GreenSign Hotel

The N°1 sustainability certification for the hotel industry in Europe.

Whether individual hotels or hotel chains, the recognized and transparent certification system of GreenSign is of great relevance for the sustainable success of a business. Hotels that are certified with GreenSign stand for sustainable hotel management and fulfill the most important criteria in harmony with ecological standards, social commitment and economic success. The GreenSign sustainability certificate enables you to position yourself as a sustainable hotel operation in the national and international market and favors a continuous development of the sustainability performance.

Getting there is surprisingly easy.

In 3 steps to the GreenSign Hotel certification.

1. Submit certification application

By filling out and submitting the application form, GreenSign Institut will receive your request directly. You will quickly receive an application confirmation by email with a quote. We can also discuss open questions on the phone or in a video call.

After signing the contract we will send you further information and access to the certification tool. In the next step, you can fill out the catalog directly online.

Application

2. Log in to the GreenSign tool & self-evaluation

After registration in the certification tool, the independent self-evaluation of your hotel takes place.

The more than 100 criteria of the eight areas of the test catalog were developed on the basis of internationally recognized frameworks for sustainability. These include ISO 14001 (EMAS/Environmental Management), ISO 26000 (Corporate Social Responsibility) and the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria, which were developed by the GSTC for the hotel industry. Since 2022, the GreenSign Hotel Standard has also been officially recognized by the GSTC.

Within about 4 weeks, all questions will be answered in the online tool. To fill in the form, it is advisable to take a look at the marked obligatory criteria beforehand, which you have to prove at the latest for the audit, and to look for the corresponding documents. The classification of the sustainability performance is based on the number of points in GreenSign Level 1 to GreenSign Level 5. For a Level 1 rating, at least 19 percent of the criteria within the eight core areas must be met. The highest award of GreenSign Level 5 requires a sustainability performance of over 90 percent.

First approaches to fulfill the sustainability concept are already fulfilled in the hotel (15-19%).

A sound sustainability orientation is evident in the hotel (20-49%).

The sustainability concept is implemented and lived in almost all hotel areas (50-69%).

The requirements for sustainable management are met to a high degree by the hotel (70-89%).

The sustainability concept in the hotel is exemplary and has the best possible alignment (90-100%).

3. Audit and award with GreenSign Hotel

All hotels then undergo an on-site inspection in the form of an audit. The auditor requests the obligatory documents and various verifications. The hotelier receives an overview of the required documents in advance.

The audit ends with a qualified audit report that reflects the hotel’s sustainability performance. The certification takes place for three years and enables transparent documentation and authentic communication of the sustainable commitment for the period.

Prices & licenses

You have the choice.

Choose the package that suits you best.

Basic

Audit
Certification with GreenSign Hotel

Plus

Audit
Certification with GreenSign Hotel
CO₂ footprint (one-time)

Pemium

Certification with GreenSign Hotel
CO₂ footprint (one-time)
Onboarding Workshop online
Interim audit (annually)

Prices & licenses

Application

New bookable

GREEN PEARLS MEMBERSHIP.

Green Pearls® is an international information platform for sustainable travel – a filter for environmentally friendly vacations without compromise, a sustainable label and a globally operating communication platform for sustainable tourism. The website www.greenpearls.com presents pioneers of green tourism who are committed to environmental protection and take social responsibility.

Your advantage as a GreenSign member? In addition to the Green Pearls® membership you receive a basic communication package with one mention each in the newsletter, on the blog and on Instagram.

In addition, the globally active Green Pearls offers…

Own microsite
Green Pearls® Label
10+ years of experience in communicating sustainability in tourism
Weekly press newsletter
Integration into the Green Travel Blog
Social media integration
Support with press inquiries and cooperations

More information about the membership

Darlene arbeitet mit Praktikantin Malena

You want to know exactly?

Feel free to check out our GSTC approved certification catalog.

certification catalog

You want to know more?

Feel free to check out our GSTC approved certification catalogue.

To the certification catalogue

100 criteria. 8 areas. 3 pillars.

We explain them to you.

Management & Communication

Management and communication are central components of a sustainable corporate orientation. They stand for a system of values and responsible shaping of the future in dialog with stakeholders.

Environment

The environmental pillar comprises the ecological areas of energy, water and waste. As essential components and influencing factors on the ecological footprint, strategies and measures to reduce resource consumption are essential.

Biodiversity & Cultural Heritage

A biodiverse farm takes responsibility for the surrounding flora and fauna and does its part to protect and grow them.

Purchasing

Purchasing is a central control organ and indicator for sustainable management. Regional, seasonal, organic and fair-trade products are becoming increasingly important in society and the value chain in hotel purchasing.

Regionalität & Mobilität

Regionality contributes to corporate identification and qualitative growth. The topic of mobility requires forward-looking approaches in tourism.

Regionality & mobility

Qualitätsmanagement & nachhaltige Entwicklung

Quality assurance and its further development means securing the future through satisfied and motivated employees, regular guests, as well as trusting cooperation with all stakeholders.

Quality management & sustainable development

Soziale Verantwortung

Social commitment is the mainstay of sustainable development. It stands for a sense of responsibility and motivation for shaping a sustainable environment in the triad of ecology, social and economic responsibility.

Social responsibility

Wirtschaftliche Verantwortung

Economic stability of companies is a supporting pillar and ensures qualitative and quantitative growth. The collection, evaluation and management of financial and economic data represent a sense of responsibility to meet external demands and expectations of guests, investors or the media.

Economic responsibility

Your added value?

After a successful certification process, the GreenSign Institute awards the GreenSign sustainability certificate at the achieved level. The certification highlights possible weaknesses and potentials for improving the sustainability performance. Recertification takes place after three years with a new on-site audit. With an environmental program on the part of the hotel, sustainability measures will also be implemented in the future. We support your hotel in achieving a better perception among guests, new target groups and stakeholders.

Visibility

wooden GreenSign badge for the entrance of the hotel
GreenSign certificate in the frame with the GreenSign level and individual sustainability barometer
GreenSign logo for your website
Widget that displays the sustainability barometer transparently on your website
Press releases and social media posts by GreenSign
Listing on the portals greensign.de, greenline-hotels.com, Destinet (Germany Travel), Varta guide and bookdifferent

GreenSign Community