Nestled in the heart of Philadelphia, Windsor Suites embodies the city's unique blend of rich history and progressive spirit.

Combining classic elegance with modern amenities, and proudly displaying their pledge to go green, this award winning hotel not only honors Philadelphia’s storied past but champions a forward-thinking approach to hospitality, ensuring a stay that is as responsible as it is memorable.

After pinpointing sustainability as an area of value for both customers and their building, Windsor Suites have leveraged Ecodrive technology to support tree planting projects in Rwanda.

Now, they offer hotel guests the opportunity to plant two trees for each night that they choose to opt-out of housekeeping - an initiative that has seen The Windsor Suites forest grow to over 5,000 in just 6 months, dramatically cut costs, and garner 5 star reviews.

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The initiative has most certainly been a team effort and we were looking forward to catching up with everybody involved to learn more about its impact.

We were thrilled to be joined by Burnell Goldman, Area General Manager, Alan Robinson, Area Director of Finance, Stephanie Sandlin, Assistant Operations Manager, Rachel Hanon, Senior Manager for Marketing and Ecommerce, Kandell Jones, Front Office Manager, Allison D'Amora, Regional Director of Sales and Marketing, Ryan Butler, Corporate Director of Sustainability and Energy for PM Hotel Group, and Riley O’Connell, Sustainability Manager at PM Hotel Group.

Check out the full conversation below!

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Ecodrive: Hey everyone, thanks for taking the time to chat with us today! First up, could you provide a little more information about The Windsor Suites Philadelphia, please?

Burnell Goldman: The Windsor Suites Philadelphia is an independent, full-service, all-suite lifestyle hotel located in Philadelphia’s city center, just steps from Museum Row on Benjamin Franklin Parkway and many world famous arts and cultural sites. Our property features a rooftop sky deck with panoramic city views, an infinity edge pool and a fire pit. We’re a consistent Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence winner and were voted a favorite family-friendly getaway in the Philadelphia Inquirer’s 2024 Philly Favorites.

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Ecodrive: Awesome! How important do you think sustainability is to your guests?

Burnell: Sustainability is a critical priority for our guests and partners. We receive direct inquiries about our environmental initiatives, and it’s often a prerequisite for corporate partnerships. Our sustainable practices are essential for remaining competitive in today’s market.

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Ecodrive: That's great to hear. Your Ecodrive powered offering is to plant trees for each guest that opts out of housekeeping, which is an awesome incentive and implementation of our technology. What has the feedback been like from guests?

Burnell: Since implementing the tree-planting initiative, our housekeeping opt-out rate increased from 15.4% to 29.3%, which demonstrates the impact of Ecodrive.

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Ecodrive: Do you have any statistics or insight around what your Ecodrive partnership has saved you in operating costs per month?

Burnell: This Ecodrive partnership has helped maintain flat costs per occupied room year-over-year, despite rising labor and supply expenses. It has been a big win for us so far.

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Ecodrive: Amazing! How do you promote the initiative to guests?

Burnell: We promote the Ecodrive partnership through multiple touchpoints: our website, check-in process, booking confirmation emails, post check-in text messages, and room signage. This ensures consistent communication of our sustainability options throughout the guest journey.

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Ecodrive: Have you had any direct feedback from guests about the option to plant trees by opting out of housekeeping?

Burnell: We've received notably positive feedback, including a five-star Trip Advisor review specifically highlighting the tree-planting initiative.  Guests regularly commend our staff on our environmental programs.

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Ecodrive: Outside of planting trees with Ecodrive, are there any other kinds of methods that you guys are using to integrate sustainability into day-to-day operations?

Burnell: Beyond the over 5,000 trees planted through Ecodrive as of October 2024, we've implemented building-wide recycling, sustainable guest room keys, water refill stations, and LED lighting throughout our facility. Ecodrive is a natural complement to our sustainability goals.

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Ecodrive: Moving away from the hotel, are there any methods that the team uses to implement sustainability at home?

Rachel Hanon: I live in the Midwest and I compost and do quite a bit when it comes to food waste minimization. I avoid plastics and try to always keep things reusable, moving away from single use items where I can.

Burnell: I'm recycling at home, which I’ve done for a number of years. And I think it's just kind of in my blood - I don't think you can ever do too much, right?

Allison D'Amora: I choose to live in the city. I like to be walking distance to things and don't put a lot of mileage on my car, which is also good for my pocketbook! I also use a company called The Rounds handles my composting and delivers everyday needs and goods made from sustainable materials, like trash bags, to eliminate packaging waste.

Ryan Butler: Portfolio-wide, PM Hotel Group partners with  Procure Impact, which focuses on the social side of ESG, with a regional impact that helps vulnerable communities. Windsor Suites is a top three contributor to our company-wide goal, producing work hours for vulnerable populations and communities. We’re also always looking to reduce carbon impact from areas like transportation.

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Ecodrive: Excellent! Two final questions then before we let you go. First up, what's next? Are there any big plans for you guys going into 2025?

Burnell: At Windsor Suites, we are eliminating plastic water bottles from our guest rooms through a partnership with Open Water, significantly reducing our carbon and plastic footprint.

Additionally, PM Hotel Group’s recent merger with Sightline Hospitality will continue to support further sustainability initiatives.

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Ecodrive: Congratulations! And then finally - I'll throw this out to everyone - what are the top recommendations for Philly? What should our community be doing when they next come to visit?

Ryan: Number one is grabbing a cheese steak in South Philly!

Stephanie Sandlin: I always recommend South Street in general. You can go there to eat, shop, eat more, night life, and then eat again!

Burnell: In addition to the Rocky Steps and the Art Museum, folks have to go see the Rocky statue.

Allison D'Amora: The mural art and street art is really great around Philly, and then definitely check out Love Park.

Rachel Hanon: Walnut Street Theater! Though it’s very commercial in what it shows, it's one of the oldest theater landmarks in the country. So, growing up outside of Philly, it was always a treat to go there with my grandparents who were ushers there. So, I have a little warm spot in my heart for Walnut Street Theater.

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Ecodrive: Thanks so much for all of the varied recommendations and for your time today guys! We’re looking forward to seeing The Windsor Suites forest grow even further and we’ll be sure to check in on how sustainability is helping you in your wider operations in the future!

Windsor Suites team: No problem, thanks for chatting with us and for everything that you help us and our guests do for the planet!

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Windsor Suites have chosen to support Agroforestry projects in Rwanda via Ecodrive.

You can find more information on the hotel’s commitment to sustainability, and book a stay at the award winning location, here!

Learn how the agroforestry projects Ecodrive partners support can help to protect and restore our planet’s fragile ozone layer here.

Your company can contribute to tree planting projects around the world in minutes by booking an Ecodrive demo here.

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