As consumers increasingly focus towards an eco-friendly way of life, hotels across the globe are reassessing what sustainability means to them. With such a wide range of sustainability concepts and products on the market, it’s important to be able to determine what will drive practical, achievable and meaningful results for your business. Let’s assess some key eco-friendly hotel concepts that can deliver ROI while improving your footprint.

Why are Eco Living Concepts Important for Hotels?

There are many good reasons to incorporate green technology and sustainable practices into your hotel, but you don’t need to look far beyond these three. 

Consumers are actively prioritising eco-friendly hotel concepts

A survey by Booking.com showed that a massive 87% of global travelers want green travel options and 67% of them are willing to pay 5% more for low carbon footprint travel – and that’s not a once-off statistic. The UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) reported that, as of March 2020, 69% of travelers believe sustainable travel is important.

A survey by Accor showed that 70% of travelers preferred a hotel with sustainability credentials. And it’s not just leisure travelers either. 51% of businesses want to hold their events in eco-friendly locations, and 75% of businesses ask about green credentials when sourcing venues and accommodation.

Consumers are working hard to take a more holistic approach to every aspect of their lives, and as this green trend grows, so the prioritisation of hotels with green credentials will grow too.

Sustainable hotel ideas reduce costs

Sustainability is not just about appealing to the consumer – it also directly benefits hotels over the long term. The core focus of sustainability projects is to increase efficiency which often is aimed at saving energy and resources, utilising free renewable resources and minimising wastage.

For a hotel, reducing operating costs and wastage can create massive, ongoing savings when they are implemented correctly and consistently. Although the initial capital outlay for some of these projects can be expensive, the savings they incur will offset the expense over time - something as simple as an energy management system can cut energy costs by 28%.

Additionally, there are an increasing amount of government funded, low-cost financing options to assist with retrofitting and sustainable investment, so up-front costs need not always  scare you off.

It uplifts your community

Community based sustainable tourism offerings are often boutique, small and independent hotels – locally-owned and staffed, with tourists relying on them to be their gateway into experiencing that part of the world.

Sustainability is not just about eco-friendly hotel amenities, it’s about creating a hub of sustainability within your area by using local goods and products, local materials and food sources, and more. A strong sustainability ethos can strengthen community relations, boost staff morale and increase employee retention. These may be intangible, but they carry a lot of value.

6 Eco-Friendly Hotel Ideas You Can Execute Now

If you’re looking to improve the impact of real estate on sustainability, then it’s time to look at some of the most rewarding sustainable hotel ideas - many of which you can implement with relative ease. By prioritising the right projects, you can not only start planning your budget and projecting ROI in terms of savings, you can also start broadcasting your commitment green credentials to your target audience.

#1 – Green Teams for Sustainable Hotels

A significant part of green living is about taking ownership of your impact on the environment, so it makes sense to instil this sense of responsibility in your entire team, starting with a hotel sustainability task force. Gather interested individuals from all areas of operations and brainstorm green initiatives for implementation. Remember to encourage people to think outside the box and consider every aspect of operations, from your hiring processes and guest booking/check-in processes to transportation offerings, how to include local businesses or conservation efforts, how to make your gift shop green and sustainable, and much more.

Harnessing the brainpower of multiple team members who are specialised in different areas of the operation will give you practical and actionable feedback as well as a bounty of ideas to work with. It will have the added benefit of ensuring your team are fully vested in the decision making process, which will be a key factor for successful implementation of new measures.

#2 - Start with Easy Eco Resort Ideas You Can Implement Now

You probably have a few eco-friendly policies in your hotel already, and the quickest way to start this journey is to upgrade these policies and introduce practices that you can implement quickly and cheaply.

This includes reducing single-use plastics (offer branded reusable bottles as part of your rewards program and place point-of-use water filtration systems around the hotel), put up signs encouraging guests to reuse towels to save water, make recycling as inclusive and prominent as you can throughout the hotel, use recyclable packaging wherever possible,  exchange your cleaning products for eco-friendly options, and swap out your current toiletries and treats for locally-produced artisanal products (and highlight where it’s from!). Or go even further and source a sensible eco living trash can for each of your rooms!

Be sure to communicate with your team throughout this process, as each new action shows that you’re committed to this process, and will open up new ground for approaching larger, more complex issues.

#3 – Sustainable Restaurants: Source Your Food Locally

Look for organic, local food producers and transform your restaurant and dining options. Consumer trends are already focused on trying interesting local foods and shopping organically, and this will also reduce the significant carbon emissions of food transport and logistics. What’s more, your restaurant will likely benefit from having a nearby source of fresh, high-grade products that you can rely on.

You can also update your menu to reflect your area’s unique culture through local, seasonal produce and sustainable eating options, including vegan and vegetarian options, and food waste can be directed towards composting for local farmers or even your own kitchen gardens to save further on waste removal and landscaping costs while reducing environmental impact. 

To minimise food waste, keep an eye on burgeoning clean-tech systems like Winnow Solutions, who are expanding rapidly and offer a system that pays for itself while reducing your food waste by over 50% in the first year.

#4 – Invest in Green Infrastructure

Sustainable hotel architecture might carry some capital expense, but a stronger infrastructure can also bring the highest ROI, sometimes even paying for itself. Available systems can include a number of different elements from low flush toilets, aerators on faucets, smart showers that limit shower time and upgrades to LED lighting to smart thermostats, solar panel systems, geothermal cooling towers, water recovery systems and HVAC systems that customise air flow, heating and cooling by monitoring room occupancy, client requirements and other factors.

The Orchard Hotel in San Francisco saw a reduction in water costs by 20% by implementing flow restrictors, while the W San Francisco’s intensive water recovery system is projected to be paid back in full in less than a year according to the US Green Building Council. The Bardessono in California incorporated solar panel systems into its design, contributing towards it’s LEED Platinum certification and offsetting an incredible 50% of total electricity consumption with a 6-8 year projected payback.

These big-ticket items fundamentally change the way your hotel operates without sacrificing comfort, while also reducing your footprint and improving your sustainability ratings. While the scope of sustainable architecture varies a lot, these big-ticket items fundamentally change the way your hotel operates without sacrificing comfort. They also reduce your footprint and bring you into line with the future of sustainable design.

#5 – Green Landscaping for Eco Living

Your building isn’t the only aspect of your property that can go greener. Green landscaping is an effective way to achieve goals such as reducing risks of flooding, reducing water consumption and reducing damage caused by poor water management. 

Ideas include planting indigenous plants (they are suited to the climate and require less or even no water once established), planting rain gardens and water detention ponds to prevent moisture damage from pooling water on patios, parking and hard landscaping, using smart irrigation systems that monitor moisture levels and only water when needed, and installing on-site kitchen, fruit and vegetable gardens fed by composted kitchen waste, worm farms and grey water from rain or wastewater collection systems.

Landscaping plays a critical role for sustainable hotel brands and can make sure your project feels like a boho eco chic boutique resort.

#6 – Green Activities for those on Eco Travels

Your guests want to live green lifestyles even while on holiday, so it’s a great idea to design activities that fulfil these criteria. Examples of green activities include local walking tours, hikes and nature excursions, visits to cultural heritage sites and conservation areas, as well as on-site yoga and meditation programs. Consider partnering up with local businesses - there are a wealth of interesting and fun events you could co-host with local craftspeople, musicians, dance instructors or even historians. This can highlight your commitment to social sustainability as well as environmental, while still maintaining a small footprint. It can be a great way to offer your guests an authentic experience of your community while also supporting your local area.

Sustainable Design Consulting: Becoming a Sustainable Boutique Hotel is easier Than Ever

As consumer demand for a more sustainable lifestyle drives innovation and creativity, a whole world of options opens up for sustainability in hotels. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution – instead, it is about putting your own unique stamp on what sustainability means to your business.

From hotel amenities that are eco-friendly to supporting local organic producers and artisans or even local cultural and natural heritage, sustainability and green initiatives not only help save money for your business, they become part of your culture to enrich your location and create interest for your target audience.

Interested in creating a sustainable resort development or incorporating the latest in eco-friendly hotel concepts? Proven Partners have been in the business of moving companies forward for many years, helping hotel and hospitality businesses adapt to new technologies and consumer behaviours, including developing world-class green credentials. We’ll deliver what it takes to capture your audience’s imagination, save your business money, and deliver exceptional ROI.