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Attitudes towards sustainability are evolving, with more travellers placing greater value on eco-friendly experiences. A recent study found that 75% of global travellers said they want to travel more sustainably, whilst 43% admitted to feeling guilty when they make less sustainable choices.
For hotels, Airbnbs, and guest houses, this shift in attitudes towards sustainable hotels presents both a challenge and an opportunity. To remain competitive, hotels and other hospitality providers must adapt to meet the growing demand for sustainable travel accommodation options.
The hospitality sector is responsible for up to 15% of the UK’s annual greenhouse gas emissions, making it a major contributor to the country’s carbon footprint.
Luckily, there are plenty of simple, practical steps you can take to improve your hotel’s sustainability, work towards net zero targets and appeal to a new generation of environmentally conscious travellers.
Hotel guests, particularly in the mid- to high-end market, are increasingly expecting clear and credible sustainability credentials from the hotels they patron. Today’s travellers are increasingly conscious of their environmental footprint, and this is reflected in the choices they make. A study by Booking.com found that coming across an accommodation labelled as more sustainable is more appealing to almost half of travellers (45%). This highlights a clear trend – guests want their values to be reflected in the places they stay.
By prioritising sustainability, hotels can directly respond to growing guest expectations whilst creating a clear competitive advantage. Strong sustainability credentials enhance brand reputation, support corporate social responsibility commitments, and deliver tangible environmental benefits.
The business case is equally compelling. On average, a hotel consumes around 50 kWh of electricity per room per day. In larger, high-occupancy properties, this quickly translates into significant energy demand and escalating operating costs. At its core, an effective sustainability strategy focuses on reducing energy use, alongside water and waste. These actions not only lower environmental impact but also drive operational efficiency and measurable cost savings.
Senior Consultant Lindsay Groves notes that “clients are often concerned about the cost of becoming more sustainable. While some measures do require upfront investment, a well-designed sustainability strategy should deliver a strong return on investment, driving efficiencies, profitability, and long-term resilience.
The greater challenge is clearly identifying and quantifying the risks of inaction. Many businesses underestimate these risks, betting that short-term gains will outweigh future costs, or that the impact will emerge later. This approach is less about saving money and more like deferring essential maintenance: it may seem cost-effective today, but it almost always proves more expensive in the long run.”
For hotels, balancing sustainability with maintaining a high standard of service and guest comfort is essential. But the good news is there are many ways for hotels to enhance their sustainability without compromising on providing a great experience for their guests.
There are lots of hidden areas of hotels that may be using more energy than you think. So a great first step on your hotel sustainability journey is to build a clear picture of how you use your energy, and identify ways that you can make savings.
There are a number of different types of audits, so working with a knowledgeable partner will help you find the best one for your hotel.
Lighting plays a big part in setting the mood and ambience for your venue, but if it’s not optimised, it can significantly increase your overhead costs as well as your carbon footprint. Simple enhancements such as keycards that turn lights off when removed from a docking point will help to ensure guests don’t leave lights on when they leave their rooms.
You could also consider other low-cost options such as swapping fluorescent lighting for LED, and installing light sensors in areas such as corridors, that aren’t in constant use. Smart Lighting controls can also be a great addition to public areas of your building, such as restaurants and bars, where lighting can be dimmed to set ambiance as well as lowering energy consumption.
Submetering allows you to track energy and water use in specific areas of your property, such as guest rooms, kitchens, laundry facilities, and communal areas. This allows you to pinpoint where consumption is the highest.
By identifying inefficiencies such as equipment left running, water leaks, or wasteful usage behaviour, you can implement focused energy saving initiatives. This can not only lower utility costs but also supports your hotel sustainability and gives you greater control over where your energy is being used.
Heating and cooling systems are one of the biggest consumers of energy in most buildings, and when tackling your hotel’s sustainability, it’s important to find the right temperature for each area of your building. According to the Carbon Trust, buildings with well-controlled heating systems typically have a 15-30% lower heating fuel usage. Although the ‘ideal’ temperature can be subjective, guidelines suggest the following:
In addition to this, you should regularly schedule services and repairs for your heating and cooling systems to keep them in the best possible shape, and to avoid overusing energy or costly system failures further down the line.
Renewable energy infrastructure, such as solar panels and wind turbines, are an increasingly popular option for stainable hotels that want to lessen their grid reliance and boost their green credentials.
Solar panels can be great additions to your hotel and will pay for themselves in energy savings in around 4-5 years, collecting solar energy even on overcast days.
Beyond cost savings, renewable energy systems demonstrate a visible commitment to sustainability, appeal to eco-conscious guests, and help future-proof your business against rising energy costs.
If you’re not quite ready to invest in your own renewable energy infrastructure, you can still benefit from powering your hotel sustainably with a renewable energy Power Purchase Agreement. PPAs are a long-term agreement between a business and an energy provider, that allows businesses to purchase 100% renewable energy. This means you can lock in clean electricity without the upfront costs of installing solar panels or wind turbines on-site, as well as protect your hotel from volatile energy market spikes.
When approaching a new sustainability strategy for your hotel, although your energy use makes up a large portion of your carbon impact, it’s important that you don’t neglect the wider factors that impact your hotel’s sustainability.
Another big carbon footprint culprit is plastic usage but there are lots of ways you can tackle this. For example, instead of providing toiletries in single use plastics for guests, opt for refillable containers. Plastic coffee pods can also be swapped out for biodegradable filter paper alternatives, and disposable plastic bottles in rooms can be replaced with pitchers or carafes.
There are also lots of hidden plastics in housekeeping that can be tackled by switching to reusable cloth bin liners or concentrated cleaning tablets that eliminate the need for bottled chemicals. In addition to this, mobile room keys or digital wristbands can help reduce PVC key card waste, and offering reusable tote bags for guests can encourage them to not use plastic shopping bags.
By rethinking these smaller, less obvious areas, you can reduce your reliance on plastic and boost your overall sustainability.
You could also work with your suppliers to find low-plastic options such as refillable containers and recyclable packaging.
For many hotels, reducing water waste is one of the simplest and most impactful steps toward stronger hotel sustainability. Installing low-flow fixtures, such as aerated showerheads, taps, and dual-flush toilets, can dramatically cut water consumption without affecting guest comfort.
Recycling rainwater with a water harvesting system can also make a significant difference, providing an additional source of water for toilet flushing, washing machines or other non-potable uses. This not only reduces reliance on mains water but also helps lower operating costs and minimise waste.
A major part of hotel sustainability lies beyond your direct control, in what are known as Scope 3 emissions. These can account for around 70% of a hotel’s total carbon emissions, making examining your supply chain an essential part of your sustainability plan.
Consider where your food and produce come from, are your suppliers operating sustainably? Could ingredients be sourced more locally to reduce transportation emissions? Asking yourself these questions can help create an effective long-term strategy for cutting hidden carbon impacts.
Sustainable hotels thrive when both staff and guests contribute to greener operations. Clear, friendly signage can help raise awareness of your sustainability initiatives, such as little reminders of how much energy can be saved by turning off lights or using partial toilet flushes.
Another great way to offer your guests simple ways to be more sustainable is to allow them to request fresh towels and bedding only when they need them, rather than automatically replacing them daily. This simple opt-in system cuts unnecessary laundry loads whilst still offering guests complete control over their comfort.
Hotels have the perfect opportunity to visibly demonstrate their commitment to sustainability with EV chargers for guests and staff.
Providing charging options not only supports staff who commute using electric vehicles and encourages more to make the switch, but it also makes your property more appealing to eco-conscious travellers.
Food waste is a major challenge for the hospitality sector, and it is estimated that 18% of the food purchased by the UK hospitality industry every year is wasted. But there are a number of ways sustainable hotels can take simple steps to address it.
Regularly maintaining fridges and storage systems helps prevent spoilage and composting enables you to recycle organic waste. You can also design menus and food ordering schedules that minimise waste and donate surplus food where possible.
Another way you can make your food service more sustainable is to create menus with seasonal and local ingredients, helping to reduce supply chain emissions from importing ingredients from further afield. Introducing more plant-based options can also significantly lower the carbon footprint of your dishes, as these foods typically require fewer resources to produce and may appeal to guests seeking healthier, eco-friendly options.
At Consultus, we work with hotels and other businesses in the hospitality sector to design and implement sustainable solutions that not only cut carbon but help your business thrive.
Our Net Zero Pathway service is a unique approach to developing a tailored plan of action for your hotel sustainability. We create a flexible, step-by-step plan, designed to work with your unique goals and business requirements. With four different packages to choose from, whether you’re just starting your sustainability journey, or already making great progress, we can help support you.
An essential part of any sustainability initiative is having a deep understanding of your energy usage. Our Virtual Energy Management (VEM) Service offers expertise and insights that work with your existing sustainability plans to help you better understand and manage your energy and allows you to spot areas where you can focus your efforts.
Making sure your employees have a strong understanding of how your business uses energy is essential for any hotel sustainability plan. The Discover Cultural Engagement tool helps make this training immersive and memorable. Our interactive 3D platform allows your team to walk through a digital version of your hotel, identify areas of energy consumption, and learn best practices for energy saving. They will also be able to access fun and engaging quizzes, helping to build confidence in energy saving so your team can support your environmental goals.
If you want to make your hotel more sustainable, Consultus Sustainability are here to help. Whether you need support with reporting, or a full sustainability strategy, get in touch and a member of our team will be able to talk you through the best options for your business.
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