Working towards a more sustainable world is everyone’s responsibility. In this text, we will discuss how the hospitality market can actively contribute to this goal with sustainable hospitality.

By adopting more sustainable practices and effectively communicating them to their customers and shareholders, hotels can not only reduce their long-term costs but also gain a foothold in the growing sustainable tourism market, thus becoming agents of change.

Tourists are increasingly interested and concerned about their impact on the world and, consequently, the impact that the places they visit have on the world. The demand for hotels and services that respect and value both natural resources and social responsibility is on the rise.

5 steps to a Sustainable hospitality

Here, we will list 5 steps to be followed by hotels, lodges, and small businesses in the hospitality industry that want to initiate this process to become more sustainable.

1. Energy saving

• Acquire energy-efficient appliances;
• Use more efficient and economical light bulbs;
• Have presence sensors in public areas and accommodations so that when the area is not in use, there is no energy wastage;
• Implement an energy consumption monitoring system. It will be a great tool to help you with focused planning to reduce energy consumption.

2. Water saving

• Develop a program to reduce the use of towels and sheets, thus reducing the demand for washing;
• Use faucets with reduced flow;
• Consider using dual-flush mechanisms in toilets, releasing only the necessary amount of water;
• Reuse pool water;
• Have an efficient irrigation system that waters plants during periods of low sunlight;
• Implement a rainwater harvesting system for irrigation purposes in gardens and others.

3. Recycling

• Properly separate waste for recycling: paper, glass, plastic, and metal. Batteries, light bulbs, and electronic devices;
• Dispose of used kitchen oil in an appropriate location.

4. Work with the local community

• Partner with local suppliers and brands aligned with sustainable goals;
• Purchase locally produced food;
• Conduct campaigns to donate camping gear, furniture, and amenities to local institutions;
• Sponsor local events, promoting the city and, consequently, your business and sustainable policy;
• Work together with local organizations linked to environmental preservation.

5. Engage your customers

• Communicate your sustainable practices to your customers in a simple and clear manner to encourage them to actively participate while staying at your establishment;
• Provide your customers with the opportunity to recycle waste generated by them. If they are presented with this option, they will certainly be happy to participate;
• A self-service check-in system is a great idea that is already being implemented in various hotels around the world. This system not only significantly reduces bureaucracy during registration and payment but also reduces stress and the huge amount of paper normally used in this process.

In conclusion, let’s take a look at 3 hotels in Brazil that are very aligned with sustainability and social responsibility principles, which can inspire other businesses and show us that it is possible to combine sustainability, comfort, profit, and prosperity in your business:

A) Banana Bamboo (Ubatuba – SP)

The Banana Bamboo Ecolodge is located between Ubatuba in São Paulo and Paraty in Rio de Janeiro. They have a wonderful space integrated with nature, surrounded by lots of greenery, waterfalls, and paradisiacal beaches. It’s definitely worth taking a look. In addition to all this beauty, they have several sustainable practices that are worth mentioning. Bio-pool, Ecogastronomy, Bioconstruction, use of solar energy, water collection and treatment, agroforestry, and waste management are some of the initiatives they have that can serve as inspiration for other hotels.

B) Cambará Eco Hotel (Cambará do Sul – RS)

The Cambará Eco Hotel is located in the Campos de Cima da Serra in Cambará do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul. Environmental preservation and restoration are fundamental pillars for this establishment, which values the harmonious integration between rural and urban activities.

The hotel is included in the B Companies list, and has also won two important sustainability awards at the national level: the Braztoa Sustainability in Hospitality Award and the Top Brazil Sustainability Award 2016/2017.

They have several wonderful sustainable initiatives, here are just a few of them: organic waste reuse as compost, use of solar energy, use of biodegradable amenities in the rooms, rainwater harvesting, among others. It’s worth taking a look at their website to understand the extent of importance they give to sustainability.

C) Hotel Rosa dos Ventos (Teresópolis- RJ)

The Hotel Rosa dos Ventos is located in the mountainous region of Rio de Janeiro in Teresópolis. The hotel boasts 40 apartments with stunning views of the valley, lakes, park, and gardens of the property.

The hotel has an extensive list of sustainable practices they adopt: “sustainability practices adopted at Hotel Rosa dos Ventos aimed at spreading among its guests, visitors including the hotel’s website, neighbors, and the local community, good environmental practices that can be adopted by all.”

Among these various initiatives are thermal insulation of roofs, use of solar panels for pool heating, air drying of clothes, flow regulators in room showers, destination of used vegetable oil for soap production, use of timers and motion sensors for social areas, and many others.

I’m delighted to see hotels in Brazil truly being responsible and active in adopting sustainable practices, valuing the harmony between guests and nature and setting an example for other establishments to do the same.

As a hotel owner, you can use these steps as a basis and put them into practice. As a consumer, you can always choose to stay in places that genuinely care about sustainability, are socially responsible, and prioritize the well-being of all. This choice is in our hands, and by seeing these 3 hotels mentioned here, we can see that it is indeed possible to combine comfort, well-being, and sustainability in one place.

If you know of any place that follows some of these sustainable practices mentioned here, share it with us. Who knows, on your next trip, they might be an option.