At Hilton London Metropole, sustainability and community support are more than just ambitions – they’re at the heart of everything they do. From reducing food waste and supporting local charities to creating an inclusive workplace and driving environmental change, their team is committed to making a positive, lasting impact both inside and beyond the hotel. This case study highlights the initiatives and partnerships that are helping them turn purpose into action.
Tackling Food Waste: The Felix Project

At Hilton London Metropole, we take immense pride in our long-standing relationship with The Felix Project, a partnership that began in March 2020. The Felix Project is a local charity close to our hearts, dedicated to fighting food hunger in the UK by collecting fresh, nutritious food that cannot be sold and distributing it to charities and schools. This ensures that vulnerable people in our local community receive healthy meals, preventing the food from becoming waste.

As the first lockdown began, we quickly realised that, as Hilton’s largest hotel outside of the U.S., we had a significant amount of surplus food. Our Kitchen team immediately started donating to our local food bank. However, we knew that if we had this much extra food, others would too. This led us to form a partnership with Open Kitchens and The Felix Project, transforming surplus food into nutritious meals for those in need.

While this initiative started in response to an urgent need, it has remained a core priority for our team. Thanks to our vast kitchen space, large freezer storage, and an enthusiastic team, we maximise The Felix Project’s food donations by turning them into ready-to-eat microwavable meals. Whenever a delivery arrives, our chefs and volunteers from all departments work together to package meals. Our culinary team creatively crafts recipes from donated ingredients, often incorporating surplus food items from our own kitchens to enhance the flavours. Each delivery presents new opportunities, from an orchard’s worth of apples turned into delicious crumble to transforming pumpkins and pasta into comforting meals.

We are incredibly proud to have packaged over 73,000 meals for The Felix Project, which equates to an astounding 10.15 tonnes of food collected. This experience has not only strengthened our commitment to the local community but has also transformed the way we approach food waste and sustainability.

Another food initiative is within our hotel restaurant, Tyburn Kitchen, whereby 90% of ingredients are sourced from within 100 miles of the hotel. Our Executive Head Chef, Paul Bates, also uses innovative recipes that transform ingredients that would otherwise go to waste. One of the signature dishes at Tyburn Kitchen uses an entire cauliflower in diverse preparations. The florets are roasted and spiced, the cork is cooked and blended for the cauliflower hummus and the leaves are deep-fried to create cauliflower crisps.

Empowering Through Inclusion: Our WorkFit Partnership

At Hilton London Metropole, we believe in creating opportunities for all. As part of our commitment to supporting people with learning disabilities, we are proud to be the first Hilton property in the UK to have partnered with the Down’s Syndrome Association’s WorkFit programme. This programme connects job seekers with the right employment opportunities, while providing employers with tailored training to ensure the right level of support.

Since March 2018, WorkFit has helped us place candidates with Down’s syndrome in fulfilling roles within our hotel. We currently have two valued team members, Brogan and Shomari, who have become integral to our hotel family, forming friendships across departments and embracing every opportunity. This has positively impacted our team culture, inspiring greater team engagement and boosting morale.

WorkFit has been instrumental in helping us build an inclusive workplace, ensuring that job seekers with Down’s syndrome feel confident applying for roles at Hilton London Metropole. Whether through paid positions, work experience, or internships, we remain committed to creating an environment where everyone can thrive.

Our ESG Commitment: The Blue Energy Team

Sustainability and community engagement are at the core of our hotel’s values. Within Hilton we’re committed to reaching our Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals, following Hilton’s strategy to drive responsible travel and tourism globally. We also use our award-winning ESG management system, LightStay, to set energy, water, and waste reduction targets in line with our 2030 Goals. Using Lightstay, we also implement carbon offsetting for all meetings and events held at our hotel, no matter the size, with our partner ClimeCo, which also supports our clients in making more sustainable decisions.

Through Travel with Purpose, we seek to create positive environmental and social impact across our operations, supply chain, and communities. To build on this, in 2022, we established our internal ESG Committee, which brings together representatives from various departments—including Operations, Kitchen, and Sales—to champion initiatives that make a tangible impact.

During monthly meetings, the ESG Committee coordinates training, resources, and awareness campaigns, ensuring that our team members, guests, and community benefit from our efforts.

We set measurable goals, such as:

  • Introducing bin stickers to encourage correct recycling of glass and waste.
  • Implementing gender-neutral signage to promote inclusivity in our facilities.
  • Strengthening our collaboration with Marble Arch BID to amplify our local impact.

Our ESG efforts extend beyond the hotel, with team members actively volunteering and donating essential items through partnerships such as the Social Supermarket at St. Mary’s Church in Marylebone. This initiative provides much-needed food, toiletries, and cleaning supplies to those facing hardship.

Additional initiatives we are proud of include:

  • Volunteering at local schools, painting classrooms to create an inspiring learning environment.
  • Hosting board game afternoons with Open Age to combat loneliness among the elderly.
  • Supporting local schools through the Springboard program, fostering career development.

At Hilton London Metropole, giving back is more than a responsibility, it’s a passion that unites our team. Whether through fighting food waste, championing inclusion, or driving sustainability, we are committed to making a lasting impact on our community.

We are immensely proud of our team’s dedication and look forward to continuing our journey of service, sustainability, and inclusion.

To find out more about Hilton London Metropole, visit hilton.com/en/hotels/lonmetw-hilton-london-metropole/, and for more information about Hilton’s sustainability initiatives, visit travelwithpurpose.hilton.com/.