The award was established ten years ago by EHMA – European Hotel Managers Association in collaboration with Diversey, a company constantly delivering revolutionary cleaning and hygiene technologies, as they share the same concern and philosophy towards sustainability.

Every year, EHMA and Diversey – A Solenis Company present a Sustainability Award to the General Manager member of the Association who has most successfully implemented innovative sustainability and social responsibility projects during the previous year. 2024 winner, Pedro Pinto, General Manager of Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel, competed with a highly original and quite inspiring initiative: a card game, a very new, unique and ambitious activity for a hotel, which also provides an opportunity to engage with employees and guests in a fun and different way. The game challenges players to think creatively about reducing emissions, which can spur innovation and the adoption of new technologies or processes that are more carbon-efficient. The award presentation took place at the gala dinner of EHMA’s Annual General Assembly held in Venice on April 13th, that also marked the 50th anniversary of the Association.

“We had, once again, interesting candidates this year with a variety of activities focused on energy, responsible consumption, employee engagement and wellbeing, biodiversity protection, local sourcing and so many others”, comments EHMA President Panos Almyrantis, National Delegate of Greece & Cyprus and Chief Development Officer (CDO) of Ella Resorts in Athens. “This is indicative of the strong commitment within the Association to sustainable development and environmental stewardship, in conjunction with social responsibility and underpinned with strong quantitative results”.

A jury comprised of Daniel Daggett (Vice President Corporate Sustainability at Solenis), Pawel Lewtak, Vice President EHMA, CEO Syrena Hotels and General Manager Polonia Palace Hotel in Warsaw (Poland) Arjan van Rheede (Senior Research Fellow in Sustainability, Hotelschool The Hague) coordinated by Yann Bancourt (Global Leader, Corporate Accounts – Center of Excellence and Customer Support Solenis) chose this year’s winner.

The winning project intertwines Environmental Social Governance principles and the United Nations Sustainability Development Goals into a strategic management game with 48 thought-provoking cards, prompting players to critically assess and evolve their corporate strategies towards sustainability. Moreover, the game’s simplicity and clarity make it accessible to a wide audience, involving quickly and easily many people.

“Our commitment to sustainability is deeply ingrained in every aspect of our operations. Corpo Santo Lisbon Historical Hotel is EU Flower certified, which is a testimony to all actions implemented at the hotel”, explains Pinto. “The game may be utilized within the hotel, or a corporate environment and guests can be invited to play, thereby actively involving them in the experience”.

In the management game, players are confronted with choices and consequences regarding waste management strategies, directly linking their decisions to recycling rates in a simulated environment. In other scenarios, players are rewarded for choosing options that utilize PCR materials, thus illustrating the benefits and practicality of PCR in business operations. The final objective is to help players gain a deeper understanding of how business decisions can affect CO2 emissions, fostering a mindset geared towards carbon reduction and encouraging them to integrate sustainable practices within their business models.

The competitors

Eleni Basi, General Manager, Koullias Hotels, Kos Island, Greece
The Koullias Group has undertaken significant efforts to reduce food waste and enhance sustainability, recognizing the urgent need to mitigate tourism’s environmental impact. Effective food waste management strategies and other sustainable practices, such as energy efficiency and waste reduction, have been implemented to minimize their ecological footprint. The Group prioritizes local products and has screened all suppliers based on sustainability criteria actively seeking more sustainable solutions from them.

Marco Montagnani, General Manager, Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa, Menaggio, Lake Como, Italy
Being part of Travel and Charm green certification, Grand Hotel Victoria Concept & Spa has always been involved in favour of the planet. The initiatives include an ecological waste disposal area, a free cooling system, the use of electric vehicles and the total disuse of plastic in the hotel. This is why the Grand Hotel Victoria defines itself as the Green Heart on Lake Como, surrounded by nature and facing the lake, thankful for the environment where it is located and trying to respect it at its best.

Raimondo Sartorio, Parco San Marco Hotels & Beach Resort, Porlezza, Como, Italy
An intact environment forms the basis of this hotel complex, therefore the management is interested in a harmonious symbiosis of nature and environment, in which to operate commercially. An intact environment and a biodiversity of flora and fauna help guests to relax, recuperate and enjoy unforgettable experiences. Implementing an innovative, future-oriented project requires not only long-term investment, but also an exceptional team of flexible, creative and competent staff working in a synergetic and stimulating atmosphere, to which the hotel management attaches particular importance.

Emmy Stoel, General Manager, Sofitel Legend The Grand, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
The hotel is committed to achieving best-practice environmental and social sustainability. As part of The Grand’s Social Engagement Project, The Grand works closely together with local and national charity organizations and participates in projects focused on education, waste reduction, food, poverty, lonely, elderly and more. To be able to focus on these activities, The Grand has a CSR committee, which works towards targets, analyses results and based on information comes up with new activities to reach targets.

Congratulations Pedro!