From Ambition to Action: How the Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach Drives Lasting Impact Through Sustainability Goals
Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach
Located on the emerald-green shores of Okaloosa Island, the Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach offers 152 guest rooms and 2,500 square feet of meeting space with expansive beachfront views of the Gulf of Mexico. The resort was developed in partnership with the Poarch Band of Creek Indians in Alabama and now operates in cooperation with the U.S. Air Force, actively supporting the nearby Eglin Air Force Base through dedicated funding.
The Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach is part of Innisfree Hotels, a hospitality company founded in 1985 with 27 hotels located at coastal destinations across the southeast. Innisfree Hotels has long embraced the Triple Bottom Line philosophy, prioritizing impact on People, Planet, and Prosperity with a focus on integrating sustainability into everyday operations.
Guided by Innisfree’s commitment, the Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach has emerged as a leader within the portfolio by translating its sustainability vision into action. The resort has piloted new initiatives, established cross-departmental best practices, and inspired environmental stewardship among guests, employees, and the wider community. Their efforts are proving that sustainability can enhance the guest experience and overall operational performance.
The Challenge
As a beachfront property, Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach faces a unique responsibility to protect the natural environment that draws visitors to the region. While the resort had taken steps toward this goal, several challenges have made it difficult for the team to scale and sustain their progress.
The most immediate challenges were:
- Limited local recycling services that do not accept plastics
- Recurring contamination in recycling streams resulting in contamination fees
- Excess waste generation and gaps in oversight resulting in costly overage fees
- High rate of single-use materials in purchasing and operations
- Workforce turnover that made it difficult to maintain program momentum
- Growing demand from guests for more visible and meaningful sustainable practices
- Increasing expectations from the brand to meet resource reduction goals
Innisfree and the resort team recognized that these challenges required a comprehensive solution capable of guiding long-term, property-wide change. The solution needed to deliver on the following goals:
- Establish a consistent approach to sustainability for all departments
- Strengthen and expand existing practices beyond previous levels
- Deliver measurable improvements that support guest expectations and brand standards
- Provide continuity for sustainability efforts despite normal workforce turnover
“One overall challenge across the company is ensuring that we implement sustainability in a feasible, long-term way for our operations teams. Finding solutions that can be managed while our teams are constantly in a hiring and training mode is required to successfully implement our initiatives and to continually grow our program.”
Bethanne Edwards, Director of Sustainability, Innisfree Hotels
The Solution
To strengthen the sustainability program and address the operational challenges, Innisfree Hotels chose Green Key Global’s Eco-Rating Certification as the solution to build long-term progress across the portfolio. Every property, regardless of size or scale, committed to the program, and the Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach earned initial certification in 2022.
Green Key’s assessment process supported the resort in evaluating current initiatives, identifying opportunities, and engaging departments in shared sustainability goals. With this support, the resort translated its ambitions into practical actions:
Waste Reduction
- Implemented team training to establish responsible waste management practices
- Introduced refillable bathroom amenities to reduce single-use plastics
- Expanded aluminum recycling program in front-of-house and back-of-house
- Established food waste diversion program with Food & Beverage team
- Initiated PTAC recycling through IHG supplier program
- Partnered with Ecolab for chemical drum takeback program
Energy Efficiency
- Implemented smart thermostats throughout guestrooms
- Installed demand control ventilation system in kitchen
- Replaced outdated water heater with energy efficient model
- Installed motion sensors for lights in housekeeping closets with expansion to all storage areas
Sustainable Purchasing
- Transitioned to compostable coffee pods sourced through Green Key vendor Tayst
- Carried single-use plastic water bottle alternatives in retail space
- Evaluated purchasing decisions across departments to reduce unnecessary waste
- Monitored and adjusted frequency of waste management service for seasonal volumes
Guest and Community Engagement
- Hosted “Tina the Turtle” weekly summer education program for guests in partnership with Destin–Fort Walton Beach Coastal Resources
- Engaged guests, employees, and community members as partner in biannual beach cleanup events
- Strengthened participation in the IHG Greener Stay program, allowing guests to support water and energy conservation during their stay
Green Team Engagement
- Increased cross-departmental collaboration through unified leadership
- Incorporated sustainability goals into all team meetings
- Built stronger accountability for resource use and waste reduction
The Impact
As a result of their efforts, the Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach earned a 4-key Eco-Rating in 2024, marking a major milestone in their sustainability journey. With Green Key’s structure, the resort delivered measurable impacts that include:
Resource Management:
- Recycling contamination fees reduced by average of $200 per month
- Immediate monthly savings of $2,000 from hot water heater upgrade
- Annual emissions of 64.8 metric tons CO2e avoided from hot water heater upgrade
- Annual cost savings of 20% from improved energy management
Engagement Outcomes:
- Over 250 guests educated on sea turtle and beach conservation efforts
- Increased guest participation rate in IHG Greener Stay program
- Elevated team commitment to sustainability with launch of more than 15 operational initiatives in one year
“We have been able to solve problems quite effectively because the Green Key Global program provides us with a comprehensive list of ideas for addressing any issues and shows us what sustainable practices are possible at our property. The advantage to the program is that you don’t have to reinvent the wheel yourself – Green Key provides a path forward to show you the possibilities and provides a structure to implement your initiatives.”
Lenka Palmer, Assistant General Manager, Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach
Key Takeaways
- Certification created a comprehensive and scalable framework for advancing sustainability goals across departments
- Verified practices strengthened credibility among guests and affirmed resort’s position as a sustainability leader for beachfront destinations
- Green Key provided a roadmap operational improvement, empowering teams to lead initiatives with confidence
- Incremental improvements in energy, waste, and purchasing generated meaningful environmental and financial results
“We know that investing in sustainability is the only way to uphold our commitment to the Triple Bottom Line. Green Key Global has been a valuable asset to our property because of its comprehensive approach to sustainability and operational efficiency, providing valuable insights that help streamline operations and improve overall performance. Our future plan is to expand our sustainability practice every year, little by little.”
Sandy Beebe-Osipov, General Manager, Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach