How Responsible Consumption is Transforming the Hotel Experience

Responsible consumption and production is one of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. In hospitality, it can translate into specific practices around water, energy, waste and sourcing. Choosing a hotel that designs the guest experience around well-being, respect for resources and the local environment is a great place to start.

Travelling is all about discovering places, cultures and histories. Hotel operations use resources such as water and energy, and generate waste. Responsible consumption in hospitality can involve managing these resources differently, without sacrificing comfort or enjoyment.

How? By managing resources better: for example by reducing waste or optimising water and energy. It means rethinking catering with a focus on local produce. These practices can contribute to changes in how hotels manage resources.

Hotels are at the heart of the travel experience. They welcome, feed and lodge millions of people every day, which gives them the opportunity to take action across areas such as energy use, water management, waste and food sourcing.

More and more hotels are taking action, by introducing energy-efficiency measures, water-management practices and menus made from seasonal ingredients. These initiatives illustrate some of the ways hotels are changing specific operational practices.

Within the hospitality industry, certification schemes exist which can help you determine whether a hotel meets defined environmental standards. Green Key is an independent certification programme that assesses hotels against defined environmental criteria and includes regular monitoring.

Looking at specific hotel practices when travelling doesn’t have to be restrictive. It can also provide a way to enjoy a more authentic and culturally immersive experience.

Water and energy are precious resources. If water and energy use matter to you, look for hotels that describe the specific practices they have in place. Hotels are increasingly reconsidering the way they manage resources to avoid wastage without compromising on comfort.

Those cards in your room suggesting that you reuse towels and sheets? It’s a small thing to do, but significantly cuts down on water and detergents. Similarly, some hotels automatically adjust room temperatures based on occupancy.

Luxury hotel Fairmont Le Montreux Palace, on the shores of Lake Geneva, uses an innovative air-conditioning system that draws water from the lake to cool rooms before releasing it again. Result: the system reduces the electricity used for air conditioning.*

The hotel has also optimised its lighting, with LED bulbs, motion sensors in corridors, and energy-efficient fixtures. All of which help to save energy without you having to think about it.

Food waste occurs in the hospitality industry. To overcome this, some hotels have partnered with Too Good To Go, an app used to sell leftover food for a fraction of the regular price. Hôtel Mercure Marseille Canebière Vieux-Port uses the platform to sell food remaining on its breakfast buffet at a reduced rate.

Organic waste from Mercure Bordeaux Centre Gare Atlantic's Saint-Jean restaurant is collected and transformed into biofuel and organic compost for local farmers.

Selected single-use plastic items are being phased out at Sofitel Le Scribe Paris Opéra, and Sofitel Paris le Faubourg offers microfiltered water, glass-bottled on their premises.** In the bathroom, single-use toiletries are being ousted in favour of refillable dispensers. These changes have been brought about as people at every level of the tourism industry voice a desire for responsible consumption.

Food is an integral part of discovering a destination. Where verified, look for specific information about ingredient origin, producers or certifications.

Top tip: Changing your travel habits doesn’t mean changing everything. It simply means choosing options based on the specific practices or certifications that matter to you.

A trip is more than simply going somewhere. It's about immersing yourself in a place, understanding the local way of life, traditions and flavours. Taking more time to engage with local culture can lead to deeper insights and more memorable experiences.

The type of transport you choose can become a part of your holiday in its own right. Travelling by train, bike or boat lets you see the area from a different angle, taking in scenery you may otherwise miss. There’s a lot to be said for making trips less about speed and more about discovery.

Another dimension of authentic travel is meeting new people. Rather than ticking off a list of shops and sights, why not get a hands-on immersion at a workshop run by a local artisan? Talk to local growers, discover their expertise, taste specialties straight from the vine or the field. And instantly transform a simple activity into a lasting memory.

Choosing a hotel that describes the specific practices it has in place can mean enjoying a more pleasant environment. Many establishments offer relaxation areas in keeping with their surroundings, or bring greenery into the urban environment. A thriving oasis of lush gardens or a shady planted patio provides an uplifting space to relax and recharge.

In Poland, Mercure Katowice Centrum combines practicality with pleasure: an 18-metre-high planted façade improves the building's insulation, naturally cools the air inside and brings an attractive hub of greenery to the city centre.

Comfort and specific environmental practices can coexist within the hotel experience. Discover wellness such as spa treatments inspired by nature, and enjoy natural materials and soft, soothing lighting in your hotel room. What’s not to love?

Hotels are introducing specific practices across areas such as energy, materials, sourcing and waste. Where relevant, these practices can be supported by independent certification or property-level information, so you can select the options that align with what matters most to you.

* Source: Fairmont Le Montreux Palace

** Source: Sofitel Hotels & Resorts