Marvin Dixon – Hilton New Orleans Riverside

At the Hilton New Orleans Riverside, sustainability is not just a buzzword but a way of life. Overlooking the Mississippi River, this 1,622-room hotel—one of the five largest Hiltons in the world—is known for its southern hospitality and world-class guest experience. But behind the scenes, a transformation is taking place. Led by Director of Property Operations Marvin Dixon, the Hilton New Orleans Riverside has become a beacon of environmental stewardship, proving that luxury and sustainability can thrive together.

When Dixon arrived, he saw both the immense opportunity and the immense responsibility that came with managing a property of that scale.

“We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children,” he says, quoting the guiding principle that fuels his work. To him, sustainability is about leadership, accountability, and setting a new standard for the industry.

In 2023, Dixon turned that belief into action by creating The Green Team, an initiative aimed at embedding sustainability into every level of hotel operations. From the start, his goal was to do more than check boxes or meet quotas—he wanted to change mindsets. Supported by Park Hotels, the property’s ownership group, and with strong backing from General Manager David Piscola, Dixon set out to build a culture that viewed sustainability not as an obligation, but as an opportunity.

Changing habits, changing outcomes

The first challenge was practical: how could the hotel reduce waste, lower energy consumption, and save money without major capital investments? Dixon’s answer was both strategic and straightforward. He formed The Green Team with representatives from every department—banquets, housekeeping, front office, engineering—each serving as an ambassador of sustainability within their division.

He began by focusing on habits, not hardware. The cafeteria became the proving ground.

“It’s the one place everyone visits,” Dixon says. “If we could start planting seeds there, those ideas would spread.”

They did. Through simple behavioral changes, the team began seeing results almost immediately. Without buying a single new piece of equipment, the hotel started saving money while dramatically cutting waste.

The data tells the story. In 2023, before The Green Team launched, Hilton New Orleans Riverside had a 9.6 percent capture rate on its waste stream—the proportion of discarded material diverted from landfills. Within two years, Dixon and his team increased that to 40 percent. In 2024 alone, the hotel diverted 1.3 million pounds of waste from landfills through recycling, composting, and other initiatives.

“We have to do it,” Dixon says. “We have no choice.” For him, sustainability is not a passing trend or a marketing angle; it’s an ethical imperative. “Prepare and prevent rather than repair and repent,” he adds, summing up his proactive philosophy.

One of the hotel’s most innovative programs involves oyster shells. The Hilton New Orleans Riverside is now the largest recycler of oyster shells in Louisiana, giving new life to the remnants of countless seafood dishes served in its restaurants and banquets. The shells are reconstituted into the environment to prevent coastal erosion and help form new oyster beds, protecting the fragile ecosystem along the Gulf Coast.

The hotel is also the biggest composter in the city, transforming organic waste—which makes up roughly 30 percent of a hospitality operation’s waste stream—into compost rather than letting it decompose in a landfill. These achievements demonstrate Dixon’s hands-on leadership style and his ability to align daily operations with long-term environmental goals.

Preserving the property

While sustainability drives Dixon’s broader mission, his day-to-day work as Director of Property Operations also requires a sharp focus on maintaining and modernizing an aging building. Like many properties with decades of history, the Hilton New Orleans Riverside has layers of infrastructure that reflect changing technologies and design philosophies.

From plumbing and HVAC systems to electrical panels and water management, much of the behind-the-scenes work involves understanding how past modifications impact present performance. Dixon and his team are constantly assessing and improving the property’s systems to ensure they operate as efficiently as possible.

“Taking an old building that’s been operating for 40 or 50 years means really knowing how it was designed to work,” Dixon explains. “Over time, people make changes that weren’t always sustainable, and that’s where we can make a big impact.”

Preventative maintenance is at the heart of his strategy. By investing in routine upkeep and optimizing existing systems, Dixon estimates the hotel saves 10 to 15 percent in energy costs while extending the lifespan of expensive equipment. Those savings add up, allowing the hotel to reinvest in guest-facing upgrades that enhance the overall experience.

He views this approach as a form of sustainability, too—protecting the life and value of the property itself. In his eyes, stewardship applies not only to the planet but also to the physical assets entrusted to his care.

Hospitality with a higher purpose

At its core, Hilton is about people: guests, employees, and the communities it serves. For Dixon, sustainability is not separate from hospitality—it’s an extension of it.

“We’re here to make people feel at home,” he says. “That means creating a clean, comfortable, and responsible environment for everyone who walks through our doors.”

That philosophy aligns perfectly with Hilton’s global commitment to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles. As one of the world’s leading hospitality brands, Hilton’s mission is to fill the earth with the light and warmth of hospitality. Through initiatives like Travel with Purpose, the company works to double its investment in social impact and halve its environmental footprint by 2030. The Hilton New Orleans Riverside is helping lead that charge at the local level.

Guests are noticing. Surveys show that 77 percent of consumers are more likely to choose brands that make the world a better place. Dixon understands this growing preference and sees it as both validation and motivation. When the hotel saves on energy or reduces waste, those savings can be redirected toward guest experiences—whether that means a renovated pool deck, upgraded spa, or enhanced dining options.

In a business where details define success, Dixon takes pride in knowing that his work behind the scenes contributes directly to guest satisfaction. By running an efficient, environmentally conscious operation, he helps ensure that Hilton New Orleans Riverside remains not just a place to stay, but a place that stands for something.

A lasting legacy

Dixon’s leadership is rooted in accountability—to his team, his company, and the next generation. He often reflects on the future he wants to leave behind.

“The next generation is counting on us,” he says. “We can’t keep borrowing from them. I want to be on the right side of history and be part of preserving this place for them.”

The results speak for themselves. What began as a small, cafeteria-based initiative has evolved into a culture of sustainability that now defines one of Hilton’s flagship properties. Through The Green Team’s efforts, the hotel has reduced waste, cut energy costs, and made a measurable impact on the Louisiana environment—all without sacrificing guest comfort or quality.

But perhaps most importantly, Dixon has created a sense of shared purpose among his colleagues. The success of the program is not his alone; it belongs to everyone who has embraced the mindset that small actions add up to big change.

As Dixon continues to push forward, his message remains clear: sustainability is not a side project or a public relations effort—it’s a responsibility. By uniting environmental stewardship with exceptional hospitality, he and his team are showing what it means to lead by example and to leave things better than they found them.