hotel, please visit their website

Green Key International congratulates the Hilton Garden Inn on its certification and is pleased to see the hotel among its certified establishments.