From Guest Blogger Lillian Connor: An Introduction to Eco-Friendly Hotels

Environmentalism and the green initiative are swiftly taking over the world, with an ever-growing number of people and businesses implementing eco-friendly solutions into their business plans and long-term goals.

The hotel industry is quickly hopping on the green train, in order to attract new customers and increase their brand recognition and approval, as well as cutting their expenses and upkeep. Here are the best ways your hotel(s) can become environmentally friendly, and reap the benefits.

Educate and motivate your staff

Before you make any retrofits to the interior and exterior, you will first have to educate your staff on the benefits or environmentalism and why you are implementing these changes. Not only will this increase the employee work ethic, but it is also important for every person to fully portray the newly established brand voice and image. In order for the employees to pass on the company culture to the guests, they need to understand it themselves.

Start implementing the environmental policy by making a brief for your staff and list every change you are going to implement along with its concise explanation. Next, write down a set of guidelines and rules that will lead the staff through the transition period and improve on their eco-friendly conduct and practices.

Change your cuisine

One of the biggest changes you have to implement when transitioning into a green hotel is in the food you serve. You will have to go organic, which means buying food from local, organic farms. You can also plant an organic garden of your own which can both serve as a pleasant view from the guest rooms but also for serving fresh produce at all times.

Reduce energy waste

Energy waste is one of the biggest problems in our modern times, and hotels are one of the biggest energy consumers in the world. You can battle the negative effects of global warming by implementing a green energy management policy and making changes that will not only benefit the Earth, but your budget as well.

Start by changing up your lighting. Traditional, incandescent lights require a lot of energy and only use 5% of power to produce light while 95% is wasted on heat. Not only is this solution wasting precious energy and increasing the electricity bill, but it also inefficiently illuminates the room because of its poor energy use.

Therefore, you should change the lighting solution into LED lights throughout the hotel. LED lighting is environmentally friendly and a single lightbulb can last for several years, before needing to be replaced. Additionally, LED lighting properly illuminates the room by utilizing 95% of energy for light production and only 5% is wasted on heat. Also, use energy-saving appliances across the board and get rid of ones that waste energy.

Reduce water waste

Water waste is also one of the biggest problems in the modern world, and it is of the utmost importance that you implement a water-saving policy in your hotel if you want to make it truly green. This means reducing water consumption in all areas – management and upkeep as well as the guest rooms.

First, install low-flow showerheads and toilets in the guest rooms, and fix any leakages. Next, implement a smart sprinkler system for your garden and invest in water efficient appliances.

Recycle everything

Implement a strict recycling policy and start by switching up and recycling your old beds and mattresses. New mattresses will cut down your upkeep costs and attract new customers while benefiting the environment. When you’re buying new ones, you’d be best advised to look for the top rated mattresses online to make sure you’ll find those made of natural materials, which will last you for years, if not decades.

Finally, when you’re sending your old mattresses off for recycling, make sure that the handling company is completely recycling the mattresses and not sending any parts to a landfill.

Going eco-friendly is not only a fun and lucrative venture, but it’s also spiritually rewarding. With a few concrete and decisive changes, your hotel can become a beacon of environmentalism in the industry and a favorite accommodation option for thousands of loyal guests.