Noble joins American Hotel & Lodging Association's 'Responsible Stay' Initiative

WASHINGTON (December 5, 2022) – The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) today announced Responsible Stay, an industry-wide commitment to make meetings, events and guest experiences in America’s hotels more environmentally and socially responsible.

Responsible Stay is focused on prioritizing hotels’ environmental sustainability efforts in four key areas: 

  • Energy efficiency: optimizing energy efficiency through operational improvements and adoption of clean energy technologies

  • Waste reduction: investing in waste reduction programs and new, innovative alternatives to reduce, reuse and recycle waste across properties

  • Water conservation: ensuring the reduction of water usage by implementing water-efficient practices in core areas like laundry, food and beverage, and landscaping

  • Responsible sourcing practices: sourcing responsibly and prioritizing sustainability in supply chains to prevent harmful environmental and social impacts.

By focusing on these four core principles, AHLA and its members are united on a commitment to strengthen environmental programs, education and resources to provide a ‘responsible stay’ for guests, protect the future of the planet and support communities across the country.

“The hotel industry has shown a longstanding commitment to sustainability, and many of our member companies have been on the leading edge of these efforts. We’re thrilled that the industry is committed to this critical issue that will shape how we travel for years to come,” said Chip Rogers, president and CEO of AHLA. “The launch of Responsible Stay is the next step of our industry’s sustainability journey, and we are uniting as an industry to provide a responsible stay for our employees, guests, communities and our planet.”

Responsible Stay aims to advance environmental initiatives and help hotels shift operations to be more sustainable. This commitment to provide a ‘responsible stay’ builds on existing initiatives by AHLA to support industry efforts to reduce carbon emissions, water and energy usage, waste and more, including:

  • AHLA’s Sustainability Committee, comprised of industry leaders, communicates, educates and advocates on behalf of the lodging industry to showcase environmental efforts and elevates environmental sustainability and resilience;

  • AHLA’s new partnership with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance works to amplify, collaborate on and support hospitality sustainability programs and solutions;

  • AHLA’s long-standing partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and the Hotel Kitchen program, which uses innovative strategies to engage staff, partners and guests in curbing food waste from hotel kitchens;

  • AHLA’s ongoing partnership with the Department of Energy Better Buildings Initiative highlights energy efficiency and drives leadership in energy innovation in the hospitality sector by accelerating investment and sharing successful best practices;

  • AHLA’s newly-formed research initiative with GreenView helps quantify and benchmark sustainability practices across the hotel industry in the United States, which will allow for better insights, best-practice development and sustainability progress tracking over time.

“The name, Noble, was born out of the ethos of our commitment to responsible standards of operating and investing. We are proud that our diverse team continues to be stewards of these endeavors throughout the travel and hospitality industry, and we are excited to support AHLA’s ‘Responsible Stay’ and its priorities of water conservation, waste reduction, energy efficiency and responsible sourcing. Through the design, development and redevelopment of our assets, Noble is committed to incorporating sustainable practices and pursuing energy efficiencies to produce more profitable and beneficial business results,” said Mit Shah, founder and CEO of Noble Investment Group.

Responsible Stay has elicited broad support across the sector, with members, state association partners and other industry stakeholders endorsing the program and its principles. A full list of endorsers can be found on the Responsible Stay website here.

About AHLA

The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) is the sole national association representing all segments of the U.S. lodging industry. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., AHLA focuses on strategic advocacy, communications support, and workforce development programs to move the industry forward. Learn more at www.ahla.com.

Scarlett Reveron