PHOENIX—As highlighted in this past week’s Publisher’s Point of View column, BWH Hotels, under the leadership of Amy Hulbert, Vice President, Boutique and Upscale Brands, has a goal of green certifying all its hotels by the end of 2026. The hotel company has 4,000 properties in more than 100 countries. There are currently 578 hotels certified by Green Key Global throughout North America and 915 certified outside of North America—most by Green Key International. Green Key International is a worldwide non-profit program, while Green Key Global is a North American-focused organization owned by AHLA and the Hotel Association of Canada.
The certification process is part of a larger sustainability program that has been in the works at BWH Hotels for several years. Properties get assessed every three years.
Green Lodging News recently spoke with Hulbert about BWH Hotels’ certification plans. The following is the result of that interview.
1. It was almost two years ago that your company announced a collaboration agreement with the Green Key International program. Similarly, it was a little more than two years ago that BWH Hotels partnered with Green Key Global, with Green Key Global as a preferred supplier. Is this all accurate?
Yes, that’s accurate. BWH Hotels entered into agreements with both Green Key International and Green Key Global a little over two years ago. Green Key Global is a preferred supplier for our North American portfolio, while Green Key International supports our broader global footprint. Together, they allow us to provide a consistent sustainability framework that still respects regional differences across our portfolio.
2. Why did your company choose to pursue these types of certifications for your global portfolio? Was it previously engaged with any other certification programs?
We pursued Green Key certifications because they provide credible, third‑party validation of sustainability practices while remaining practical and achievable for hotel owners. Prior to this initiative, sustainability efforts varied by brand and region. Green Key gave us a consistent standard that aligns environmental responsibility with operational realities—something that is essential for a diverse, owner‑operated portfolio like ours.
3. Provide some important examples of how hotel owners benefit from certification participation.
Owners benefit in many ways:
- Driving business outcomes, increasing occupancy (71 percent of travelers are looking for sustainable accommodation, a 10 percent increase in the past four years), saving money and reducing the property’s carbon footprint.
- Operational savings, particularly in energy, water and waste costs. Green Key also partners with vendors that provide additional value to its portfolio.
- Structured guidance, which helps owners know where to start and what matters most.
- Access to solutions, including Earth, People, Community (EPC) programs that allow upgrades with little to no upfront capital.
- Asset resilience, as certified hotels are better positioned to meet future regulations, brand expectations, and buyer or lender ESG requirements.
4. In what important ways do guests benefit?
Guests increasingly expect hotels to operate responsibly. Certification assures them that sustainability claims are credible and verified—not just marketing language. Practically, guests experience healthier indoor environments, more efficient comfort systems, reduced waste, and the satisfaction of staying at a property aligned with their values.
5. What are the primary ways the environment benefits?
The environmental benefits are measurable and cumulative: reduced energy consumption, lower greenhouse gas emissions, water stewardship, and waste diversion. What’s especially impactful is scale—when thousands of hotels adopt small, consistent improvements, the collective environmental benefit becomes significant.
6. What is the main challenge in getting hoteliers to participate in either of the two certification programs?
The biggest challenge is perception—some owners assume certification will be expensive, complicated, or disruptive. Our role is to remove that friction by providing education, vetted partners, and flexible pathways—including EPC solutions that guarantee savings and performance.
7. Does your company subsidize or have a special arrangement with the certifiers for discounted certification rates?
We have negotiated preferred pricing and streamlined processes with both Green Key organizations to reduce cost and administrative burden for owners. In fact, BWH is assuming the costs of all our North American hotels’ first assessments. Specific certification rates can vary by region, hotel size, and program level, so we typically share those details directly with owners during onboarding.
8. What are the primary differences between the two certification programs?
Both programs are aligned in intent and outcomes, but they differ in structure and regional applicability. Green Key Global is particularly well‑established in North America with robust benchmarking tools, while Green Key International provides strong global consistency and flexibility across diverse markets within market and in many cases in country support and staffing.
9. How often is each certification good for—how often must one renew? Is continuous improvement a requirement for recertification?
Certifications are not “one and done.” Renewal is required periodically, in the case of Green Key, every three years, and continuous improvement is absolutely part of the process. Hotels are expected to demonstrate progress over time, which reinforces sustainability as an ongoing operational discipline rather than a static checklist.
10. What BWH standards have you found to already be in line with those of the certifiers? Have the certification programs prompted your company to implement new eco brand standards?
Many BWH brand standards already aligned naturally with Green Key requirements—particularly around housekeeping practices, preventive maintenance, and guest communication. The certification programs have helped us formalize and elevate those standards and have also prompted us to strengthen expectations around energy monitoring, water use, and waste reduction.
11. With either program, are there ever on-site visits?
On‑site visits can occur depending on the program, certification level, and region. These visits add credibility and help properties identify opportunities they may not see internally. That said, on-site visits do have a larger footprint than virtual visits. Green Key does an excellent job of providing a meaningful assessment virtually with some preparation work.
12. Can you cite any examples of green standards differences between the different tiers of your company’s hotels—economy to luxury, for example.
While core sustainability principles are consistent across all brands, implementation varies by tier. For example, luxury and upscale hotels may invest more heavily in advanced building systems and guest‑facing sustainability features, while economy brands often focus on high‑impact efficiency measures that deliver fast ROI and operational applications (lighting, housekeeping practices, etc.)
13. Is certification or any other green step a requirement or optional?
Green Key certification is required for all BWH Hotels by the end of 2026. Some interim steps and enhancement initiatives are optional, but certification itself is a company‑wide expectation.
14. What are the No. 1 steps your properties are taking in the areas of energy conservation, water conservation, waste management (including single-use plastic usage), green cleaning and IAQ?
Across the portfolio, the most common and impactful steps include:
- Energy: LED retrofits, smart controls, and EPC‑supported system upgrades.
- Water: Low‑flow fixtures, leak detection, and linen reuse programs. The BeCause platform we are partnered with uses AI to flag anomalies in the reported data so that hotels have quick insight into possible leaks or incorrect reporting.
- Waste: Recycling expansion, food waste reduction, and elimination of single‑use plastics.
- Cleaning & IAQ: Green cleaning products and improved ventilation strategies.
These are practical steps that improve both operating performance and guest experience.
15. Talk a bit about your partnership with BeCause.
In addition to Green Key certification, it is becoming increasingly important for hotels to track and centralize sustainability and utility data. This information is now tied to corporate travel requirements, RFPs, OTA visibility, competitiveness, and cost savings opportunities. To help us do this in a more consistent and effective way, BWH is partnering with BeCause, a platform that allows us to collect, manage, and share this data in one centralized location. This gives us a stronger foundation to support hotels, respond to market expectations, and position the brand more competitively without straining teams or budgets.
We believe this partnership with BeCause will create meaningful value for hotels in several ways.
First, it will make eco-certification easier by helping organize the data and documentation needed for programs like Green Key.
Second, it will make it easier to visualize things like energy and water performance, which can help identify inefficiencies and cost-saving opportunities.
Third, it will support sales by helping hotels respond to RFPs using data aligned with GBTA and other key corporate travel formats.
And finally, it will help us share verified sustainability information with OTAs and other channels, which can improve visibility to travelers and help us stay competitive.
16. Any final thoughts?
At BWH Hotels, sustainability isn’t a side initiative—it’s becoming foundational to how we operate and grow. Through Green Key certification and programs like our EPC initiative, we’re focused on making sustainability practical, measurable, and accessible for hotel owners. Our goal is to deliver solutions that reduce environmental impact while also strengthening operating performance, asset value, and guest trust. When sustainability works for our owners and our guests, it works for the industry.
Additional Highlights
At https://www.bestwestern.com/en_US.html, travelers can search on “eco-friendly”. Soon, hotels will be searchable by specific sustainability features—local food sources, composting, etc.
In Germany, travelers can plant a tree with their hotel booking and receive a tree planting certificate from reforestation partner Click A Tree at the hotel upon departure. The additional cost is just 4 euros. Seventy percent of hotels in Germany are already certified as sustainable.
Within Green Key Global’s Eco-Rating Program, hotels are rated from 1 to 5 keys. Eighteen percent of BWH Hotels certified in North America are 4 key rated.
Hubert says that BWH Hotels is doing “boot camps” with hoteliers to help with certification.
Certification is just one part of BWH Hotels’ EPC effort. According to the company, “We believe we have a shared responsibility to be conscientious stewards within our global community. Through EPC, our goal is to strengthen one community at a time by partnering with our hoteliers and providing the necessary tools to enact meaningful change.”
All BWH Hotels locations since 2017 have been required to have EV charging stations.
Through the unique charitable partnerships of Best Western for A Better World and its Better World Fund, BWH Hotels assists families and children with poverty relief, disaster response, and education.
In North America, nearly 50 percent of properties are using cage-free eggs, and in Europe, more than 50 percent of properties in several countries are using cage-free eggs, with the Scandinavian region leading the way at 100 percent of their properties. In Asia and LATAM, over 70 percent of properties are using cage-free eggs. Globally, the company has achieved nearly 70 percent cage-free sourcing.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.
