Operto Hotel Sustainability Report Uncovers 4 Key Consumer Trends that are Also Good for Business

Operto Guest Technologies, a provider of property automation and IoT control systems for the hotel, vacation and short-term rental industries, has released a report, “Sustainable Hotels: How Going Green Helps Your Hotel”, highlighting the most important data trends in sustainability for guests over the coming year. The findings show that small but significant changes to hotel management practices can have a big impact on operations - reducing plastic, saving energy and water, boosting revenue and increasing guest satisfaction.  

4 key data trends for sustainability in hotels:

• 1) Going green saves plastic: 64% of respondents said they were most worried by single-use plastic, such as keycards, cutlery, and disposable water bottles. Modern, keyless check-in, as offered by Operto, eliminates keycards helping to create a plastic-free hotel and making life easier for guests. 

• 2) Going green saves energy and water: one in five surveyed was most worried about energy and temperature waste during a hotel stay. Savvy hotels can connect their management systems to energy-saving smart devices that can be turned down or off remotely or when not in use. 

• 3) Going green boosts revenue: 86% said they would pay more for an eco-friendly choice of hotels and guests will pay up to 75% more to stay in a green hotel. Revenue can be positively affected by sustainability practices on an ADR basis.

• 4) Going green increases bookings: 53% said they check for eco-friendliness as a bonus. Green credentials are attractive to the travelers of today and tomorrow.

Operto CEO, Steve Davis, commented: “The pandemic has created new ways of doing business that stand to benefit both the broader economy and the environment. “Smart” businesses are looking at their business models, budgets, and future plans, with an eye to serving younger generations that demand a shift to green alternatives.”

The report demonstrates that hotel guests want to see evidence of more sustainable practices, for example a plastic-free, keyless check-in; modern energy-saving devices; local, planet-friendly policies that make a positive difference to the environment.

One of the respondents, Andre Robles, Managing Director at South America travel specialists Voyagers Travel Company, said that guests now ask for eco-friendly options as a matter of course: “Guests already expect all properties we choose for them to be eco-friendly. If a property has bad practices, then no matter how much money they can save, they will not stay there.” Wilko van de Kamp, an author and advisor at Wilko.ca, said: “I would pay 76-100% more for an eco-friendly choice; quite a bit more.”

Operto’s smart technology solutions are currently being used by vacation rentals, serviced apartments, boutique hotels and niche accommodations across North America, Europe, Australia/NZ, Asia and Africa.

Download the report here: “Sustainable Hotels: How Going Green Helps Your Hotel”