Host, Radhika Arapally⁠ had the pleasure of reconnecting with Raquel Noboa, Founder & CEO of Fifty Shades Greener - a sustainability-focused company offering green skills training, certification, and consulting. Raquel's insights remind us that sustainability is about people, action, and values.

Lessons to carry forward:

❇️Meet people where they are: Understand their motivators and meet them at their starting point to guide meaningful change.

❇️ Imperfection is okay: Even small, consistent actions can create a significant cumulative impact over time.

❇️ Apply learning: Trainings and knowledge are most powerful when applied in our every day.

❇️Human rights matter: Sustainability includes accessibility, inclusivity, and ensuring everyone has the right to travel.

❇️Climate action over climate knowledge: Practical climate solutions and hands-on steps are more effective than just discussing the issues.

Finally, Raquel emphasised something we’re missing: community—at work and at home. Reconnecting with the community spirit is essential for a thriving, sustainable future.

Fifty Shades Greener is an Ireland-based, sustainability-focused company dedicated to helping individuals and organisations take meaningful climate action. They offer practical green skills training, recognised certifications, and expert consulting to empower people to integrate sustainable practices into everyday business and life.

At Sustainability Kiosk, we help hotels involve their teams in sustainability from the start, so it becomes a shared effort everyone can contribute to. Reach out to us to find out ⁠how we can support your hotel⁠.

💡Explore more episodes on the ⁠⁠⁠⁠Sustainability Stories podcasts.

In this episode from the 2025 Responsible Hoteliers Summit, Tiffany McGrath hosts Frauke Aoun, General Manager at Affini Tribute Portfolio Residence by Marriott, to explore what authenticity in hotel teams truly means:

✔️ Building trust and transparency amongst hotel teams

✔️ Creating a shared purpose when it comes to turning hotel operations more sustainable

✔️Giving teams a voice in sustainability by engaging them early on in the sustainability process, and ensuring strategies are executed across the entire hotel — not just kept at the leadership level.

Frauke also highlights the importance of bringing teams into decision-making and valuing their feedback to drive real, hotel-wide change.

At Sustainability Kiosk, we help hotels involve their teams in sustainability from the start, so it becomes a shared effort everyone can contribute to. Reach out to us to find out how we can support your hotel.

💡Explore more episodes on the ⁠⁠⁠Sustainability Stories podcasts.

In our latest conversation at Responsible Hoteliers Summit 2025, Tiffany McGrath sat down with Monica Tofilis, Senior Manager - Business Solutions at Intertek Cristal, to explore how assurance and standards can drive genuine, organisation-wide change in hospitality.

Monica reminded us that:

✔️ Sustainability starts at the top, with leaders driving team empowerment, green investments, and training while setting company-wide sustainability goals.

✔️ Having sustainability standards should never be a check-box exercise, but a meaningful framework that embeds responsibility and positive change across every level of the business.

✔️ You can't manage what you don't measure - so measurement of sustainability data is extremely important for goal development and growth.

As a global leader in risk management, safety, and sustainability assurance, Intertek Cristal supports hotels and tourism businesses in building trust through verified best practices and continuous improvement.

Because real progress happens when standards drive action - not just compliance.

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🌿"We are not looking for perfect. Being sustainable is a long process and it can't happen overnight."

Sustainability Kiosk's Tiffany McGrath sat down at the Responsible Hoteliers Summit 2025 with Francesca Bennardo from Sustainability Hive, a Green Key national operator for Qatar, to talk all things Green Key certification for hotels.

Francesca walked us through the certification process and explained how important it is for hotels to gather their sustainability data in order to understand where they currently stand and how they can steer the hotel toward becoming more sustainable.

Green Key auditors like Francesca look for evidence that sustainable practices are implemented consistently, not just planned on paper, and that the hotel is actively fostering a culture of responsibility at every level.

As Francesca emphasised, sustainability doesn’t happen overnight — it requires commitment, persistence, and a willingness to embed change across the entire organisation.

At Sustainability Kiosk, we offer simple, practical support with certification and day-to-day sustainable practices. If you're ready to take your hotel operations in a greener direction, we’re here to help. Get in touch and we’ll guide you through the certification process, making it simple and stress-free

💡Explore more episodes on the ⁠Sustainability Stories podcasts.

Welcome to Sustainability Stories podcast!

In this episode, host ⁠Radhika Arapally⁠ and Naureen Ahmed discuss the role of women in hospitality!

Naureen is the founder of Inspiring Women in Hospitality, a global platform dedicated to women in the hospitality industry.

Naureen started Inspiring Women in Hospitality to encourage women, at all levels and roles in the industry to engage in meaningful conversations and build relationships, aiming to inspire the next generation of female leaders. She has conducted 13 Round Table sessions in 8 cities, providing visibility and a platform for over 200 women to share their insights.

Naureen shed light on:

💭 The purpose behind Inspiring Women in Hospitality

💭 Advice for Career Growth: Two top tips summarised from interviewing 200 guests on her podcast

💭 Challenges in Speaking up

💭 Common Challenges for Women in Hospitality

💭 Gender Pay Gap and Workforce Representations

✅ From speaking to over 200 inspiring women, Naureen shared a valuable piece of advice with us - "Take ownership of your career and ask for it."

✅ Join Inspire Community to connect with other women in hospitality and learn how to take ownership.

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In this episode of Sustainability Stories, host Radhika Arapally sits down with Mark Swinton, General Manager of Capella Ubud, Bali. They discuss how conservation and wellness are deeply rooted in the hotel and play a big part in the hotel's ethos. Nestled among the trees and discreetly hidden from view, Capella Ubud captivates the imagination of those seeking a truly unique experience with one-bedroom tents and one two-bedroom lodge, each featuring its own private pool.

Mark shares his insights on:

✅ Sustainable initiatives and wellness activities at Capella Ubud

✅ Ensuring energy efficiency for heating and cooling of the accommodation tents, which is integral to sustainable luxury!

✅ The design process and architecture of the hotel lodge

✅ How sustainability and wellness intertwine in a luxury property

✅ Capella's roadmap to achieving the Net Zero

💡 Subscribe and stay updated on sustainability innovations in hospitality by subscribing to our podcast or the newsletter Responsible Hospitality

In this episode of Sustainability Stories, host Radhika Arapally sits down with Manish Jha, General Manager of NH Collection Dubai The Palm, to uncover how the hotel has rapidly accelerated its sustainability journey since opening in February 2023. From earning Green Growth 2050 Platinum Certification to winning Sustainable Hotel of the Year, NH Collection Dubai has set a new benchmark in sustainable hospitality.

Manish shares insights on:
✅ The mindset shift needed for true sustainability
✅ Implementing zero-waste initiatives, including a canteen with no waste bins
✅ Leveraging technology like digital buffet labels & food waste monitoring
✅ Local sourcing and farm-to-table dining at Revo Café
✅ The business case for sustainability investments
✅ Dubai Tourism’s strong push for green initiatives

Can sustainability be a lifestyle rather than a checkbox? Tune in to hear how NH Collection Dubai is making it happen!

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