Our vision
EveryONE Counts
For us, sustainability is not a goal, but a process. That is precisely what our design concept, EveryONE Counts, sums up: every contribution counts. From the room cleaning that a guest has opted out of using the My Service Option, to the organic egg at breakfast, right through to the leased bike that an employee uses to cycle to work.
This is brought to life by our Action Button – a simple, inspiring icon that appears wherever a contribution is possible. It shows that getting involved is easier than you might think.
Our initiatives in figures
*Reduction in CO₂ intensity for Scope 1 & 2, calculated in collaboration with Schlange, Zamostny & Co. GmbH.
** Out of 2,594 eligible employees in Germany.
Our programme: One Planet. One Future.
Our ‘One Planet. One Future.’ programme is based on the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) from the 2030 Agenda – a universal framework that combines economic, environmental and social goals for sustainable development.
The interior design of the Motel One Bonn-Hauptbahnhof is entirely inspired by the SDGs – the icons adorn the wall in the lounge.
One Planet. One Future. is divided into seven areas of action. You can find all the key information here on the website. A complete overview is available in our ESG brochure.
Motel One ESG Brochure
Climate Protection - Climate Action
Electricity from renewable sources
Since 2016, Motel One has been gradually switching to electricity from renewable sources. We source 100 % of the electricity used in our hotels from hydroelectric, solar or wind power. In 2025, electricity consumption stood at 7.32 kWh per overnight stay.
Further measures
- Use of modern LED lighting in corridors, offices, plant rooms, underground car parks, stairwells and in many guest rooms
- Energy-efficient heating and cooling of guest rooms through the use of fan coil units
- Glazing with solar and thermal protection to reduce heat build-up in guest rooms and thus minimise cooling requirements
- Regular analysis of consumption data and the carrying out of energy audits
- Curtains on the south-facing side reduce the build-up of heat in the rooms and are drawn by housekeeping staff as required
Hotel Buildings – Building Certifications
A growing number of our hotels hold recognised building certifications. The following hotels are currently certified (as at June 2026):
- BREEAM Outstanding: The Cloud One Prague
- BREEAM Excellent: Motel One Amsterdam, Motel One London-Tower Hill
- BREEAM Very Good: Motel One Barcelona-Ciutadella, The Cloud One Gdansk, Motel One Manchester-Piccadilly, Motel One Manchester-Royal Exchange, Motel One Paris-Porte Dorée
- BREEAM Good: Motel One Bremen-Altstadt
- DGNB Gold / ÖGNI Gold: The Cloud One Berlin-Upper West*, Motel One Cologne-Altstadt, Motel One Cologne-Messe, Motel One Vienna-Donau City
- Green Building: Motel One Prague-Florentinum
- LEED Gold: Motel One Frankfurt-Römer, Motel One Hamburg-Fleetinsel, Motel One Munich-Haidhausen, Motel One Munich-Hauptbahnhof, The Cloud One Nuremberg, Motel One Warsaw-Chopin
- HQE Excellent: Motel One Paris-Porte de Versailles
* The Cloud One Berlin-Upper West is located in the Upper West building in Berlin, which is DGNB Gold certified.
Operations & Services – Hotel Management
Green Key certification
All hotels in the Motel One Group are certified with the Green Key label – an internationally recognised, independent certification scheme for the tourism sector. New openings and acquisitions are certified within the first 12 months.
Green Key is an independent eco-certification programme for hotels, hostels, campsites, holiday parks, small-scale accommodation, as well as conference centres, attractions and restaurants. Currently, more than 8,500 establishments in over 90 countries are certified (as of January 2026).
Green Key certification is based on compliance with strict, internationally recognised criteria in the areas of environmental management (water, energy, waste, cleaning) and sustainability education (staff, guests, suppliers) and is recognised by the GSTC (Global Sustainable Tourism Council). Compliance with the criteria is verified through annual audits carried out by independent third parties. Furthermore, in 2025, Stiftung Warentest assessed six sustainability labels – Green Key was recognised as credible, one of only three labels to receive this distinction.
The Green Key programme is administered by the Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE) and its national member organisations. Further information:
Save water
Motel One uses water-saving sanitary facilities. Standard features include toilet cisterns with a two-button system (3–4 litres for a small flush, 6–9 litres for a full flush) and shower fittings with a flow rate of 7.8 to 9 litres per minute. As part of the Green Key certification process, water consumption is monitored, water-saving fittings are installed and leaks are recorded.
Cosmetic products free from microplastics
The refillable pump dispensers for hand wash and hair & body shampoo are made from recycled PET and can be refilled and reused multiple times. Only three to four dispensers per product are disposed of per room each year. Both products are Ecocert and Cosmebio certified and contain no microplastics. All cleaning products used at Motel One are free from microplastics, biodegradable and certified with the EU Ecolabel.
- Around 2.85 million plastic cups saved annually by switching to biodegradable cups (2025)
- No plastic bin bags in bathrooms
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Organic-certified breakfast
At Motel One in Germany and Austria, all cheese and cold meats, tomatoes, cucumber, fresh fruit and eggs are of organic quality. In Germany, Austria, France and the Netherlands, 100 per cent of the eggs come from organic farms. Internationally, all eggs are sourced from free-range farms at a minimum. In addition, vegan options are available at the buffet, including vegan Gouda, feta and sausage alternatives, as well as an organic oat drink.
* Partial organic certification in accordance with DE-ÖKO-037 and AT-BIO-902.
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My Service Option
Room cleaning is, of course, included in our service. At the same time, with the ‘My Service’ option, we offer our guests the choice to opt out of daily cleaning. Those who choose to do so can help to reduce the use of water, energy and cleaning products during their stay.
Sustainable Design – Materials & Interiors
Motel One gives preference to local manufacturers in every country and prioritises materials with verifiable eco-labels and certifications. Notable examples from the hotel rooms are highlighted in the image. As part of the ReDesign process, existing furniture, carpets and curtains are refurbished and reused wherever possible. Recyclable reclaimed timber was used in the redesign of the Motel One Munich-Deutsches Museum.
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One Team – Staff
Training & Development
Employees at Motel One have access to a wide range of career prospects and bespoke development opportunities at One University. Face-to-face training, e-learning and live online training complement one another to form a structured training programme. Internal development programmes support staff on their path to leadership roles.
You can find out more about Motel One as an employer on our careers website:
Diversity & Internationality
Diversity, equal opportunities and gender equality are firmly embedded at Motel One. We employ staff from 114 countries in our German hotels (as at December 2025).
Mobility services
Motel One supports staff in travelling to work in a low-emission way: through a free bicycle or e-bike leasing scheme or a subsidy towards a public transport ticket. In 2025, 63 per cent of eligible staff took advantage of these offers.
* Out of 2,594 eligible employees in Germany.
One Society – Social Engagement
“Helping young people lead self-determined lives through education and support, and showing them the opportunities available to them – that is a cause close to my heart.” – Dieter Müller, founder and chairman of the Motel One Group
Through the One Foundation, Motel One is taking on social and societal responsibility. The purpose of this charitable foundation, established in 2018, is to support disadvantaged people, particularly with regard to their integration into society and their education and training at school and in the workplace.
Operational projects run by the One Foundation:
- Apprenticeship Scholarship – Since 2023, we have been awarding annual scholarships to apprentices in the hospitality sector: monthly financial support, non-material support and preparation for their future careers.
- Thinking outside the box – Together with the association and Motel One, the One Foundation offers a two-week training programme for people from migrant or refugee backgrounds, providing practical insight into the hospitality sector.
The One Foundation also supports, amongst other things:
- Phase BE – Summer Academy to reduce the school drop-out rate: pupils catch up on schoolwork and build their self-efficacy.
- KoALA – Support for catering apprentices without a German passport: advice and practical help with everyday matters, e.g. appointments with government agencies.
- German Depression Aid Foundation – Psychosocial coaching for young people under 25 who are long-term unemployed and have mental health conditions, to help them return to the labour market.
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Governance – Compliance
The Motel One Group is committed to conducting its business activities in accordance with its core values and the applicable legal requirements. The One Compliance framework comprises:
One Code: applies to the entire One Family, including senior management. →
- Internal policies on combating bribery and corruption, preventing money laundering, human rights, data protection and IT security.
- Statement of Principles on Human Rights.
- Business Partner Code of Conduct for suppliers and business partners.
- An anonymous whistleblowing system for compliance breaches (available internally and externally).
- A risk-based approach to assessing the supply chain with regard to labour, human rights and environmental aspects.
Recognised for our commitment
Future Champions 2026
In 2026, Motel One won the ‘Future Champions’ award, receiving the ‘Particularly Future-Oriented’ distinction with the highest score in the budget hotels category. The research firm ServiceValue GmbH, in collaboration with DIE WELT, investigated which companies are perceived by consumers as being particularly future-proof. Motel One achieved a Future Awareness Score (FAS) of 2.46 in the ‘Hotels – Budget’ category and came top (response scale 1–5; 1 = ‘I completely agree’). The survey is based on around 305,000 consumer ratings of 1,423 companies across 74 sectors.
This shows that our guests perceive Motel One as a forward-looking company – we are delighted to receive this award!
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Sustainability Champions 2022–2025
Motel One has already won the ‘Sustainability Champions’ award in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025, receiving the ‘Particularly Sustainable’ distinction with the highest score in the budget hotels category. The research firm ServiceValue GmbH, in collaboration with DIE WELT, investigated which companies are considered by consumers to act in a particularly environmentally conscious and eco-friendly manner. Motel One achieved a rating of 2.53 in the ‘Hotels – Budget’ category, coming in first place (rating scale 1–5; 1 = ‘I completely agree’). The survey is based on over 324,000 customer reviews of more than 1,375 companies across 83 sectors.
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