Frequently Asked Questions

What is Hotel Resilient?

Hotel Resilient is a free platform where hotels report verified, property-level sustainability data — emissions, energy, water, waste and the positive impact they create — and share it with the travel partners who book them. It is built by climate and risk data specialists with our parent company Risklayer in Karlsruhe, Germany, and was developed with support from the German government and European Union.

Who can join the platform?

Hotel Resilient is designed for everyone in the tourism value chain:

• Hotels to assess sustainability performance and connect with responsible travel partners.
• Travel partners to collect, compare and share sustainability data across their hotel portfolios.
• Destinations and associations to gain insights into sustainability progress and guide policy, planning and investment.

Is the platform really open access?

Yes. Access for hotels and travel partners is open and barrier-free, so sustainability isn’t limited to those who can afford it. By removing financial barriers, more hotels and partners can take part, share data and drive change across the tourism industry together.

How does Hotel Resilient ensure data credibility?

Hotels are asked what they actually do, and must back up their answers with evidence. Data is collected and checked directly with each hotel — not scraped or estimated by AI — and our assessments align with GSTC criteria. That makes results defensible under anti-greenwashing rules such as the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition (EmpCo) directive.

What if I don’t have a GSTC certification?

No problem. Our Advanced Sustainable Assessment is fully aligned with GSTC criteria and shows you where you stand: what’s working well and where you can improve. Without a certification, you can still share your sustainability progress directly with travel partners, upload evidence and have your actions reviewed and verified where needed.

What if I already have a GSTC-recognised certification?

That’s great. Upload your certificate to the platform so travel partners have proof of your sustainability progress. We still recommend completing the Advanced Sustainable Assessment so partners can see the details behind your certificate, but you don’t need to submit any further documentation. This avoids redundant reporting and saves you time.

How is this different from a certification?

Hotel Resilient isn’t a certification — it’s a data collaboration platform. We don’t sell travel and we don’t charge hotels for a badge. Instead of issuing labels, we help hotels share the specific details of how they contribute to sustainable and responsible tourism. Our goal is continuous improvement, not one-time compliance.

How do you account for regional differences?

Our surveys are built with travel partners around the world, with different versions for different regions and property types, in local languages. A small community-run lodge can take part as easily as a large chain. Beyond environmental and climate indicators, we also look at local spend, economic leakage, fair employment and community investment, so you can see whether tourism actually benefits the communities that host it.

What kind of assessments are on the platform?

Our assessments cover the topics hotels need to be sustainable, responsible and resilient, including:

• Advanced Sustainable Assessment
• Hotel carbon measurement
• Hotel accessibility
• Crisis and climate resilience
• Health and safety

What do travel partners get from the platform?

Travel partners gain verified sustainability data across their supply chain, allowing them to:

• Meet ESG and responsible travel reporting requirements
• Measure itinerary carbon footprints with real hotel data, not city averages
• Showcase hotel achievements in sustainability campaigns
• Track collective impact across destinations
• Strengthen supplier engagement and collaboration

How can I donate or otherwise support this initiative?

Hotel Resilient is always free for hotels. Donations and funding partnerships help us keep it that way and bring more small and independent properties onto the platform. To discuss a donation or funding partnership, contact us.

How do I get started?

If you’re a hotel, you can sign up directly here and start your sustainability journey right away. Travel partners can contact us to request a demo, or email info@hotelresilient.org.