Cairn Hotel Group sets the standard for Green Hospitality
Following a major sustainability drive, that earned Cairn Hotel Group 30 Green Tourism accreditations, Tina O’Hara, commercial director at Cairn Hotel Group, discusses how the group is introducing greener practices across its portfolio, the challenges it had to overcome, and its plans to further advance its environmental efforts
In April 2025, nine of Cairn Hotel Group’s hotels achieved gold accreditation under the Green Tourism framework, including DoubleTree by Hilton Majestic Hotel and Spa in Harrogate, Hotel Indigo Edinburgh – Princes Street, Crowne Plaza Gerrards Cross, DoubleTree Newcastle Airport, and Elmbank Hotel in York. Each scored more than 80% in the scheme’s assessment.
The certifications recognised a range of initiatives across the group, from enhancing green spaces to community-focused projects such as building bug hotels and supporting wildlife preservation.
All hotels introduced carbon-reduction measures to support greener travel for guests. Each now has an on-site “Green Champion” responsible for sustainability efforts and for tracking monthly energy and environmental targets.
Tina O’Hara, commercial director at Cairn Hotel Group, who led this initiative over two years, says: “Sustainability has always been something we’ve thought about, but we don’t have the accreditations or platforms to truly drive our efforts forward. We believe that hospitality is more than just providing a great guest experience; it’s about doing the right thing for the communities we serve, for our team, and, of course, for the environment.”
She states that partnering with Green Tourism helped the business formalise and strengthen its approach: “Green Tourism provided us with a clear framework to build on our sustainability journey. We saw it as the right thing to do – not only to future-proof our business but also to make a positive impact on people, planet, and places.”
Cairn Hotel Group operates 30 hotels across the UK, from Aberdeen to London, under brands including IHG, Hilton and Marriott. This required a flexible yet consistent sustainability strategy.
“When we began looking at initiatives, the obvious areas to target were energy efficiency,” O’Hara says. “But when we partnered with Green Tourism, it really helped us focus on three key areas.”
People: community involvement
Staff participated in monthly initiatives such as litter-picking, dog-walking at local shelters, and fundraising for charity partners.
“It is an initiative that was adopted quickly and enthusiastically, and has now become a fundamental part of our hotels’ operations,” she says. “The staff love it, and it’s created a real sense of purpose.”
Planet: reducing environmental impact
The group installed energy-saving technologies, reduced single-use plastics, and introduced Combined Heat and Power units at several sites. It also invested in a dedicated tree grove.
“It’s all about making a tangible impact on our environmental footprint.
“One of our most exciting initiatives was purchasing a tree grove, which allowed us to offset carbon emissions. We used this grove to recognise our team members’ achievements – if someone excels, they can choose to plant a tree, which offsets a tonne of carbon over its lifetime.”
Places: biodiversity and local heritage
To further reduce emissions, the group added an electric vehicle fleet and now promotes nearby national parks and conservation areas to guests.
“When tailoring strategies to different properties, these three pillars provide a framework that could be adapted no matter the hotel’s size or location,” O’Hara says.
“We can’t change the world within a year, and we also can’t afford to do everything at once, so it’s all about making it manageable.”
Smaller hotels adopted core initiatives such as reducing plastic and supporting community causes with support from Green Tourism.
“We decide to focus on initiatives like community involvement, which is something every property can get behind, regardless of size. We also make sure to highlight local heritage sites on our website, so our guests can easily access information about the places they’re visiting.”
O’Hara says the company adopted a phased approach to its sustainability goals, with one-year, three-year and longer-term strategies in place.
“We can’t change the world within a year, and we also can’t afford to do everything at once, so it’s all about making it manageable.”
The hotel group has formed a central sustainability committee formed with volunteers from across the business.
“You don’t have to be in a specific position or level. We want people who care and are eager to join the journey.”
Each hotel has a “sustainability champion” responsible for leading initiatives locally and encouraging others to get involved.
“It’s all about communication,” O’Hara says.
“As people go through management and leadership development, we talk to them about our sustainability efforts, about Green Tourism, and they eventually become champions themselves.”
O’Hara says she hopes the efforts enhance the guest experience as well as deliver environmental benefits.
“I’d like to think that it has increased our guest satisfaction.”
She adds: “We’re committed to continuing our engagement with Green Tourism. We want to move all of our hotels up to the gold standard. That’s a long-term goal we’re very passionate about.”
