Chris Green has a question that challenges everything we think we know about running a successful hotel business:
What if we started every decision by asking what’s good?
As President of Humanitarian Hotels, Green leads an organization that gives away 100% of its profits to charity. But this isn’t a feel-good story about sacrifice—it’s a case study in how pursuing what’s good can drive world-class operational excellence.
“I’ve worked in this industry for 20 years,” Green told me. “And I can tell you that thinking this way doesn’t cost you anything. In fact, it makes you better.”
A Different Operating Philosophy
Most hotel operators start with efficiency and profitability when making decisions. Humanitarian Hotels starts somewhere else entirely.
“We don’t just immediately go, what’s the efficient or what’s the most profitable,” Green explained. “We start with what’s best and then, how do we make it work?”
This shows up across their operations. Green shared an example from a recent call about health benefit plans: “One of our hotels has a special health benefit plan that about 20 associates use because of certain doctors or certain needs. We really would be more efficient to consolidate the health plans. But we don’t come at it from that angle. These are 20 associates who need that. So is it more paperwork for us? Is it more of a hassle to manage? It is. But that’s what’s good—for them to be taken care of.”
From “What’s Next?” to “What’s Good?”
The shift from asking “what’s next?” to “what’s good?” represents a fundamental change in how leaders approach decisions.
“‘What’s next’ thinking is about constant motion—chasing trends, copying competitors, reacting to market shifts,” Green observed. “But ‘what’s good’ thinking is about purpose. It’s about asking what creates lasting value for your associates, your guests, and your community.”
This philosophy extends to every aspect of operations. When the organization prepared to host a LIV Golf tournament, they partnered with local organizations serving individuals with developmental disabilities. “We had a whole team that came out and filled divots at the golf course for two weeks. They loved it. And they were part of the golf preparation team before the tournament.”
The Business Case for Pursuing What’s Good
Here’s what surprises people: this approach doesn’t just feel good—it drives exceptional business performance.
“When you operate with genuine care and concern, people notice,” Green said. “Our associates feel it. Our guests experience it. And it shows up in our results.”
The organization maintains occupancy rates and revenue metrics that compete with—and often exceed—traditional hotel operations in their markets. But they’ve also built something harder to quantify: loyalty and engagement that traditional operators struggle to achieve.
“People really get excited about the generosity component and the spirit of what we’re doing,” Green noted. “I can’t tell you how many people this week have said, ‘This touches my heart, what you’re doing.'”
World-Class Operations Create World-Class Impact
Humanitarian Hotels isn’t sacrificing operational excellence for charitable impact—they’re achieving both simultaneously.
“Our job is to produce revenue,” Green explained. “And if we underperform, we give less away. So we’re highly incentivized to be really good at what we do.”
The organization has invested heavily in associate experience, including building world-class housing for team members at their Mackinac Island properties. “How are you going to have a world-class resort and then have not world-class accommodations for your associates?” Green asked. “You can do it, and a lot of people do. Not us.”
This commitment to excellence extends to every operational detail. The hotels maintain the same standards—and often higher standards—than traditional operators in areas like:
- Property maintenance and renovation
- Service delivery and guest experience
- Food and beverage quality
- Training and development programs
- Technology and systems
Practical Applications for Any Hotel Operator
While most operators can’t give away 100% of their profits, Green believes the underlying principles can benefit any hotel business.
Start with What’s Good for Your Team
“Think about individualized plans for each team member to pursue their career goals, their personal goals, fitness goals, and investing goals,” Green suggested. “Why can’t we pay to have people come train them how to invest their 401(k)s? We can do so much more to impact people’s lives.”
This might mean helping associates navigate college applications for their children, providing access to tutoring, or supporting other goals that matter to them. “We always service what’s our good, unfortunately,” Green observed. “What is their good? What is important to them?”
Challenge Yourself to Think Without Limits
“If anything were possible, what would you do?” Green asks his team regularly. This question opens up possibilities that efficiency-first thinking would never reveal.
“It’s a real risk, especially when you get to a CEO job, because we kind of think we know what the best outcome is, and I think we get tone deaf sometimes,” he acknowledged. “That’s a scary place to sit.”
Build Partnership, Not Just Transactions
The organization approaches vendor relationships differently. “I’ve learned that people really get excited about the generosity component and the spirit that we’re doing,” Green said.
This creates opportunities for creative partnerships where suppliers become invested in the mission. “We’re talking about partnering with a major shoe company for shoes for our organization, where they’re involved. You can almost sponsor the team by being part of our mission.”
Hospitality as an Engine for Generosity
Perhaps the most compelling aspect of Humanitarian Hotels is how it reimagines what’s possible when you combine hospitality with purpose.
“18,000 people came to our hotel for the LIV Golf Championships. We had a concert for over 10,000 people with Imagine Dragons,” Green shared. “The whole time I’m standing there watching this happen, and I’m thinking, all these people are part of something, and they don’t know yet. All these people are part of something huge that’s going to affect our world.”
The organization has made significant charitable contributions, including:
- A $114 million project building homes for individuals with developmental disabilities aging out of the state system in South Florida
- Partnerships with organizations serving individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities across their properties
- Support for people experiencing homelessness
- Assistance for people transitioning into U.S. citizenship
“You’re going to go stay at a hotel anyway. You’re going to go play golf anyway. You’re going to have a great dinner at a steakhouse,” Green said. “Do something good with the money. We’ll do it. We’d love to help you.”
The Power of Purpose-Driven Operations
What Green and Humanitarian Hotels demonstrate is that the pursuit of what’s good isn’t in conflict with operational excellence—it can be the driver of it.
“There’s no doubt that a large foundation could put money with a PE firm or an investment firm and make a decent return and give that money away,” Green acknowledged. “But what investments were made that generated that return? We know where our investment is. We know what it’s doing for our associates, for our local marketplaces, and then the greater good.”
The model creates impact at every level:
- Associates experience genuine care in their work environment
- Guests participate in something meaningful through their stay
- Communities benefit from both the economic impact and charitable contributions
- The organization builds loyalty and engagement that drives long-term performance
A Challenge for the Industry
Green’s vision extends beyond Humanitarian Hotels. “We’re a comp set of one right now,” he said. “I’d love to be a comp set of hundreds, because how cool would that be?”
He envisions a future where restaurants, hotels, and other hospitality businesses operate on similar principles. “I can see a place in a time where restaurants are doing it.”
For operators who want to explore this approach, Green is open to conversations. “If people are aligned or engaged in our mission and they want to line up with us, they can reach out to me. I would love to talk to organizations that are like-minded, that want to impact our world.”
The Bottom Line
The story of Humanitarian Hotels challenges fundamental assumptions about what drives success in hospitality operations.
By starting with “what’s good” instead of “what’s next,” by pursuing purpose alongside profit, and by treating associates, guests, and communities as partners in something meaningful, they’ve built an organization that performs at the highest levels while creating lasting impact.
“This way of thinking—the world will be a better place, hospitality will be a better place when people start to think this way,” Green concluded. “What does good look like?”
It’s a question worth asking in your operations today.
