Cateys 2026: Best Use of Technology Award – Canopy by Hilton London City

The often-cited phrase ‘knowledge is power’ only really holds true when that knowledge leads to action.

This year’s winner of the Best Use of Technology Award demonstrates how a bespoke platform can not just collect an enormous amount of data, but can also tailor it into actionable insight that helps a hotel make better decisions – not just for the business, but for the future of the planet.

This is exactly what Canopy by Hilton London City has been doing over the past 12 months – looking at streams of data about its property and using that information to make practical decisions that save money, cut waste and sharpen commercial performance.

The 340-bedroom lifestyle hotel in Aldgate, which is owned and operated by 4C Group under the Canopy by Hilton brand franchise, is using 4C’s bespoke Sustainability Hub to take action on a daily basis.

By integrating metering, anomaly detection, benchmarking, waste tracking and live performance visibility, the ESG intelligence platform turns sustainability data into live operational decision-making and commercial advantage. The platform provides daily comparisons versus the previous year, as well as forecasting tools, carbon overlays and cost analysis, meaning teams have a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips and embedding accountability across departments. 

And they have certainly been using that information to their advantage. Unlike traditional sustainability reporting tools, the platform is operational: engineering teams use it to adjust HVAC and lighting schedules, F&B teams use it to track food waste per cover and leadership uses it to monitor performance against targets in real time.

By moving from retrospective reporting to real-time monitoring, over the past 12 months the hotel has reduced gas per overnight guest by 25%, contributing to annual operational six-figure savings. Meanwhile, its recycling rate has increased to 61% and food waste per cover has reduced by 21%, helping to improve margin control.

The platform also includes a transparency layer where corporate clients and guests can see live environmental performance data. Of the 80 requests for proposals the hotel receives every year, 50% of those include requests for structured ESG scoring, meaning having this data to hand has become a decisive procurement benefit. Since implementation, 30% of corporate bookings cite the hotel’s transparent ESG performance as a contributing factor in their decision to book, which has moved Canopy London City ahead of competitors, who rely on static policy statements rather than data-led evidence.

From contributing to a more sustainable future to finding cost savings for the hotel and winning new business, this new digital platform is paying dividends. In addition, having a platform where the numbers are easy to digest means staff are engaged and help to make performance visible across the business. 

As one judge said: “Keeping ESG at the top of their strategic plans and implementing technology to assist in the journey was both heart-warming and innovative.”

What the judges said

“In a really tough, competitive category, Canopy stood out as developing an in-house tech platform that has delivered an ethical and provable use of a system. I loved the AI use and, as a hotelier, I will be taking the best practice I learn from this.” Rob Flinter

“A mature, operator-built, ESG intelligence platform that has moved sustainability from reporting into live operational control, with verified savings, waste reduction and tangible commercial benefits. This entry exemplified responsible and data-led technology.” Leon Jones

“This entry won my heart! Keeping ESG at the top of their strategic plans and implementing technology to assist in the journey was both heart-warming and innovative. A very worth winner.” Jane Pendlebury

The shortlist

• Canopy by Hilton London City
• Mitchells & Butlers
• Point A Hotels
• Village Hotel Club

The judges

• ,Rob Flinter, Hotel School 
• Leon Jones, CH&Co/Compass Group UK & Ireland
• Jane Pendlebury, HOSPA
• Liutauras Vaitkevicius, hospitality consultant