More than 180 “LeoDo” initiatives demonstrate the social impact which the hotel industry is able to create
Berlin, 17 December 2025. At Leonardo Hotels, social responsibility is more than just a paper policy. It is something which is embraced by the company’s employees as they go about their daily work together. More than 180 social projects right across Europe, which have come about as a result of independent and free initiatives by staff, have now been pooled by the group under the name “LeoDo”. These projects are driven by a desire on the part of the individual teams to support people in need of help at their own locations rather than by any central stipulation.
A broad spectrum of commitment – more than 180 projects all over Europe
The initiatives stretch from Munich to Budapest and from Hamburg to Rome. Their diversity is truly impressive. In Munich, for example, teams regularly assist at a food bank. Hot meals are served for people in need in Nuremberg. In Frankfurt, hotels are supporting causes such as children’s cancer and homelessness. Campaigns being pursued in Hamburg include “Not Alone at Christmas”, a scheme which allows lonely people to celebrate the holiday together. In addition to all of this, there are local fund-raising enterprises including “Christmas in a Shoebox” and other joint endeavours aimed at supporting facilities for senior citizen facilities or animal shelters. These projects all have one thing in common. They have their basis in genuine conviction and take effect in places where the hotel sector encounters people on a daily basis.
A new national initiative in 2025 – the Gingerbread House Campaign
A new “Gingerbread House Campaign” encompassing all of Europe has been one of the highlights of this year. Participating hotels invite the siblings of children suffering from cancer or other serious health conditions to spend a special afternoon with them. These children often have to take a backseat because illness elsewhere in the family has placed their parents under immense stress.
The teams provide carefree moments in a non-hospital setting. The children bake and decorate gingerbread houses together whilst enjoying hot drinks and small surprises. They are also given the chance to engage with one another personally. This campaign has brought together numerous Leonardo Hotels within a collective and socially oriented Christmas initiative and sends out a strong signal of true cohesiveness.
Social commitment enshrined within corporate culture
“It is often the small gestures which achieve a big effect,” says Torsten Kraft, Team Lead for Talent Management at Leonardo Hotels Central Europe. Mr. Kraft is also in charge of coordination of the social projects and of the annual LeoDo workshop attended by all employees involved with the campaigns. “Each individual project reflects a clear attitude. We assume responsibility for a society of which we form a part. Together with our teams, we are making a difference day by day and project by project for a better world.”
All LeoDo projects come about because of commitment displayed by the employees themselves. No compulsion takes place. Motivation is derived from wanting to do the right thing. The effect is immediately noticeable, both for people in difficult life situations and for the teams themselves, who are able to experience community and meaning through the actions they undertake.
Social commitment has always been integral to the company’s corporate culture. For a number of years now, it has also been enshrined within Leonardo Hotels’ comprehensive ESG Strategy, which prioritises social responsibility alongside environmental protection. “LeoDo” establishes an umbrella which enables local and international initiatives to become visible and raises awareness of social issues across the company as a whole. The projects run throughout the year and are a fixed component of the normal working routine.