The reduction of the cost of a hotel has always been an important issue for hoteliers, who analyze more and more the cost of the hotel, trying to limit as much as possible, without, however, sacrificing the quality of experience of visitors . Especially in high-occupancy hotels , where profit margins are very specific, a multifaceted cost-cutting strategy is paramount in order to make them more profitable and avoid unnecessary costs. But who would have thought that the design of an ecological and sustainable character could drastically reduce the cost of your hotel?
At the same time, in recent years, the tourism industry has grown exponentially, while Sustainability and Respect for the Environment are now the two main factors to which tourists pay special attention. In addition, the "responsible holiday mode" equally influences travelers' booking decisions , with hoteliers now beginning to think about how to redefine their accommodation to make it more environmentally friendly and human-friendly. This new direction was initially a problem for hoteliers, as they had to invest large sums in establishing the appropriate "environmental adaptations". However, a deeper and more globalApproaching the benefits of sustainable hotel development and linking it to future cost reductions makes sustainability a top priority.
Trying to link sustainability with cost reduction, we decided to come up with easy-to-implement ideas that will help existing or newly built hotels form a more environmentally friendly identity. Clearly, we will always explain the corresponding cost-cutting benefits of each hotel proposal. Maintaining a business approach is able to give the right impetus to our next ecological steps, however, we must not forget that respect for the environment is also an equally important reason for the development of more life-friendly accommodation.
Educate on economic and sustainable changes
If you really want to take the first step in saving resources, thus reducing costs, you need to enhance the Environmental Sensitivity of your hotel guests. If you persuade them to consume less energy, you could significantly reduce your costs while protecting the environment and ultimately making your hotel more sustainable and responsible. Given that the hotel and its staff have a "Respect for Nature" attitude, you can encourage guests to use resources only for the amount they really need, contributing to the environmental identity of your hotel. For example, persuading them to skip the day-to-day housekeeping service will not only translate into less water, electricity and chemical detergent consumption but also lower operating costs.
The use of printed material is one of the most traditional ways of communication in the hotel. In fact, most hotels still use them in every part of them: Restaurants, Spas, Rooms, and even Lobbies. In addition, although many hoteliers claim to use recycled paper as part of their eco-friendly character, reducing the number of printed materials will definitely contribute more to shaping the sustainable identity of your hotel. Plus, if you take a look at your annual print expenses over the last two years, you will find that it is a really big investment. Dealing with this environmentally dangerous and expensive habit comes with use of smart devices, such as tablets, for in-room communication and, of course, with the digital signage of common areas. This way, you will not have to print room catalogs, menus and announcements, as there are companies that offer complete solutions and not only provide all the necessary devices but also guide you on how to easily create highly aesthetic content. This type of service will greatly enhance the communication and image of your hotel, as you will get rid of used and often damaged booklets that degrade your guest experience.
Food wastage
Although food waste automatically means both loss of money and environmental costs, hoteliers do not seem to pay enough attention to this issue. Most hotels use outdated ways to organize their F&B departments and pay little attention to the management of leftover food. Although it seems a bit complicated, there are now many companies dealing with Food Waste Management, which, using data on consumption and disposal, can more accurately predict the distribution of resources. Since food is probably the biggest source of money lost in hotels, the proper management of your F&B departments can dramatically increase your profit margin and support your viable identity.
Reducing plastic
After reducing the use of plastic, the next step is to limit the consumption of disposable items, which burden both hoteliers and nature . Of course, we all love small shampoo bottles and, for some, they are an integral part of the hotel experience, but things change and we all need to learn to love our planet more than a small bottle. Hoteliers should also follow this trend, as amenities are one of the largest sources of expenses, in terms of operating hotel equipment. This means that replacing them with soap dispensers will reduce costs by a large amount. And in case you think this is not "luxury" enough, you can always consult Marriot International which aims to eliminate disposable amenities by the end of 2020.