In 2017, I set out on a mission to help Green the Hospitality Industry, there has been many up and downs since then, but one thing remains - my belief that this is the best way to go for the industry.

We keep hearing in the news about Climate Change, how many years we have left, what will happen in 2050 if we don’t change…Some people believe it, some people don’t.

Regardless of your personal opinion on Climate Change, the reality is that every person, and every Hotel in the world, can do something to reduce their Carbon Footprint.

Sustainability In Hospitality

Hotels waste thousands of Euros every year, by having poor processes and behaviours around energy, water and waste. This has, not only a negative effect in the environment, but also to the business bottom line. We spend time, money and resources on promoting our business, bettering our customer service, providing unique visitor experiences… And then we throw a lot of our hard earned sales literally in the bin or down the drai...

In the past few weeks the world has been flipped upside down and economies are been brought to their knees due to the Coronavirus pandemic.

These are worrying times for many, health and economical wise, as we enter unchartered territories.

The travel and tourism industry in particular, has already started feeling the severe effects of a downturn, with many cancellations for the coming season, and the crude reality of job loses raising its ugly head in most countries.

Panic is starting to set in amongst business owners, and we should take this time to reflect and prepare for the future. 

So can what we do from a business perspective?

I too am worried, I provide training and coaching programmes for the Hospitality industry, so their business prosperity is a key factor for my own business goals.

We know that we are facing a quiet season, we also know that we expect a huge drop in our sales budgets, and that 2020 will not be a very profitable year for many.

I met a new client last w...

You have heard that Greening your hotel or restaurant can bring you more exposure, more clients and more profits. This much is true.

You also know that the Green Wave is real, and your customers will soon demand sustainable practices from your business. I firmly believe this will happen.

You would like to run a green business, but the learning curve seems so steep, you are busy as it is and you think it is going to cost you a fortune to get there. You are wrong in this one.

An issue of time

Greening your Hotel or Restaurant is easier than you think, and it does not have to cost you a fortune, in fact, I can prove to you that it is the opposite, it might end up saving you money. As for the amount of time you have in your hands? Well yes, the Hospitality industry is a fast paced industry, but ask yourself something:

If your accountant told you in the morning someone is stealing money from your till, would you prioritize finding out who it is so you can stop it over other items in yo...

Sustainability has so many definitions that it drives people a bit bunkers. What does it all mean? How do I make more business more sustainable? How do I know if I am successful on greening my business?

The answers are much simpler than people might think, well, at least for me and Ill tell you why.

To us at the Fifty Shades Greener office, a green or sustainable business is one that reduces it’s impact to the environment. Business affect the environment in 3 ways, by using energy, producing waste and using water.

In order to run an environmentally friendly business, you need to reduce your business utilities, and the best part of this journey is that not only you will reduce your business Carbon Footprint and impact to the environment, but you will also SAVE MONEY off your utility bills.

It is a win/win situation for business owner.

Yet, 99% of the Hotel owners I meet in my weekly routine, don’t have a handle on those 3 pillars of sustainability. So here are 3 top tips for a succ...

Last weekend the Irish Nation voted for change at the #GE2020, with the main two government parties not receiving enough votes to form a majority coalition. I am personally really happy that this is the desire of the Irish people, and of course, the raise of the Green Party to 12 seats.

The proposed raise of Carbon Tax by some political parties worries me, and makes me wonder, is that the “change” the Irish public want? Have we succumbed to believe the only approach to climate change is the raise in tax?

I personally believe there could be other initiatives to consider.

A few years ago, I completed a FETAC level 6 course on dog training. Now I am not comparing Irish citizens to dogs, that’s not mi intention at all! But hear me out for 20 seconds.

Dog training is all about positive reinforcement, reward positive behaviour instead of punishing negative behaviour.

There are trainers out there of course that do not follow this rule and punish animals for mis-behaviour. In most cases, ...

So you have now decided to run a Greener business, you have formed your Green Team and you are rearing to go. If you are not there yet, have a look at my last two blogs, they might help you make the final decision.

Like it happens with any project, even with the day to day running of your business, you need your team behind you. You all need to work towards a common goal, in this case, reducing your business Carbon Footprint, becoming a Greener business and reducing your energy, water and waste bills.

But the Hospitality industry as I know it, is a fast paced industry. Introducing changes can be hard and people can fall into old habits quite easily as decisions might be made in a split second.

Sustainable culture

Embedding a culture of sustainability within your team, is one of the keys to success, and also one of the most difficult things to do.

If you have followed my past two blogs, you probably have created a winning Green Team by now, this is excellent progress, now you need ...

It is the start of a new decade! And 2020 will become the starting point of a change within our industries, towards a future that, hopefully, will have less impact in the Environment. The Hospitality & Tourism industry shall be not left behind, it is time that we, as Managers of the industry, strive to start implementing small changes that will result on a reduction of our utilities, our Carbon Footprint and our bills.

Contrary to the general perception out there, running a Green business CAN SAVE YOU MONEY. To me, greening your business means taking control and reducing your use of water & energy and production of waste, which in turn, reduces your Carbon and saves you money, it is a win-win situation for a tourism business.

One of the questions most of my potential customers ask on our first discovery call is “How do I get started?”. The answer is simple, it starts by choosing a winning Green Team.

Choose the right Green Manager

This might be yourself, or someone of authority wit...

The phone has not stopped ringing this past two months, with more and more Hotels interested in sustainability. I love seeing the mind-set of our industry managers changing, and becoming interested on running greener Hotels.

What Is Sustainability? 

Undoubtedly, there are misconceptions out there as to what “sustainability” means, in fact, the word itself does not really explain its concept. Many experts have different definitions, but to me and the Fifty Shades Greener team, sustainability for a Hotel should involve three clear pillars:

Water Conservation

Waste Reduction

Energy Reduction

The overall vision or goal for any Hotel wishing to become a Green property, should be a reduction of Carbon Footprint, and at its best, Carbon Neutrality. After Hotel Doolin’s announcement last month of becoming the first Carbon Neutral Hotel in Ireland, many hotel managers are looking to achieve the same - but Carbon Neutrality is not  a quick fix or something that can be achieved in a s...

Green Hotels are currently reaping the benefits of not having a huge amount of competition.

The Hospitality Industry, are very slowly moving towards sustainability, not realising the huge benefits that running a Greener Hotel can offer.

Make Strides Towards A Sustainable Business

Every week, I see social media posts about hotels or every larger chains of hotels making a pledge to abolish mini toiletries, or using only compostable take away cups, etc.

Yes, it is great to hear the industry is making small changes to reduce the enormous amount of single use plastics it creates, but running a Green Business, goes well beyond that.

I have worked in the Hospitality Industry for 20 years, I met my best friends working in Hotels and it has shaped me into the person I am today. You could say I LOVE IT. But I am also painfully aware of how damaging this industry is to the environment.

What really frustrates me, is that there are so many small actions, any Hotel Team can take on their daily...

Running an Eco friendly business is becoming more and more important in current times. Society is asking for change. Our customers of tomorrow, are the children of today, and they have been striking for Climate Action every week for the past year.

A huge opportunity lies for those businesses ahead of the curve, implementing Green Actions on their daily activities, to attract a large % of the market by setting themselves ahead of the rest.

Yet, the Hospitality industry is reluctant to embrace the necessary changes to create a Greener industry.

Environmentally Friendly Business Ideas For Your Hotel

Change is actually easier than most people think. It should not be viewed as an “extra task” to perform, it should consist on a change of mind set across all departments of your business and your team. It should be just the new way of running your business.

Many business owners still do not understand the concept of running a Greener business. The general perception out there, is that it ...