Study Examines Green Hotels

PULLMAN, Wash. — Amidst a growing trend of LEED certification throughout the hospitality industry, a recent study found that major chain hotels like Hyatt, Marriott and Hilton are significantly ahead of independent hotels in adopting green and sustainable operations.

Titled “How ‘green’ are North American hotels?,” and conducted by students at the School of Hospitality Business Management in Pullman, Wash., and published in the International Journal of Hospitality Management, the study concluded that some independent hotels are so far behind chains that they may lose their competitive advantage in attracting customers.

Lead researcher Stefani Svaren found that chains are more likely to use energy-efficient light bulbs and water-saving bathroom fixtures, as well as environmentally preferable cleaning products.

“This is because on both a corporate level and a personal level, if costs and features are competitive, more travelers prefer to stay in a green hotel,” said Mike Sawchuk, vice president of Enviro-Solutions, a Peterborough, Ontario-based manufacturer of green cleaning chemicals and products.

After a sustainability trend kicked off in the 1990s, many major hotel chains realized going green could be both a cost-saving measure and a powerful marketing strategy.

“Some independent hotels, for instance, are reluctant to switch to energy-efficient light bulbs because it can take years for them to see a return on their investment,” Sawchuk said. “However, a large chain may discover cost savings almost immediately.”

The use of green cleaning chemicals is also quite common in larger chains, according to Sawchuk.

“Many of the [chains] we work with are quick to add this fact to their marketing material,” he said. “[They find] consumers believe a green hotel is also a better operated hotel.”