What essential steps should hotel managers take to improve their ‘green identity’? Sustainability first requires knowledge and education in order to understand the principles of environmental stewardship and the rules of green marketing. The first step is for managers and other staff to be trained in understanding what sustainability means and the opportunities that can be brought to the business.
Although many customers demand sustainability, hotel operators are still concerned about whether sustainability increases or decreases hotel bookings, costs and profitability. Mainstream hoteliers perceive sustainability as a large investment and not worth the extra costs. Hotel managers should make sustainability a key issue in every company and not only as an appendix of the marketing, maintenance or public relations departments. Sustainability must include everyone.
What are the benefits of this approach? Sustainability, leadership and management can improve the company image by sharing values with guests and reducing operating costs. A conscious organization is also a more intelligent company because it empowers its employees and develops more talent from within. Any successful business strategy has to engage the intelligence of the people on the front line operations as much as of those at the top. Conscious Hospitality strives to find those organizations and best practices that deserve to be analyzed and to share those best practices with the rest of the industry.
How well are renewable technologies working in the hospitality sector?
Renewable technologies are working very well in many hotels. Hotels can reduce energy bills by installing different types of renewable technologies, and reduce their carbon footprint. For example, hotels can invest in photovoltaic panels for producing electricity, or buy electricity from green sources.
Geothermal heat pumps which draw heat contained underground can efficiently heat hotels and/or produce hot water. Solar thermal panels are another effective way of heating buildings and water. Biomass energy can be used instead of traditional boilers. Wood-fueled heating systems, also called biomass systems, burn wood pellets, chips or logs to provide warmth or to power central heating and hot water boilers.
Any hotel which is serious about sustainability must strive to continuously improve its environmental key performance indicators and should invest in renewable energies. However, the first job is to reduce energy consumption. This means that hotels have to reduce kWh of electricity, propane or natural gas by implementing many procedures, best practices and investments; LED lighting, photo sensors, thermostats, window and building insulation, a switch off policy. Then comes investing in renewable energies and maybe buying carbon offsets to declare carbon neutrality.
What are the main assets for a successful manager in the hotel industry? Humbleness –balanced with knowledge and skills– are essential. A person who has confidence in his or her abilities but at the same time is able to listen to others and use learning as a continuous professional journey. A humble person is more able to adapt to changes and to inspire other people. They also need to enhance their employees ‘strengths so their weaknesses are irrelevant.
Having passion and optimism for what you are doing are key assets. One person can be optimist and realistic at the same time. A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
About Conscious Hospitality
Conscious Hospitality is an Educational Consultancy Company with the purpose of providing Educational Seminars and Programs in Leadership, Management and Sustainability in the Hospitality Industry. Its mission is to train in managerial and leadership skills the Conscious Managers of today and
tomorrow.
