ibis India Moves Sustainability from Certification into the Everyday Hotel Stay

ibis is moving its sustainability work in India from certification into the daily running of its hotels. Twenty-two ibis and ibis Styles hotels in the country are already Green Key certified. The brand says the next step is the operational choices that shape a stay, from how water is provided in guest rooms and how breakfast is managed, to water and electricity use and the handling of waste.

Practical measures include replacing single-use plastic water bottles with reusable glass bottles, reducing food waste, using local and seasonal ingredients where feasible, and tightening waste segregation and recycling. In food and beverage, the brand is also removing single-use plastic from breakfast sideboards and promoting more responsible sourcing. The aim, it says, is for the more responsible choice to become part of the normal guest experience rather than a trade-off against convenience.

The brand notes that India recorded 4.29 billion domestic tourist visits in 2025, with tourism contributing an estimated 5.22 per cent of GDP and supporting 84.63 million jobs, and argues that the cumulative impact of everyday hotel operations is growing as stays and meals increase.

“The next phase of sustainable hospitality will be determined by what happens behind the scenes, not only by what guests see. A hotel operates continuously, with water being consumed in rooms, food being prepared and discarded, energy being used across multiple touchpoints and waste being generated throughout the day. The opportunity is to redesign these everyday processes so that the more responsible choice becomes part of the operation itself. At ibis, we are focusing on practical changes that can work at scale and become part of the normal guest experience rather than asking guests to choose between sustainability and convenience,” said Deeppreet Bindra, Director, ibis & ibis Styles India.

Beyond the hotels, ibis India ran a nationwide beach clean-up in June 2026 across Mumbai, Goa, Chennai and Kochi, working with hotel teams, local NGOs, civic authorities and community volunteers.

ibis is part of Accor and, according to the brand, has more than 1,250 hotels in over 60 countries.

Images: courtesy of Accor / ibis Mumbai Vikhroli