As we discuss the hotel of the future (or, more accurately, the present), there is no choice but to look back in order to understand how we arrived here. There was a time when choosing a place to stay was primarily a matter of location. Then came design, gastronomy, well-being, or that pool you dreamed of long before you packed your bags. All of that still matters—and a lot—but sustainability has lately joined the list of requirements; and there is a question that until a few years ago barely crossed the minds of a few people, yet today is essential: What impact does my stay have on the planet’s fragile health?
The contemporary traveler is better informed and seeks to make smarter choices, that much is clear, though the truth is that they don’t intend to turn their holidays into a perpetual exercise in calculation. Federico J. González, CEO of Radisson Hotel Group, puts it this way: “I think it would be a mistake to shift all responsibility onto the guest. Those who travel want to discover a destination, enjoy a great hotel, eat well, rest, and have a memorable experience. Our job is to make a more responsible stay attractive, easy, and high quality.” Precisely by listening to these new expectations, the Verified Net Zero program was born, which consists of integrating sustainability into the very way the hotels are designed, renovated, and operated, rather than asking guests to give up what they travel for.
From Promise to Reality
Speaking about a future with lower emissions is relatively straightforward. Getting an operating hotel—with rooms, kitchens, laundry, climate control, and hundreds of guests—to move toward that goal is considerably more challenging. That is where Verified Net Zero comes into play.
Radisson Hotel Group launched the program in 2025 with two pioneering hotels in Manchester and Oslo, demonstrating that the model could work in existing properties. “For a long time, net zero in hospitality was projected at horizons of 2040 or 2050. At Radisson Hotel Group we wanted to move forward from now and see how far we could take a real hotel with the technologies and solutions currently available,” explains Federico.
