Heritage Meets Sustainability: How Fairmont Le Château Montebello Cut Costs and Elevated Impact with Green Key Global
Background
Nestled along the Ottawa River in Quebec, Fairmont Le Château Montebello, a Green Key certified hotel with 4 Keys since 2008, is the world’s largest log cabin and a Canadian heritage landmark. The hotel is a proud member of the Hotel Association of Quebec (AHQ).
Built in 1930, the resort spans over 300 acres and includes 19 buildings, a marina, an 18-hole golf course, 8 dining outlets, and a convention center. Its reputation as a luxury destination comes with equally complex operational demands, serving thousands of guests each year while preserving its historic character.
Given its unique heritage and scale, Montebello has a special responsibility to protect the natural environment while preserving its architectural legacy. This philosophy inspired the hotel to embed sustainability at the heart of its operations. And as sustainability became a growing priority for guests, corporate clients, and ownership, the property turned to Green Key Global’s Eco-Rating Certification to provide structure, accountability, and credibility in managing its environmental performance.
The Challenge
While Montebello had long embraced sustainability in principle, balancing sustainability with the intricacies of a 95-year-old heritage property was no small feat. Aging infrastructure came with inefficiencies in heating, cooling, and water systems, making conservation difficult, and with sprawling operations, the hotel faced significant challenges:
- Lack of reliable data on food waste before 2024
- High water consumption (2,884 litres per occupied room in early 2024)
- Widespread use of single-use plastics (83 products identified)
- Limited staff engagement, with only four departments initially participating in sustainability efforts
The leadership team needed a structured, credible program to help them gather data, align staff, and implement meaningful change while meeting guest expectations for luxury.
According to Justine Teulon, Training & Sustainability Manager at the Fairmont Le Château Montebello, “We believe that the hospitality industry of today and tomorrow thrives by being responsible, inclusive, and deeply rooted in its local communities. Our hotel is situated in the heart of nature, which places us under a particular responsibility toward the environment and biodiversity. Sustainability is also a key driver for employee engagement and a real point of differentiation for our guests.”
She further said, “This is not just an obligation: true luxury is sustainable. A luxury that respects nature, values local know-how, and creates a positive impact on the community. This vision aligns fully with Accor’s ESG strategy and with our local ambition to build a sustainable future.”
The Solution
By leveraging Green Key Global’s Eco-Rating Certification, Fairmont Le Château Montebello gained a clear roadmap and provided a framework to address these issues head-on, offering practical tools and third-party validation that resonated with both staff and external stakeholders.
Key steps included:
- Data-driven decision making: Implemented GAIA (Accor’s ESG tool) and partnered with “Orbisk” to introduce AI-powered food waste tracking. This provided data-driven insights, enabling chefs to reduce overproduction and adjust purchasing.
- Team-wide engagement: Expanded the Sustainability Committee to include eight departments and appointed “Sustainability Champions” to drive initiatives at the ground level.
- Operational upgrades: Full energy audit followed by LED upgrades and a new electrical vault to improve the energy network. Deployed leak detection technology and guest room conservation programs, supported by monthly monitoring for water conservation.
- Plastic elimination strategy: Phased out 82 of 83 identified single-use plastic items, replacing them with reusable or biodegradable alternatives across rooms, restaurants, and event spaces.
- Biodiversity & community integration: Donated appliances and clothing to local communities. Collected and provided 32 kg of can pins to help fund the production of wheelchairs.
Additionally, the property launched several other sustainable initiatives:
- The spa team implemented biodegradable plastics for body wraps and partnered with a vendor to recycle complex waste, such as mud wrap envelopes and wax strips used in treatments.
- Launched biodiversity projects like beehives, Monarch Watch pollinator garden, and a bat conservation partnership with Quebec’s Ministry of the Environment.
- Established new local partnerships with responsible suppliers, such as Champignons de l’Outaouais and Le Sel Saint-Laurent, which improved guest sentiment on local sourcing.
The Results
With the support of Green Key Global, the hotel achieved measurable and meaningful results:
- Guest satisfaction improved: Guests left positive reviews tied directly to visible initiatives like eliminating plastics and promoting local sourcing, and eco-conscious travelers increasingly cited sustainability as a reason for booking
- Business advantage realized: Certification strengthened Montebello’s RFP performance with corporate clients and events by showcasing third-party verified sustainability performance
- Food waste dropped: Reduced by 30% in just one year, lowering costs to CAD $0.70 per guest served, demonstrating that sustainability drives efficiency
- Water use decrease: Achieved a 19% reduction in water consumption per occupied room within 18 months, saving both resources and operating costs
- Plastics removed: Eliminated 82 types of single-use plastics, from straws and stirrers to in-room amenities, replaced with eco-friendly alternatives, and aligned with global best practices
- Employee engagement surged: Participation in sustainability programs doubled, fostering a culture of accountability and pride with cross-department collaboration and new sustainability challenges
Training & Sustainability Manager, Justine Teulon, said, “The process was smooth, well-structured, and very well supported. The required documents were clear and relevant, and we had access to templates, policy examples, and detailed guidance that helped us build or refine our own materials.
The questionnaire is divided into five focus areas covering all operational and governance aspects: corporate, housekeeping, conference, F&B, and engineering, which made it easier to delegate tasks and organize the work efficiently across departments.”
Key Takeaways
For Fairmont Le Château Montebello, sustainability is not a marketing slogan; it is an operational reality that strengthens guest experience, reduces costs, and future-proofs the property. Green Key Global’s certification framework helped the resort:
- Business wins: Certification not only reduced costs but also boosted visibility on Online Travel Booking Platforms, improved guest loyalty, and enhanced preference in the RFP and events market
- Data matters: Tools like Orbisk and GAIA helped identify blind sport and turned abstract goals into measurable results with immediate ROI
- Certification accelerates action: Green Key provided the structure, credibility, and motivation to move faster on sustainability goals
- Engagement drives change: A cross-functional sustainability committee was critical to success, which accelerated accountability and staff engagement through third-party validation
According to the sustainability committee of Fairmont Montebello, they would recommend Green Key Global to another property, “Because it is a practical, structured, and well-recognized tool tailored to the hospitality industry. It enables concrete action, unites teams, and builds credibility with clients and partners. The audit process also brings additional credibility to the certification, reassuring both internal stakeholders and external clients. It’s an excellent starting point, or an accelerator, for any sustainability strategy.”
Looking Ahead
Fairmont Montebello views certification as the beginning of a long-term journey. With its sights set on further reducing its carbon footprint and achieving even higher Eco-Rating performance, the hotel plans to double down on its sustainability commitments:
- Maintain food waste at a maximum ratio of 151 g per cover and continue expanding circular economy practices
- Investing in energy efficiency projects, including ventilation upgrades and a new electrical vault, to reduce energy use by 5% in 2025
- Expand biodiversity projects in partnership with local farms and environmental groups
- Increasing the share of plant-based and low-carbon dishes in F&B
- Partnering with local schools and guests to expand biodiversity initiatives like birdhouses and educational gardens
By staying aligned with Green Key Global and Accor’s ESG strategy, Fairmont Le Chateau Montebello continues to prove that true luxury is sustainable.
Steve Chang, General Manager, stated, “The program has met our expectations both operationally and strategically. Green Key certification is a credible recognition that brings legitimacy to our actions, valued by our individual guests, who are increasingly environmentally conscious, and by our corporate and event clients, who seek responsible partners. It has also helped us structure our efforts and identify new opportunities for improvement.
Green Key complemented our existing strategy by helping us adjust some details, develop concrete tools (dashboards, audits, policies), and engage all departments around a shared action plan. This framework gave us both the legitimacy and momentum to move projects forward more quickly.”
By leveraging Green Key Global’s certification and vendor partnerships, Fairmont Le Château Montebello is proving that even historic properties can lead the way in building a circular, sustainable future.