The Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) has awarded NH Hoteles the Project Icarus Gold Medal. NH Hoteles is the first hotel group in the world to receive this accolade at the global level.
The program applies to a travel industry company committed to sustainability and operating within all GBTA regions and in a minimum of 10 countries. The prize reflects NH Hoteles’ continued investment in innovative sustainability, as well as its use of eco-friendly methods in everyday operations. 

One of the key factors GBTA recognized in awarding the medal was NH Hoteles’ sustainable development initiative in the business travel segment. Laundry bags, pens, and bathroom amenities-made with a plastic additive catalyzing the materials’ natural decomposition process-are among the group’s green products. Guestroom towels also come with EcoLabelthe European eco-friendly seal that analyzes a product’s environmental impact throughout its lifecycle.
Since embarking on its 2008 to 2012 Environmental Action Plan, NH Hoteles has reduced energy use by 25 percent, water by 30 percent, and waste generation by 34 percent. Additionally, NH Hoteles guests can record carbon emissions throughout their stay with an emissions calculator on the chain’s corporate website. Clients can also request meeting rooms using ecological, sustainable, and fair trade materials. Thanks to this initiative, the group offset more than 2,000 tons of carbon emissions in 2012 and has reduced carbon emissions by 44 percent.
NH Hoteles’ restaurants have also added a range of organic foods to its breakfasts, as well as a selection of fair trade coffee.
