Marketing

Choice Hotels all a buzz in driving sustainability

Photo: Courtesy of Choice Hotels

September 6, 2024

Choice Hotels International has installed three beehives at its corporate headquarters in North Bethesda, Maryland, in collaboration with Bee Downtown in its effort to promote sustainability and local biodiversity.

The estimated 150,000 honeybees have the potential to positively impact 18,000 acres of surrounding land, according to a press release. A colony can produce over 100 pounds of honey in just a matter of months.

Choice associates had the opportunity to vote on the design concepts for the beehives and selected a "Bee Hotel" design concept.

The collaboration with Bee Downtown underscores Choice Hotels' commitment to environmental stewardship, biodiversity and engagement, which are key components of its Room to Be Green program. Room to Be Green focuses on five pillars — energy, water, waste, biodiversity and engagement — to advance sustainability across all Choice Hotels brands and segments worldwide.

"Choice Hotels puts people first, and being a responsible steward of our environment is a crucial part of that. We're proud to collaborate with Bee Downtown to host beehives that will benefit the ecosystem in our North Bethesda community," Megan Brumagim, vice president of sustainability for Choice Hotels said in the release. "Bees play an essential role in the health of the planet. We're excited to contribute to our region's biodiversity, engage our associates with educational programming, and harvest around 90 pounds per year of fresh, local honey from our very own hives."

Choice Hotels has nearly 7,500 hotels, representing more than 630,000 rooms, in 45 countries and territories.