The aim of hotels is to appeal to as many guests as possible. Whatever their size, hotels must reinvent themselves by adapting to their requirements, while taking into account social and environmental developments.
Given that energy consumption in hotels has increased from 25 to 30% over the last decade, the hotel sector needs to innovate to develop new products or services that take into account the environment while improving their business.
The integration of new players will allow hotels to reinvent themselves.
In particular, startups are a driver of innovation, giving hoteliers the opportunity to improve their offerings and innovate at all levels. Challenging the status quo and openness to innovation are essential and paramount for hoteliers.
Responsible approaches driven by the big players in the sector
To sustain and develop their business, hotels need to be innovative in order to differentiate themselves from competitors and adapt to the expectations of tourists.
Following customer requests, the hotel Hilton Bankside London opened the first vegan hotel suite in February 2019. An innovative concept created by guest experience experts. The entire suite has been reinvented by combining environmentally friendly materials with luxury and comfort. For example, the leather is made from pineapple cellulose, and the bath and bed linens are made from bamboo fibres. This concept meets the expectations of ethically minded travellers.
The Accor Group has also created ephemeral and nomadic accommodation with maritime containers converted into hotel rooms. Their objective is twofold: to provide guests with unique holiday experiences while protecting the environmental chain.
In keeping with its eco-responsible approach, the Group has launched a programme entitled "The Group's Environment".Planet 21".
It consists of evaluating each of its hotels according to various criteria such as the use of eco-labelled products, local sourcing and energy consumption trends.
The hotel industry, a forerunner in social and environmental trends
According to the Equip'hotel trade show, the ecology and functional aspect of hotels will be a selection criterion for their customers in the near future. It is therefore important to communicate on the practices implemented.
Environmental labelling is one example. It allows hotels to clearly display the ecological impact of a night spent in their establishment.
This practice helps to guide consumer choices and encourage manufacturers to make eco-design efforts.
To sort hotels and guide travellers, some travel websites highlight eco-friendly establishments using filters. Booking, for example, indicates the proximity of hotels to charging points for electric vehicles.
According to an Accor study, 2/3 of customers are willing to pay more for responsible destinations.
Indeed, the budget allocated to eco-tourism travel has increased by 23% in the last two years: travellers are looking for sustainable tourism offering new experiences.
New, even more responsible materials
The trend is therefore towards concepts with the use of new, more environmentally friendly materials, which take into account the entire value chain.
One of the most used ecological materials is bamboo.
This is because the grass grows without the use of water, fertiliser or pesticides.
Growing bamboo is good for the planet. This 'fashionable' material can be used to make all kinds of products that are practical and durable, while adding a touch of style. Among the 1500 species of bamboo listed, some are used to build houses or bridges while others are ideal for making textiles.
In order to support hoteliers in this ecological shift, Comptoir du Bambou offers bamboo bath linens designed for hotels.
The brand is revolutionising hotel linen with an innovative offer that takes into account quality, comfort and the environment to enable professionals to improve their business, saving money while improving the customer experience. One of the best species of bamboo has been selected to create a bath linen that is 2 to 3 times more resistant, more practical to maintain and more comfortable.
Comptoir du Bambou also helps its customers to convey an eco-friendly image in their rooms thanks to trendy bamboo communication materials.
Guillaume Clément, Freelance journalist