Advito has launched a new Hotel Sustainability Index (HSI), introducing a scoring framework aimed at helping corporate travel programmes assess and compare the environmental performance of hotel properties globally.
The index is designed to address gaps in available sustainability data in the hotel sector, particularly the lack of consistent and comparable information beyond carbon emissions. It draws on data provided directly by hotels and major chains, alongside benchmarking methodologies used where disclosures are not available.
“Travel buyers have been asking for a better way to understand and measure hotel sustainability,” said Julien Etchanchu, global lead for Advito’s sustainability consulting practice. “With the HSI, we’re giving our clients an authoritative tool based on actual hotel data and real-world conditions. It helps organisations see where the meaningful differences are and how to act on that information.”
The HSI scores hotels on a 100-point scale across six categories: CO₂ emissions, water consumption, energy use, eco-certifications, transparency, and other sustainability measures such as recycling and the reduction of single-use plastics. It combines absolute and relative performance metrics, allowing for comparisons across regions with differing energy systems, water availability and infrastructure.
Hotels that voluntarily disclose data receive transparency points, while properties that do not report are benchmarked using regional averages based on the Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI) and Advito’s ISO-certified GATE4 emissions methodology.
The index is currently used by Advito clients to score and benchmark hotel suppliers and to incorporate sustainability considerations into hotel request-for-proposal processes. Over time, Advito said the framework is expected to support further analysis of travel programmes and inform traveller decision-making at the point of booking.
“Companies want to align their travel programmes with climate goals, but until now the data just hasn’t been there,” Etchanchu said. “HSI allows them to differentiate between hotels that simply meet a baseline and those demonstrating continuous improvement and operational accountability.”
