Sustainable hotel practices are on the increase, and joining the ranks of these greener lodging places will benefit your business. Going green might imply a lot of big modifications to your hotel or a few eco-friendly improvements that add up. Even a small move, such as choosing green hotel stationery, can go a long way. The ethics of the firms with whom they do business are important to today's customers. Set yourself apart from the competition by catering to the rising number of environmentally conscious travellers.
So, what actions can hotel operators take right now to transition to more environmentally friendly hotel practices? Here are a few pointers to help you go green.
Sustainable Lighting
Consider installing automated lighting. When visitors leave the room, smart sensors detect this and turn out the lights after a certain time. This not only helps to minimise energy use and the environmental effect of your hotel, but it also helps you save money on your electricity bills. There are also smart heating and cooling options, or you can put reminder cards in each room asking guests to turn down the temperature when they depart (and have housekeeping checks when they visit the room).
Decrease Your Hotel’s Paperless Power
We were all undoubtedly taught to recycle at some time in our lives, and many of us know instinctively how to separate recyclables from non-recyclables. Consider including a recycling container in your hotel rooms so that guests may recycle while travelling just like they do at home.
Purchase eco-friendly stationery for your hotel, such as 100% post-consumer waste recycled paper stock, and print guestbooks and menus on recycled paper. The recyclable stock may also be used to print notepads, local guides, and other things.
If the majority of your hotel customers book online, you can nearly eliminate the need for paper! Innovative front-desk procedures are doing away with the requirement for the paper during check-in and check-out. For example, many guests do not want to carry or maintain track of a huge paper receipt while on vacation. Email and electronic booking, on the other hand, assist to reduce the amount of paper used.
Assist Housekeeping in Adopting Sustainable Hotel Practices
There is a lot of work that goes into keeping your hotel clean, from waste in the room to cleaning supplies and washing. Housekeeping may be a wonderful place to save expenses and introduce more environmentally friendly hotel operations.
If guests are staying for a few days, consider urging them to forego towel cleaning and laundry changes. Installing a few additional hooks in the bathroom and attaching signage to remind guests to use only what they need and leave soiled towels on the floor to be replaced will assist.
While keeping your hotel clean is essential to its profitability, employ eco-friendly materials wherever feasible. Look for environmentally friendly cleansers from your hotel supplier to make cleaning safer for both employees and the environment. Encourage housekeeping to immediately report any concerns they detect to management, since they may discover a broken air conditioner or leaking faucet before visitors do.
Investing in Solar Power
Consider making a larger upgrade to increase your utilisation of solar power. Roof area in hotels is frequently underutilised. Even hotels in skyscrapers put their pools on the final indoor level, rather than the roof, so that guests may enjoy them all year.
If you decide to go solar, you should inform your visitors about this environmentally friendly hotel practice. Many visitors are unaware of the actions hotels take to decrease energy use and waste, but providing this knowledge may lead to repeat reservations and guests who recommend your company to their friends.
Don't Forget to Share Your Long-Term Success!
Customers have various options when booking online. If you want to stand out from the crowd, use every chance to promote your hotel's sustainable hospitality policies as part of the overall experience.
Make sure to emphasise the sustainable actions you're doing in your marketing by publishing them on your website, including the information in your brochures, and advertising your hotel on social media. Consider collaborating with eco-friendly influencers to help them share their hotel experience with their thousands of followers.
Customers want to work with organisations that genuinely care about them. They want to know that when they spend their money travelling and discovering the globe, they are also picking a location to stay that is environmentally friendly. Help them understand the efforts you're doing by displaying information in the rooms and placing signage in your hotel's lobby.
