• The hybrid hospitality that aims and drives Social Hub’s philosophy is based on the idea of a hubs-net in different active cities for to be used by the next generation of change agents: students and entrepreneurs, digital nomads and local artists, all eager to learn, grow and improve society. These are hotels, simple but comfortable and practical, certainly different because they offer much more, establishments where the real luxury is social contact and collaboration. Also minimalism and the deep-rooted concept of sustainability. But they are peculiar student residences too, modern and well-designed work centers for entrepreneurs, or coworking spaces; with auditoriums, gyms, temporary offices for business travelers -who can also hire long-stay accommodations instead of renting an apartment-, and even places to hold corporate events, or present technological innovations.

Eduardo Fernández G. / Delft / Netherlands

In fact, they are conceived as multipurpose, usable and sustainable buildings transformed into centres for work, study, leisure and relaxation – excellently connected by public transport – where you can meet special people, catch up on the latest trends and currents of innovation or simply disconnect while enjoying a coffee, a cocktail or a good chat around the pool table or the chessboard. It can even mean another way of doing tourism, fleeing from the company of the classic traveller and hotel standards to take the real and daily pulse of the cities (Rome, Porto, Vienna, San Sebastian, Amsterdam, Madrid, Delft…) and their people, because many of their spaces for dialogue and leisure, cafes and restaurants are open free of charge to the general public.

This innovative hospitality concept is known as hybrid hospitality: the eighteen establishments in Europe also offer a commitment to lifelong learning, with scholarships for students, learning programs and proposals such as the Better Society Academy, in the form of master classes to empower the next generation of social change agents; language classes and cultural immersion sessions, mindfulness and fitness programs, and even cultural, artistic and culinary events open to the community.

Just joined to international B Corp community

After the summer of 2024 TSH joined the international B Corp community. ‘Certified B Corporation’ is a trademark licensed by B Lab (a private non-profit organization), to companies that have successfully completed the B Impact Assessment (BIA) and therefore meet the requirements set by B Lab for social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. 

So and to expand and explain on the scope of this distinction to social commitment, the very kind Social Hub’s Director of Sustainability and Impact, Amber Westerborg, welcomes us to the location of TSH in Delft (The Netherlands) to talk to us about how they are developing a network of different and collaborative accommodations with sustainability in mind. “We are always on the job of reinforcing The Social Hub’s commitment to positively impact the world and the well-being of its community and natural environment, while encouraging us to take on even more ambitious challenges in the immediate future”, explains Amber.

—What steps is taking The Social Hub to further advance your positive impact on the environment and the global community?

—We’ve set ambitious targets such as reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 78% by 2030 and producing 50% of our energy on-site. That target requires a comprehensive approach. We’re investing heavily in renewable energy technologies, including installing solar panels on the rooftops of our hubs in Barcelona, Madrid, and Toulouse. These investments are key to reaching our goal of generating 50% of our energy on-site. We’re also implementing smart building systems that monitor and optimise energy consumption, making our operations more efficient across all locations.

Waste reduction is another core focus. For example, we’ve reintroduced the Too Good To Go initiative at our Amsterdam hub, which allows people to reserve surplus breakfast items from our restaurants, significantly reducing food waste. Additionally, we’ve partnered with Metabolic to conduct a full analysis of our business operations, ensuring our entire supply chain is aligned with our sustainability goals. As part of this broader strategy, we’ve reduced our corporate air travel emissions by 26% compared to pre-pandemic levels.

—You are very committed to social work and its impact on community development and the construction of young and environmentally conscious citizen networks…

Of course, our sustainability efforts go beyond environmental impact. We are especially working hard to put the “S” in The Social Hub by ramping up concrete actions that foster connections and build communities. Some of these key initiatives include the newly established TSH Talent Foundation which is funded via a pledge to donate 1% of our annual turnover – an industry first – to support changemakers who face barriers to opportunity. The Foundation is already active with a scholarship programme that sees over 30 talented students from around the globe living in our hubs, supported by a comprehensive tailor-made personal and professional development framework. The Foundation will also be hosting the third edition of our Better Society Academy in Glasgow this coming March, bringing together 40 changemakers for a 3.5 day workshop focused on social impact innovation. Finally, we’re also incredibly proud of our strategic collaboration with Talent Garden, a leading learning partner which we are working with to pilot hard and soft skill sprints for our student and co-working community. We really aim to walk the talk and push ourselves to ensure we can maximise our impact on our communities.

—The Social Hub community connects and creates a union and a unique model of idea development and creation with the contributions and close relationship between travelers, students, business professionals… How can, or how is this model of social innovation helping to take care of the environment, as well as to advance in being a sustainable company?

Often, sustainability is an afterthought – we’ve baked it into every single decision rather than just tacking on a couple of EV parking stations to the end of a project or simply planting trees to offset carbon. We’ve aligned our growth strategy with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi), which ensures our greenhouse gas reduction initiatives are scientifically sound and in line with the latest climate science, helping us limit our environmental impact even as we expand. Our B Corp certification also holds us accountable for meeting rigorous social and environmental standards – we will be reassessed in three years’ time. As we grow, these frameworks help us navigate the complexities of scaling without compromising our values.

Last but not least, we’re also incredibly proud of our strategic collaboration with Talent Garden, a leading learning partner which we are working with to pilot hard and soft skill sprints for our student and co-working community. We really aim to walk the talk and push ourselves to ensure we can maximise our impact on our communities.

@ Eduardo Fernández / Terabithia Media

Green mobility and recycled materials

One of its two establishments in Amsterdam has an underground car park that houses several hundred bicycles (this happens in many TSH), which can be used or rented, in a complementary effort to advance sustainable mobility and reduce emissions. The commitment to the environment reaches such a point that absolutely all the products that have been used for the decoration and furniture of the Delft building (where there are no plastic elements) come from recycled materials.

—So Amber, what are the main keys to making your hybrid hospitality model innovate in search of social advances and new methods to build a more sustainable sector, even in urban mobility?

—Collaboration is key to overcoming these challenges. We’ve partnered with like-minded organisations, including several B Corps such as Tony’s Chocolonely and Brewgooder, to strengthen our supply chain and ensure every aspect of our business contributes positively. Meanwhile, we always look to bring together leaders from across industries to exchange ideas and drive collective progress – our Green Community table and other events focused on further fuelling the B Corp movement is just one example of that. By setting high standards for us, we hope to encourage the entire industry to adopt more responsible practices laddering back to our core purpose, “together, we create a better society”

The urgency is clear, and companies that fail to adapt will face regulatory pressure, higher costs, and loss of consumer trust. In the next five years, I believe sustainability will become a non-negotiable standard. Regulatory frameworks like the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) will push businesses to become more transparent and accountable. Hospitality and real estate companies will need to embed sustainability into their core operations, from energy efficiency to waste reduction, to remain competitive.

—What projects do you have underway to implement in the near future?

—Our plans for growth are ambitious butgrounded in reality. The concept has been proven, and demand is strong from investors, cities, and communities. However, we acknowledge scaling sustainably is not easy. There’s an inherent tension between expansion and sustainability – opening new hubs inevitably increases resource use, from construction to energy consumption. Managing that while adhering to our sustainability goals requires careful planning, innovation, and a commitment to making these considerations central to every decision.

—Does it serve as a loudspeaker to communicate your commitment to the planet to the rest of the population in the cities where your company is present?

People come to TSH to be part of something larger than themselves. Whether it’s through one of the 5,500+ events we host across our hubs each year, casual conversations in our coworking kitchens, or an impromptu game of pool in the lobby, we’ve created spaces that drive real human interaction, and create magic by doing so. This focus on community-building is one of our core differentiators – it means we can be agile and dynamic in a fast-moving market. For instance, during the pandemic, when tourism and co-working demand dropped off a cliff, we were able to pivot by offering housing for those in need. That flexibility and resilience, combined with our ability to create meaningful connections, sets us apart in an industry traditionally focused on transactions rather than experiences.

Also, becoming a B Corp is significant because it holds us accountable and encourages us to continuously improve, ensuring the social impact of our organisation is just as important as the environmental one. We’re not just setting benchmarks for ourselves – we’re aiming to influence the entire hospitality and real estate industries. This certification is just the beginning of our journey; our goal is to inspire lasting, meaningful change across the sectors we operate in. 

As we have been able to verify personally in Delft as well as talking long time with Amber («thanks a lot») and another members of THS’s staff, community impact is essential for The Social Hub, which hosts more than five thousand community events annually, attracting about 100,000 attendees across all its locations. It has also committed to donate goods to agents of change with social barriers. As well also works hand in hand with Talent Garden to develop training programs for students and coworkers in its hubs and much more actions and news to come during 2025.

The ‘Green Community Table’ discussion and conversation forum brought together key figures from the hospitality, innovation, real estate development, responsible and sustainable business sectors, including speakers from other B Corps such as Tim de Broekert (from Tony’s Chocolonely), Baba Toure (creative agency Home), moderated by the Director of Sustainability and Impact of The Social Hub, Amber Westerborg