I was already snapping photos of the signage in the lobby when I was greeted by the Sales Manager at the Delta Vancouver Suites. She was happy to discuss the many green initiatives and practices at the property, and I was eager to learn them. As a conversation with one of the hotel’s managers, this visit was perhaps more informative than my previous night spent as a guest of the Century Plaza.

The last of the in-room plastic water bottles

We started with a tour of guest rooms, which get great natural light and where she explained that the hotel was in the process of phasing out plastic water bottles, newspapers and coffee makers in guest rooms. The water bottles are replaced with filtered tap in reusable bottles, and newspaper and coffee available on request or in the lobby.

Over a tasty lunch I gained some insight into the employee perspective. The associates at Delta Vancouver Suites are engaged in a culture of care and conservation. One symbol of this engagement is the travel mug that employees receive upon being hired and the playful “shaming” of staff members who are caught with non-reusable beverage containers. There are also concerted efforts made to reduce printing, shut down computers at night and get involved with the local community through volunteerism and weekly cleanups.

The earth-conscious way of thinking encouraged among employees at the Delta Vancouver Suites comes from a brand charter that was implemented in 2011, with a five-year goal that involves many facets like reducing carbon emissions and water consumption by 30% and reducing waste by 10% while increasing waste diversion by 25%. Delta Greens, as the charter is called, aims to achieve these reductions through a number of changes like the phasing out of  superfluous and wasteful amenities mentioned above, and conscientious behavior on the part of the staff. They also have light sensors in guest rooms and public spaces so that energy is not wasted on lighting unoccupied space. The hotel participates in Earth Hour, which is also a way of involving the guest in its earthly commitments, and the lunch I enjoyed on property was served with choice local and seasonal ingredients and participation in Vancouver Aquariums Ocean Wise program.

My sneak peak into the operational side of sustainable hospitality yielded a very interesting, though unsurprising, discovery: employee engagement is of utmost importance. The Delta Greens promises make environmental responsibility a part of the job description for Delta employees. With a corporate presence and ongoing action taken toward green initiatives, sustainability is kept top-of-mind when it comes to the work place culture. This makes all the difference in enacting changes at the ground level.

Another discovery I made from speaking with the Sales Manager was in regards to the Delta Vancouver Suites’ motivations for its sustainable business. Beyond social responsibility, they see it as a means of differentiation and a response to what guests want. In particular, business clients with corporate responsibility policies of their own tend to patronize hotels with sustainability strategies. Makes sense, right?

The difference at this hotel, then, is in the staff room and the board room. The Delta Vancouver Suites’ green commitments are carried out through a community effort and a responsible brand identity. Engaging staff in sustainable operations and promoting a befitting mindset demonstrates the extent to which these commitments are beliefs- and behaviors-based, and that awareness and action are the ultimate vehicles for change.