Hotels Creating New Experiences Through Sustainability

A recent trend among travelers has been the desire to give their business to sustainable hotels. Particularly among millennials, a group which studies have shown tend to focus more on sustainable practices, including how they travel.

Thus, hotels are adapting. Pronouncing their sustainable initiatives has become a selling point among businesses in the hospitality industry. This comes in many ways, shapes and forms from energy use to the way food is consumed on the premises.

The @SvartHotel by @snohetta is billed as the world’s first energy-positive hotel and will set a new standard in sustainable travel 👍 https://t.co/KdHNie5xKn via @mental_floss #Norway #Svartisen #architecture #sustainability #hotels #greentravel @Northern_Norway @INreiseliv pic.twitter.com/WFM2KkcHdP
— Elusive Moose (@elusive_moose) August 19, 2018

The Six Senses Duoro Valley in Portugal recently received an award for its sustainability. The resort claims to focus on both environmental and social sustainability.

“Six Senses mineralized water is produced on-site so as to reduce the carbon footprint associated with packaging and transporting quality water. We are establishing an organic vegetable garden, composting and a curing center for meat and fish,” the hotel says.

Virtuoso award for Sustainable Tourism Leadership – Hotel goes to Six Senses Douro Valley | @SSDouroValley #VirtuosoTravel pic.twitter.com/GislxCW45X
— Virtuoso Travel (@Virtuoso) August 16, 2018

This week a Hilton brand Hotel in Oman received a Green Globe award, a designation that certifies hotels on grounds of sustainability. The hotel made strides by cutting its incandescent light bulb use by 70 percent, replacing them with LED fixtures. Timers also shut off the lights if no movement is detected for a set period of time.

The resort has also implemented better gardening practices along with water-saving procedures.

We are going green around the 🌍, especially at @HiltonSalalah! Thanks to energy-saving methods, waste management practices & sustainable landscaping, this hotel has earned Green Globe. #wearehilton https://t.co/StlW2dBwLC pic.twitter.com/cMfZtKOEqH
— Kathryn Gin (@MommaG1970) August 18, 2018

Costa Rica’s Olas Verdes Hotel became the nation’s first to garner a LEED Platinum certification from the United States Green Building Council.

It did so by becoming water efficient, a significant accomplishment for a resort in a country that is dry for almost six months of the year, including popular tourism months. The hotel made sure to keep a neighboring wildlife refuge intact and made sure not to build within 200 meters of the high tide line, minimizing storm runoff into a local creek.

Olas Verdes, a 17-suite boutique #hotel in #CostaRica, is the first #LEED Platinum hotel in the country. Nestled among Jobo trees, the 5-bldg campus serves as a model for sustainable building + social equity. Read more in this issue of #USGBCplus: https://t.co/tdTG7AoNVs pic.twitter.com/20pjbQTOeN
— USGBC (@USGBC) August 4, 2018

Increasingly, hotels are immersing themselves into natural environments. Uppgrenna Naturhus in Sweden is an example of a hotel that brands its experience as one that connects guests to nature.

“Environment and environmental considerations are important to us. Both in terms of business and housing, our aim is to leave as little footprint as possible, enriching instead of contaminating, cooperating instead of countering,” the hotel says.

Uppgrenna Naturhus is a sustainable meeting point by the shores of lake Vättern. It offers conference and event services, a hotel room and a café, and aims to provide a holistic experience that doesn’t interfere with the surrounding nature. pic.twitter.com/OO7e6CqcNT
— Sweden.se (@swedense) July 18, 2018

Sustainability does not have to include a massive energy saving undertaking. Steps like responsible raising of bees by this London Hilton location are helping the environment and potentially cutting operating costs.

The hives @HiltonBankside are a showcase for sustainable beekeeping in London. This enlightened hotel made huge forage provision for its bees, funded a local greening charity and holds bee/honey events for its staff. It’s the way forward! (It makes great honey, too, by the way!) pic.twitter.com/A7FoNX66CH
— Dale Gibson (@BermondseyBees) June 22, 2018

New hotel projects are seeking out better materials starting with the design phase. This Italian hotel sought out specific types of lumber that would give it the appearance it wanted but also a sustainable build.

This hotel uses local sustainable materials like larch wood, linen and natural stone https://t.co/jKb23YrVTz pic.twitter.com/Fiv4O65Qtx
— Architizer (@Architizer) April 6, 2017