Green Stays: A Small Gesture for the Planet

What if a simple card hung on your room door could change everything? With the Green Stays programme, you choose to skip daily housekeeping, and in return, a tree is planted. A gesture that may seem minor, but whose environmental impact is far from insignificant. Let’s take a closer look at this initiative implemented at the Van der Valk Hotel Paris CDG Airport…

The principle of Green Stays is based on a simple yet powerful idea: guests are invited to spend one or more nights without housekeeping by hanging a green sign on their door. This choice saves water, electricity, and cleaning products normally used for daily service. In exchange, the hotel commits to planting a tree via the European platform greenstays.eu.

A small gesture with a big impact

Since its launch, the programme has brought together dozens of partner hotels, which together have enabled the planting of thousands of trees in different regions of the world. Some Van der Valk properties already display more than 5,000 trees planted — proof that countless small individual choices can lead to an impressive collective result.

Beyond the numbers, Green Stays represents a new way of traveling. By choosing this option, each guest becomes an agent of change: less water wasted, less energy consumed, fewer chemicals released into the environment. And in return, one tree planted as compensation. Just imagine: if 100 travellers decided to skip housekeeping for just one night, that would mean several thousand litres of water saved and 100 new trees planted!

This initiative naturally reflects the spirit of the Van der Valk brand, where hospitality goes beyond comfort and elegance, enriched with a strong sense of responsibility. Staying in a hotel also becomes an opportunity to make a meaningful gesture for the planet’s future.

Other initiatives in the hospitality industry

Green Stays is not an isolated action: the entire hospitality sector is moving toward more sustainable practices. Many hotel chains already encourage guests to reuse towels and linens to reduce water and energy consumption. Others invest in smart energy management systems that automatically adjust air conditioning and lighting. Some properties have adopted zero-waste buffets, redistributing surplus food, while others have eliminated plastic bottles in favour of filtered water fountains. Miniature bathroom amenities are also gradually disappearing, replaced by refillable dispensers.
These initiatives share a common ambition: to transform the hotel experience into a more responsible one, where comfort goes hand in hand with sustainability and where every guest becomes a partner in change.

What can travellers do?

While hotels are multiplying eco-initiatives, every traveller can also contribute. Here are a few simple gestures that make a difference during a stay:

• Reuse towels and bed linens instead of requesting daily changes.
• Switch off lights, heating, or air conditioning when leaving the room.
• Use a reusable water bottle instead of disposable plastic ones.
• Favour walking, cycling, or shared shuttles whenever possible.
• Avoid food waste by only serving yourself what you are sure to eat at the buffet.

Each of these small actions, combined with hotel initiatives, helps reduce the carbon footprint of travel and makes every stay more sustainable. By choosing the Van der Valk Hotel Paris CDG Airport, you have the opportunity to enjoy comfort, hospitality, and a concrete commitment to the planet.