NORTH BETHESDA, Maryland—Choice Hotels International, Inc. published its 2023 Environmental, Social, and Governance Report. The report details Choice’s latest initiatives to drive sustainability across its portfolio of hotels. This includes new and expanded requirements to help reduce utility usage and identify savings through its revamped Room to be Green verification program. As part of this initiative, the report highlights the adoption of Choice’s automated utility tracking dashboard, with over 2,600 properties participating and counting.
“At Choice, we’re committed to building a better tomorrow, today. By championing sustainable practices, we’re helping hotel owners save time and money and appeal to guests and corporate clients,” said Megan Brumagim, vice president of sustainability at Choice. “Embracing and committing to sustainability is not just the right thing to do, it’s also good for business. We are proud of the progress we’ve made and are energized to continue our sustainability journey.”
Guests browsing Choice’s website can now identify properties committed to sustainability through a search filter and a designated sustainability practices icon. This feature lets guests to filter hotels based on sustainability practices. Guests can also filter for hotels that offer electric vehicle charging.
Initiatives detailed in the report include:
- Property Improvement Plans: Thirty-five hotels were selected for a pilot program to participate in sustainability audits conducted by third-party experts and receive recommendations and solutions to drive more sustainable operations and investments. The recommendations included building envelope enhancements, rainwater reuse, water mitigation solutions, energy-saving smart thermostats in guestrooms, and the replacement of natural gas water heaters with electric heat pump high-efficiency units. Choice plans to embed the insights obtained from this initiative into existing property improvement plan processes.
- Reducing carbon emissions: Choice signed a formal commitment with the Science Based Targets initiative to set science-based targets for reducing its carbon footprint.
- Electric vehicle charging: Choice has signed agreements with providers that offer EV charging options for guests across its hotel system. Choice is well-positioned to address the growing consumer demand for EV charging, with guests who drove to hotels accounting for 82 percent of all Choice room nights in 2022.
- Opening doors to hotel ownership: Choice continues to create hotel ownership opportunities for underrepresented minority entrepreneurs. The Emerging Markets Program was developed 20 years ago to establish relationships with underrepresented communities including African American, Hispanic, Native American, veteran, and women entrepreneurs. In connection with that program, Choice has awarded and financially supported more than 370 franchise agreements with diverse participants since 2004.
- Fighting human trafficking: The company refreshed its corporate and franchisee-facing human trafficking prevention training and joined the inaugural American Hotel & Lodging Association No Room for Trafficking Advisory Council, which unites the industry in the fight against human trafficking.
In late 2023, Choice opened its new global headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland. Designed with sustainability and associates’ wellbeing in mind, features include energy-efficient systems, EV charging stations, proximity to public transit, and a partial green rooftop. The Pike & Rose development, where the building is located, is LEED ND certified, which recognizes its green and community impact. The building is also aiming for LEED Gold certification.
