SOCOTEC Certification International, an independent certification body, has certified B&B HOTELS on sustainability with a certification specifically developed for the hospitality sector in compliance with ISO 26000

• The standards developed by SOCOTEC for this certification have received the recognition status of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC®) managing the global standards for sustainable travel and tourism, as well as providing international accreditation for sustainable tourism Certification Bodies.
• B&B HOTELS is the first ever network to be granted this sustainability certification developed for hotels.

With 73% of consumers* that believe brands must act now for the good of society and reduce their impact on the planet and 54% of consumers* say they filter their choice of hotels according to the presence or absence of certification, having hotels committed to certify their management system on Sustainability has become even more critical. SOCOTEC Certification International has developed standards for the Hospitality sectors in order to accompany this sector towards more social, business ethics, environmental and energy compliance, in line with the consumers’ expectations and the sector’s requirements.

For Xavier Daniel, the managing director of SOCOTEC Certification International: “By being granted the recognition status by the GSTC, we have proven that our standards are fully aligned with the high level of quality that the market is expecting and the sector deserves. Our Sustainability standards are embedding the SDGs requirements (United Nations Sustainable Development Goals) that we adapted to the Hospitality sector. Our long history in providing sector driven standards is making a difference, even more because CSR requirements and compliance have to be fully adapted to high expectations specially in that sector and consumers need to build trust towards the hotels they choose. Travellers have developed high consciousness on their carbon footprint and action plans to become more resilient need to be adapted to the sector”.

SOCOTEC managed onsite audits in almost 90 hotels in France, Germany, Italy and Spain, verifying 125 items in 5 categories (Sustainable Management System, Governance, Social, Culture and Environment). From strategy to operations, nothing has been left apart from preserving biodiversity, ecosystems and landscapes, to promoting local employment and staff engagement, and to working for the development of local culture and heritage. A full-time task force has been committed at B&B HOTELS to analyse current status and gaps, and more than 70,000 stakeholders involved alongside the process (clients, employees, suppliers, landlords, managers) in 4 countries during more than 120 days.

SOCOTEC has now certified for 3 years the B&B HOTELS (477 hotels, 4 national departments and the Headquarters) with the first and unique Sustainability Certification of the Hospitality sector. The ceremony shows the 2 CEOs of B&B HOTELS and of the SOCOTEC Group confident that this very important step will provide new opportunities, as this certification is now paving the way for future sustainable business in this sector since this certification standards are available for the Hospitality sector.

For Hervé Montjotin, CEO of the SOCOTEC Group: “SOCOTEC is an independent trusted third-party that specialized in the construction, real estate and infrastructure sectors. We accompany all environmental and energy transitions towards more resilient and green awareness and practices. With our global footprint and 5,500 engineers we are leading these transitions across an even more demanding context and regulations and high expectations from all consumers. We are on the solution side, helping our 200,000 clients around the world to benefit from our expertise and experience.”