Sustainability Trends in Hospitality: Strategies and Examples

Climate change is driving the world’s agenda. Business leaders everywhere are wrestling with how to respond to rising public and political pressure and align their systems and operations with the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement, established to keep global warming below 2°C and ideally 1.5°C. None more so than for hotels, that means implementing sustainable hospitality strategies to reduce their emissions by 90 percent by 2050.

Sustainability is no longer an optional consideration for the hospitality industry—it is a business imperative. With buildings accounting for 1% of global carbon emissions and hotels producing significantly more energy usage than other types of structures, the call for sustainable practices in hospitality has never been louder. According to Booking.com, 83% of travelers believe sustainable travel is essential, and the demand for eco-friendly hospitality is growing dramatically.

This article explores the importance of sustainability in the hospitality industry, showcases real-life examples of sustainable practices in action, and highlights key trends and strategies hotels with a sustainability mindset can adopt to meet the consumer demand.

The Importance of Sustainability and CSR for Businesses

Sustainability is key for businesses seeking longevity, a positive reputation, and upholding the values of corporate social environmental responsibility. By adopting sustainable practices, organizations can show their commitment to responsibility while benefiting from waste reduction and cost savings.

A study by Just Capital— an outlet that ranks U.S. companies on issues such as fair pay, equal treatment and ecological impact—found that companies that outperform their competitors on environmental indicators enjoy a median return-on-equity that is three percent higher than that of their counterparts. In other words, sustainable management pays—both in terms of efficiency as well as brand loyalty and employee retention.

Why Sustainability Matters in Hospitality

Along with hotels, the transportation and F&B industries are all major contributors to carbon emissions, which lead to climate change.

That’s why it’s essential that hotel managers find ways to keep on top of sustainability trends in the hospitality industry —not only because it’s a moral imperative but it makes good business sense.

Today’s—and tomorrow’s—workers and travelers are among the most powerful and influential consumers ever, and increasingly, they are supporting companies that are purpose-driven. In fact, to meet this growing business focus, there is a growing number of sustainability-focused hospitality career paths.

Not only do millennials tend to seek out sustainable travel and dining options, but a survey by the Governance and Accountability Institute found that 40% of millennial respondents chose their employer because of their sustainability performance. And 70% of millennials are more likely to stay with a company with a strong environmental reputation and policy.

No matter the scale of the operation, managers can adopt a number of approaches—many of them inexpensive and accessible—to make sustainability practices a key aspect of their brand’s management practices as well as overall ethos. From building design to recycling to reducing food waste, hospitality managers can systematically begin to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and help to achieve the Paris agreement objectives.

Sustainability Strategies for Hotels and Hospitality Businesses

In any hotel, the areas with the most environmental impact are water, waste and energy use. Here are three sustainable practices making an impact on the hospitality industry. The long-term goal should be to embed sustainability into business models and transition toward more circular practices.

Reducing Consumption

To cut water, waste, and energy use, hotels must embed sustainability into daily operations. Smart tech like AI energy management and water recycling optimizes resources, while local sourcing reduces waste. These circular practices boost efficiency and sustainability.

Data-driven strategies enhance these efforts. IoT tracking helps monitor consumption and spot inefficiencies. Guest engagement through energy-use feedback and green certifications strengthens impact. By adopting these practices, hotels can achieve sustainability while staying profitable.

Let’s take a deeper look at the different ways to reduce consumption.

Energy Efficiency

Energy use is a major part of a hotel’s carbon footprint, making efficiency upgrades essential. Replacing in-room mini-fridges and coffee machines with communal amenities reduces electricity waste. Simple changes like LED lighting, motion-sensor controls, and automated energy management systems help cut unnecessary energy use while maintaining guest comfort.

Larger investments, such as improved insulation, smart HVAC systems, and renewable energy sources, offer long-term savings. These upgrades typically pay for themselves within three years and reduce energy use by 5% to 15%. Prioritizing efficiency lowers costs, cuts emissions, and attracts eco-conscious travelers.

Water Conservation

Hotels can cut water waste with simple upgrades like low-flow fixtures, reduced shower pressure, and leak-detection systems. Rainwater harvesting supports landscaping, while smart irrigation prevents overuse. Laundry efficiency—through towel reuse programs and high-efficiency machines—also plays a key role.

These measures have a big impact. Water-efficient bathrooms alone can cut use by 15%, lowering costs and reducing environmental impact. Encouraging guests to reuse towels and take shorter showers further improves savings. Training staff to spot and fix inefficiencies ensures water conservation remains a long-term practice.

Food Waste

Food service plays a crucial role in reducing waste and improving efficiency. With food production being the single largest driver of deforestation, biodiversity loss, and water extraction, the need for sustainable practices has never been greater. Yet, a third of all food produced globally still goes to waste, depleting valuable resources for no good reason.

Hoteliers can drive positive change by growing food onsite, sourcing locally, minimizing plate waste, and expanding plant-based offerings. Innovative solutions, such as those by British firm Olleco— which collects food waste from restaurants and hotels to convert into biofuel—demonstrate the environmental impact of strategic waste management.

Effective food waste management in hospitality also relies on strong partnerships between foodservice providers, businesses, non-profits, and institutions. By fostering collaboration and innovation, the industry can accelerate the adoption of sustainable

Prompting Sustainable Guest Practices

Motivating guests to adopt sustainable habits is most effective when hotel spaces and services are designed to make eco-friendly practices effortless—or even automatic.

Equally important is ensuring these changes enhance, rather than detract from, the guest experience. For instance, when eliminating single-use plastics, invest in high-quality, effective alternatives that meet or exceed the functionality of plastic.

Simple adjustments, such as providing in-room recycling bins and clearly communicating towel and bed linen policies to minimize laundry, can also make a significant impact without compromising comfort or convenience.

This shift also underscores the lasting impact the industry can have:

Use of Technology

While the digital revolution has been disrupting the industry for a number of years, the COVID pandemic swiftly accelerated progress. Contactless check-ins, keyless room entry, and guest messaging platforms are no longer health essentials— but they have become a preferred choice for guests who value a seamless, hassle-free experience.

Online apps offer guests a seamless way to order room service, book spa treatments, and make concierge requests, enhancing convenience. Beyond efficiency, hotel technology plays a key role in sustainability by reducing paper and plastic waste, automating energy-saving measures like turning off appliances when rooms are unoccupied, and allowing guests to request towels and linens only when needed. A report found that a single hotel guest generates about two pounds of waste per night, with paper, plastic, and cardboard making up half of it—highlighting the impact of digital solutions in reducing unnecessary waste.

Switching to a digital guest room tablet can produce immediate benefits, eliminating the need for paper menus, flyers, and in-room directories. Hilton uses a high-tech system called Connected Room that enables guests to personalize and control every aspect of their stay from their smart phones. That means controlling energy use, for example, so that when guests aren’t physically in their rooms – typically around 70% of the time – hotels can power down their lights, televisions, heating and air conditioning, dramatically reducing energy consumption.

Measure & Manage

Implementing sustainability trends in hotels requires measurement to understand their impact and establish a continuous improvement plan. Tracking consumption data helps identify inefficiencies, set goals, and refine strategies over time.

Mobile technology also enables hotel staff to engage guests in sustainability initiatives. For example, real-time monitoring and reporting solutions allow guests to measure their water use and thus encourage users to reduce their consumption.

As management tools, digital platforms like fluttrfluttr and Con-Serve created by the Considerate Group, for example, helps hotels understand, measure and manage their energy consumption, helping to reduce electricity, water and fossil fuel use—and CO2 emissions. As the maxim goes: What gets measured gets managed.

Examples of Sustainable Hotel Management in Action

Many leading hospitality brands have already embraced innovative solutions to embed sustainability into their operations. No matter where a hotel is in its sustainability journey, it’s useful to take guidance and inspiration from those that have embedded sustainably squarely into their DNA.

The challenge is that sustainability is often associated with sacrifice, but it doesn’t have to be that way. Sustainability can be implemented without sacrificing quality, even in the luxury segmentFriederike Grupp, Head of Sustainability of Hotelplan Group

The following list of hospitality businesses demonstrates that sustainability and luxury can work together harmoniously.

Meliá Hotels International

The SAM Corporate Sustainability Assessment ranked the world’s most sustainable hotel chains, with Spain-based Meliá Hotels International earning top marks in key categories like Climate Action, Transparency & Reporting, and Human Rights.

Meliá also became the first international hotel chain to leverage environmental blockchain technology to offset its carbon footprint. Through a partnership with Spanish carbon offsetting company Climatetrade, guests can use credits to support climate change action projects “which help develop, protect and conserve natural ecosystems “.

1 Hotels

U.S. boutique hotel chain, 1 Hotels prioritizes sustainability from the ground up, incorporating eco-conscious design with responsibly sourced materials like reclaimed wood. Their commitment extends to food and beverage operations, which emphasize seasonal and local ingredients to reduce environmental impact.

Beyond design and dining, 1 Hotels fosters a culture of sustainability by encouraging both staff and guests to participate in eco-friendly practices. Initiatives like in-room recycling, energy-efficient lighting, and partnerships with environmental organizations reinforce their mission to create luxury experiences with a lighter footprint.

Hotel Hermitage Monte Carlo

Hotel Hermitage Monte Carlo, a luxury hotel, has implemented key sustainability initiatives that set it apart. It participates in the Smart Plus project with SMEG to optimize energy consumption, installing automated lighting, low-energy elevators, and LED bulbs throughout the property. A greywater treatment system allows the hotel to reuse 60% of wastewater for irrigation and toilet flushing, significantly reducing water waste.

The 5-star hotel also promotes biodiversity through its Terre de Monaco partnership, supplying fresh organic produce for its restaurant. These efforts have earned it recognition in sustainable tourism, proving that luxury and eco-conscious practices can go hand in hand.

1893 Restaurant

Our very own 1893 Restaurant at EHL Campus Lausanne epitomizes sustainable dining by seamlessly integrating eco-conscious practices into its operations. The restaurant sources fresh, seasonal produce from its on-campus permaculture-inspired garden and organic orchard, reducing transportation emissions and supporting local biodiversity. This commitment to local sourcing not only ensures high-quality ingredients but also fosters a deeper connection between diners and the environment.

In collaboration with startups like KITRO, 1893 tackles food waste using AI-powered solutions to monitor and reduce excess. The restaurant also minimizes its environmental footprint by implementing energy-saving measures and replacing single-use plastics with sustainable alternatives. Through these efforts, 1893 Restaurant not only offers exquisite bistronomic cuisine but also sets a standard for sustainable dining in the hospitality industry.

A Call to Action for Hospitality Leaders

The hospitality industry holds the potential to lead the charge in addressing environmental challenges. By embedding sustainability within core practices, businesses can unlock numerous benefits—reduced costs, increased guest loyalty, and a lasting legacy as eco-conscious trailblazers.

Whether you’re retrofitting an existing property or building from scratch, the time to start your sustainability transformation is now.

Together, we can redefine hospitality—one sustainable step at a time.