The American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA) brought together food and beverage professionals and sustainability leaders within the hotel sector for the fourth-annual Responsible Stay Summit to share best practices, discuss latest trends and honor those making great strides.
For the first time, the summit brought together members of two of AHLA’s leading committees: the Sustainability Committee and the Food & Beverage Committee. The combined event drew a broad cross-section of the industry to address shared operational and environmental opportunities and challenges—from responsible sourcing and food waste reduction to water conservation—through real-world case studies and peer exchange.
Hotels are significant economic contributors in the communities where they operate, employing local workers, sourcing from local businesses and generating tax revenue that funds essential public services. As sustainability becomes a growing factor in many travelers’ booking decisions, operators are increasingly seeking practical ways to manage their operational footprint while keeping costs down.
“Hotels are anchors in their communities and their success ripples through local economies,” said Lauren Pravlik, VP, committees and member engagement, AHLA. “Helping our members operate more efficiently isn’t just good for the environment, it’s good for their bottom line and for the communities they serve. The tools and resources we’ve built through our Responsible Stay initiative are designed to meet hoteliers where they are, whether they’re just getting started or looking to go further, and events like this are where that work comes to life.”
The summit included presentations of multiple Responsible Stay awards recognizing measurable progress toward sustainability goals. The Sustainable Hospitality and Leadership in Design (SHLD) Awards, presented in collaboration with MindClick, recognize hospitality projects that pair outstanding design with measurable sustainability performance. Powered by MindClick’s Product Intelligence platform, the SHLD Awards are the first interior design awards program based on verified sustainability data from the products and materials used in a space, evaluating performance across health and wellness, responsible sourcing, energy and water efficiency, waste reduction and support for local manufacturing. The award recipients were:
- Hotel Verdant (Racine, WI): The Gettys Group: Public Space Winner, Guest Room Winner
- Miraval Arizona Resort & Spa (Tucson, AZ): Harken Interiors: Other Hospitality Winner
- Inn at Celebration (Kissimmee, FL): Baskervill: Honorable Mention for Reuse and Repurpose
- Renaissance Boston Seaport District (Boston): Parker Torres Design: Overall Winner
In addition, the Argonaut Hotel in San Francisco was recognized as the 2026 Green Key Global Property of the Year. The award, presented by Green Key Global, honors hotel properties with a distinguished commitment to responsible operations and innovative action.
The Hotel Kitchen Champion Award, presented by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), honored Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts for its leadership in sustainable food and beverage and for actively promoting environmentally responsible practices across its properties. In particular, Four Seasons was recognized for its global food waste reduction and disposal processes, commitment to employee training and innovative use of technology to track and reduce waste.
The summit is part of AHLA’s Responsible Stay initiative, launched in 2022 around four core areas where hotels can reduce environmental impact and operating costs: energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction and responsible sourcing. AHLA supports hoteliers through a suite of resources, including Green Key Global certification, Hotel Kitchen for reducing food waste, the Dignity of Work Pledge for responsible sourcing and the recently released Energy and Water Savings Guide, a practical tool to help general managers and property owners implement conservation practices and manage utility costs.