Latest / Suite Spot: A Hotel Marketing Podcast / 165 – Green Key Global
Transcript
- Ryan Embree: Welcome to Suite Spot, where hoteliers check in and we check out what's trending in hotel marketing. I'm your host, Ryan Embree. Hello everyone. Welcome to another episode of The Suite Spot. This is your host, as always, Ryan Embree. Thank you for joining us today, recording here on Earth Day. Obviously not the day of release, but a very fitting day to be recording for this episode. In particular, I am very excited to welcome on our guest, Managing Director at Green Key Global, Anick Levesque. Anick, thank you so much for being with me, celebrating this 2025 Earth Day. Anick Levesque: Thank you very much for having me, Ryan. Ryan Embree: Very excited to talk about Green Key Global. We've gotten an exciting announcement that I've, that I've seen all over the hospitality circuit. You and your team have been doing a great job of putting that out. But before we get into that exciting announcement, this is your first time on the Suite Spot. Love to hear from our guests kind of about their hospitality journeys and what kind of led you to your role there as managing director at Green Key Global. Anick Levesque: Absolutely. Well, it's been an interesting journey as I embarked upon the next phase of my career, just about over a year ago now. I really wanted to leverage the experience that I had in helping businesses grow, which is essentially what I had done for the previous 30 years of my career. And apply that to purpose driven work. And so when the opportunity came to lead Green Key Global, an organization with an ambitious and socially driven mission, a strong legacy and deep roots in the hospitality sector, I just knew that it was the right fit for me. Green Key is a social enterprise that's focused on sustainability. It contributes to the ongoing well-being of our planet and our communities. While at the same time, companies who commit to sustainability and to certification, they benefit through tangible results. They benefit from increased bookings, lower operating costs, and higher property valuation. So that duality of being able to help businesses grow while also contributing to the wellbeing of our society, that's something that was very appealing to me. Ryan Embree: Yeah, I'm sure. And we're gonna get into detail about this, but it really is just a win-win for all parties with sustainability and really the way the future. It's very cool to, I'm sure be in a position. We talk about it all the time where, obviously there's equity and compensation out there. But you know, more and more people are now looking for that sort of fulfillment in their career. So to be able to be a part of a industry and program and organization that does such great work that obviously has such an impact on our world, I'm sure that means a lot. And it's very cool to and an honor to have you on and talk to us a little bit about Green Key Global. What I love about Green Key Global is there's so many just win-win scenarios in everything from the guest wins, with the sustainable practices, they feel a part of something. The hotel wins both with that intrinsic value, but also sometimes financially too, right? And savings and even just the expectations that it's setting now. Green Key Global's been around for decades, definitely heard of it being in hospitality, but didn't really know to the degree at some of the amazing statistics you and your team shared with me For our hotelier Suite Spot audience, share with us a little bit about the history of Green Key Global and its mission. Anick Levesque: Absolutely. So Green Key Global has been around for 30 years now. In fact, it was created on the heels of the Earth Day summit in Rio de Janeiro. And since then, it's evolved into one of North America's most recognized sustainability certification bodies that is dedicated specifically to the hotel industry. Our mission at Green Key Global is to advance sustainability efforts within the industry. And we achieve that primarily through certification, but also through training, education and collaboration within the industry. Our core offering, the eco rating program, assesses and certifies hotel properties operational processes and practices. And through that validation, properties can communicate their efforts with confidence to the market, and they get recognized for their on the ground efforts. That's critically important because getting that stamp of approval helps reassure consumers that the actions that are being claimed are in fact, actually happening in the world where greenwashing concerns are increasingly being tabled. That becomes very important. Now, what makes us unique at Green Key is that we are jointly owned and operated by the American Hotel and Lodging Association and the Hotel Association of Canada. So really we were created by hoteliers for hoteliers. And so our assessment and all of the tools and support and templates that we provide were specifically designed for the industry. Our goal ultimately is to make sustainability and to make certification accessible and affordable to all hoteliers. That is our goal, and we've stayed true to that. Today we have over 1700 properties across both the US and Canada that are Green Key certified, and we have partnered with virtually all of the leading brands in the market who have committed to sustainability certification for their networks. Ryan Embree: Yeah. You know, to speak to your point on the corporate side, and I heard this a couple years ago, well, is it's not too far for these companies and businesses to have obviously a budget, monetary budget, but also a carbon budget and looking for ways for their employees to do travel, but in sustainable ways so the momentum is absolutely there. You think about some of these larger brands and businesses actually creating an entire position for sustainability and chief sustainability officers. It's not a fad. It's been moving in the right direction. Obviously organizations like Green Key Global doing so much for hoteliers and assisting them because I think what you said on the ground level, what you were talking about, Anick, is a lot of these business owners want to say that they're implementing this sustainable practices because it reaps a lot of rewards. Both, you know, obviously the compensation side of intrinsic compensation of feeling like you're doing good, but also guests appreciate that. And we're going get a little bit into it, but you've created something here that's kind of an exciting launch that we were talking about at the top of the episode. Talk to us about this program that really could be a great entryway to certification. Anick Levesque: Yes, that's correct. So we've recently launched a new addition to our product portfolio, which we've called Green Key Ready. And Green Key Ready is a solution that's available through our site that is really designed for properties who are just starting out or in the early stages of their sustainability journey or who aren't quite ready for full certification, but they wanna take that first meaningful step. Green Key Ready is essentially a 12 month entry level solution, or a stepping stone, if you will, to the full certification program members complete an assessment that's made up of 16 questions that are really fundamental to sustainability and that are included in the broader eco rating certification program. And at that point, they receive a digital logo that allows them to convey their commitment to becoming certified. Once a member signs up for Green Key Ready, they also receive access to tools, templates, and checklists that can help them further their sustainability action plan and get ready for full certification. They also have access to our team who can help guide them along the way. And so Green Key Ready is a solution to help hotels get started on their path to full certification. It is an affordable path to certification and at the point at which a member makes their decision to transition into full certification, the great news is the fee that's associated with Green Key Ready gets applied to the fee for the full certification program. So it is really risk free. Our goal is to really make sustainability and certification affordable and accessible to everyone in the market. Ryan Embree: Yeah, it's so fantastic. I'm sure there are a ton of hoteliers out there that are, are wanting to do this, wanting to take that first step, but might be intimidated to not know where to start. So this Green Key Ready program is exactly what you said Anick, it's a great entry point to feel that, to get those benefits that we were just talking about both intrinsically and being able to market that to your guests about talking about how you have prioritized sustainability in your business, which there are a lot of businesses and hoteliers that might be doing some of these things without even knowing it the way they're building any of the sustainable practices from food sourcing. Some of these things might be going on at the property and might not even know it 'cause it has, I love your quote that you said in the press release, "sustainability is no longer an option, it's an expectation." And I really wanna talk about how large scale adoption of sustainable practices in hospitality has really impacted the guest experience. Anick Levesque: Absolutely. Customers are increasingly prioritizing sustainability when they're making decisions about where to stay. So in many cases, sustainability is becoming table stakes for businesses in all industries. In fact, the reality is in the hospitality industry, leisure and business travelers alike expect the businesses that they interact with to be socially responsible and to be aligned with their values. So a couple of statistics here just to drive the point hold. According to booking.com's 2024 sustainable travel report, 80% of global travelers say they wanna stay at sustainable properties. And it's the same for the business or group travel segment. According to the state of climate action in business report, 63% select suppliers based on their sustainability criteria, while three out of four are adding sustainability causes to their supplier contracts. So it is no question that consumers, whether they're leisure travelers or business travelers are increasingly demanding that from the businesses or the brands that they interact with. Now, bringing this back to the guest experience, it's really important to note that sustainability is not about eroding the guest experience. In fact, it's about enriching that guest experience by making them part of something that is bigger by making sure that the experience that you are offering them is enriching. And there are many ways in which hoteliers do that today. Consider, for example, exposing them to the surrounding ecosystem or enhancing the dining experience by using locally sourced ingredients. It's really about allowing them to participate in the sustainability actions and making them feel good about their decisions. Ryan Embree: Yeah, absolutely. We had a guest on here, it was so unique, they were actually not only providing the guest with a invoice of their stay as far as the monetary invoice, but also a carbon invoice and it kind of was something that guests really loved. I mean, there's a reason why those water fountains, when you fill up your water bottle there and it shows a tick in water bottles saved, you get that intrinsic good feeling about that, right? Get your guests involved. But it also has to do with a lot of communication. And we talk about this all the time, whether it's on your social media, whether it's on your front desk, explaining whether it's actual signage on at the property of some of these, all these in incredible things that might, you already might be implementing and sharing why that's making an impact and why that's a sustainable practice. I think we're all familiar with the towel and keeping the towel up versus keeping the towel down on the floor. I mean, that goes a long way. And having your guests feel like they're part of something bigger, exactly what you were saying, Anick, can really get some positive momentum and really enhance the guest experience, but it has to be properly communicated and the expectations have to be kind of be set from the beginning. This is a great start for those hoteliers, like I said, that might be eager those business owners that might be eager to get involved. What advice would you give to those who still are on the sidelines, they're unsure of where to start when it comes to implementing these, these sustainability practices into their hospitality operations? Anick Levesque: It's a very relevant question. We recognize certainly that sustainability can feel very overwhelming and intimidating for people who may not necessarily be ingrained in it on a day-to-day basis. And our recommendation is just to start somewhere. There are so many options for hoteliers to start engaging and contributing in some way, shape or form. At Green Key Global, we have a departmental checklist that are available to our members and those checklists, provide a whole range of action items that can be taken from very simple, easy, low cost, low touch actions to much larger investments that can have a much more significant impact. So there's a wide range of options available to them and certainly I would encourage anybody who's looking to get started in sustainability to go onto our website and reference those checklists. If a hotelier is not quite ready to start down the path of sustainability certification or is not quite sure where to ask, we would also recommend start with your staff. Staff generally are they're consumers and they are socially conscious consumers in many cases, and so they often have a wealth of ideas and would get excited at the notion of being able to contribute ideas as to how you can start along the pathway to sustainability. And it's amazing to see the response that hoteliers get when they engage with their staff because as a result of that, the staff are, have a vested interest in making sure that those actions are well implemented and consistent over time. So involve your staff, involve your guests. We've seen a lot of hotels also poll the guests, what else would you like us to do? Are we doing enough to meet your sustainability goals, for instance? And we see that overwhelmingly guests are responding to that. They welcome the fact that they're being asked for their input and they like to be a part of that. And ultimately that comes back to benefit the hotel. It drives emotional engagement and long-term loyalty. And so those would be my tips. Ryan Embree: Those are some fantastic tips. And I think a common misnomer with the sustainability practices, it's gonna cost you tens of thousands of dollars and it's going to be this large capital investment to do some of these, implement some of these practices into your everyday business. But that's not the case. It could be very, very small steps, baby steps, and that could snowball into something big. See how your guests are responding, right? We talk about reviews and social media on this podcast all the time. Start sharing with your staff some of these sustainability practices like, Anick was talking about. See how it's getting the reaction online. You're literally getting feedback from your guests at every touch point, including online reviews. This could be a great place if they're reacting well, if you're seeing that this is having an a positive impact on their stay, which most likely it is, then maybe that is something where you start planning capital planning for for further down the line. So some great resources on the website, very user friendly, very intuitive, and those checklists are a great place to start. Green Key Global also has a global vendor program where obviously vendors can get involved as well. Talk to us a little about that program and the mutual benefits for both the vendors and the hotel buyers. Anick Levesque: Absolutely. So the Green Key Vendor Program really brings together vetted solution providers across energy, water, waste, food, and many more. And the program is really designed to develop and gather vendors in each segment of our assessment. The equal rating certification assessment and these five sections of revolve around corporate housekeeping, food and beverage engineering and conference. And the main objective of this program is to create value for our members by providing them with options to collaborate with sustainable solutions providers so that they can enhance and accelerate their progress along their sustainability journey. Of course, for solution providers joining the Green Key Global Vendor program is a valuable opportunity to increase their visibility with a very engaged audience of decision makers who are invested and have conveyed a commitment to sustainability. Ryan Embree: Well, we know, Anick that managing a hotel, so many intricacies, managers, owners wearing so many different hats now, the process of running a hotel is getting more complicated, but it's programs like this, these matchmaking programs that really match you with an expert that could help you on your sustainability path and implementing that, right, outsourcing that, and then vendors giving valuable knowledge to hoteliers who are genuinely interested in implementing some of these practice. So again, you know, so many win-win situations kind of throughout this entire process. Earth Day, as we mentioned at the top of the episode today, obviously, celebrating that, really exciting. I get to record this with you on this day. I'm sure in your role, Anick, you get to hear kind of a lot of cool new sustainability innovations, right? Because this is the future, this is where a lot of people are focusing time, effort, and capital and trying to make our operations more sustainable. Can you share any examples that you've seen where you're like, wow, that is a game changer for sustainability and, and really cool innovation? Anick Levesque: So many phenomenal examples. And I'll say that Earth Day is just a perfect reminder of how far we've come and how much potential there still is for the industry. We at Green Gey actually recently deployed a contest in honor of Earth Day and we receive dozens of incredible video submissions from our members that really underscore their passion and their commitment to sustainability. In fact, our team has chosen two winners and those winners will be published or announced later this week. So make sure to check our social media sites for more details on that. I will speak very briefly to the two winners because I think that response directly to your question, so in line with this year's Earth Day theme of our planet, our power quality and in suites in Vernon, BC has recently installed solar panels on the roof and they've already offset, this was done, a very short while ago and they've already offset three tons of carbon emissions. So that was certainly a phenomenal success story. The Fairmont Chateau Montebello has done a number of initiatives. They're very active in sustainability, they're focused now very much on promoting biodiversity and promoting the local wildlife. As an example, they've partnered with an organization to help protect the beehives and the Monarch Butterfly population in the area. And it's just tremendous what they've done. And of course they serve the honey as part of their dining experience and everything is interconnected. It's just a wonderful initiative. And so we've recognized both of those properties as part of our Earth Day campaign. In addition to that, we're also seeing a lot of interest in AI powered energy tracking. We're seeing smart room technologies being implemented where, you know, if there's no movements, the light get turned off, the lights get turned off, or the curtains get shut down, for example, we're seeing a lot of onsite food waste dehydrator that help reduce the cost of transporting organic waste. So there's a lot of innovation happening within the space right now. It's a really, really exciting time. And as I've said earlier, there are so many opportunities for hotels to engage with vendors, to engage with other stakeholders in the industry to see how they can improve their action plan and benefit accordingly. Ryan Embree: It's so cool to see, Anick, and I think those two examples that you gave is a really a testament to the wide spectrum of every hotel can have an impact, right? I think you brought up a Quality Inn and a Fairmont, obviously two very different hotel segments there, but still having major impacts on their business. So this really, these programs, if you're a hotel owner out there, it doesn't matter what brand you are, it doesn't matter what size you are, there are things that you can do in your business to implement these sustainability practices. So thank you so much for sharing those examples. What are some of the best resources our Suite Spot audience can check out when it comes to Green Key Global and learning more about what it takes to get their hotel or group of hotels certified? Anick Levesque: Absolutely, and I'd just like to go back to your previous comment 'cause I think it's a very pertinent one. Ryan, you are absolutely right. Sustainability is not just for some hotels, it's really for any hotel, regardless of how big you are, regardless of what brand you're associated with, regardless of how old your building is, how big your building is, where it's located, there is really something that is relevant for everybody. And I underscore that because as we are traveling around North America, we are hearing that consistently from some hotels. I'm not sure that I'm ready to engage in sustainability certification 'cause I'm not sure that, uh, we're doing enough or I'm not sure where to start. And the point is start somewhere and you will continue to build from that. And starting with a program like the Green Key Ready Program or even Equal Rating Certification program, what that does is it gives you a measure of where you are at and where the opportunities lie for you. When members go through our Equal Rating certification program, they receive a performance scorecard. And that performance scorecard basically says, here's what you're doing really well from a sustainability standpoint, and here are the opportunities for you to further yourself on the sustainability journey. And so that can really be used as a helpful tool in the action, in the action planning for properties. Ryan Embree: Yeah, no, absolutely. I mean it just like anything, you have to take the first step in a journey, right? So, you know, I encourage all hotel owners, you know, even, even staff of hotels, right? To even talk to the general manager to see if this gives something, do some research on your own and, and see if there are things that already implemented at your property that could get you kind of started down this process. So rewarding, so many benefits as we've covered on this. Anick, I really appreciate, you joining me today. Any final thoughts, as we wrap up? Anick Levesque: Yes, absolutely. You were asking me about resources and I would say the best place to start it is by visiting our website at Greenkeyglobal.com. On our website, you will find details on all of our certification programs, including the Equal Rating Program, the Green Key Ready Solution, our Green Key Meetings program, our vendor program. You'll also have access to a wealth of case studies that will give you some ideas on the impact that sustainability measures have had on our members businesses. We have FAQs, we have downloadable checklists, we have, you know, a wealth of resources at the disposal of hotels to help them pull together an action plan and really progress along that journey that I've been referring to. As I said, at Greenkey Global, we very much consider ourselves to be a social enterprise with the mission of helping hoteliers. That's why we are own body industry because we wanna make sustainability and certification accessible to all. We have a team that's available at any time. Should anyone have any questions, when you go onto our website, there's an opportunity to schedule a one-on-one with one of our member services representative. I would encourage everybody who has any questions to do that and we're happy to help explain the value a little bit more in the process of certification. Ryan Embree: Yeah, I'm sure those case studies are great. We're always looking at hoteliers for ROI and sure you have some incredible stories. You shared a couple with us today on the episode. Anick, thank you so much. Happy Earth Day. Thank you so much for joining me on this podcast and thank you for all the work you and your team do and hope to see more hotels participate and take advantage of this Green Key Ready program. Thank you so much, Anick. Anick Levesque: Thank you very much. Ryan Embree: Thank you and for listening, and we will talk to you next time on the Suite Spot. To join our loyalty program, be sure to subscribe and give us a five star rating on iTunes. Suite Spot is produced by Travel Media Group. Our editor is Brandon Bell with Cover Art by Bary Gordon. I'm your host Ryan Embree, and we hope you enjoyed your stay.