Is the hospitality sector ready to bite the green bullet?

The Hospitality People Group recently published a briefing with Denis Sorin, CEO of Mangalis Management Group; Margaret McMahon, Managing Director of Wimberly Interiors; Amine Moukarzel, President of Golden Tulip Hotels; and Russel Sharpe, COO in the Hotel Division of Landmark Hospitality. The briefing highlights various topics relevant to the hospitality sector including sustainable development, sustainable design and how to seek out profits through sustainability.

Denis Sorin believes that environmental responsibility is not implemented well enough in the hospitality industry, and that this is a mistake that should concern hoteliers. Sorin points out that a green hotel lowers operational costs in the long run, largely due to energy efficiency and reuse, and we share Sorin’s hope that developers are beginning to embrace these beliefs as well.

Amine Moukarzel understands that the sector as a whole must develop the human side to properly incorporate sustainability. While not all hoteliers are interested in bringing sustainability to the forefront, Margaret McMahon points out that younger professionals have a deeper passion for the environment, which will lend itself to a much greener industry in the future.

Russel Sharpe summarized the industry’s general relationship with sustainability when he stated: “As hotels, we don’t look at that. To us, it’s very important to take the quickest route to customer satisfaction and we don’t necessarily educate the customer. So, when we look at building a hotel, for example, we will cut those corners because it will give us a quicker ROI. Or we might say the customer is requesting it, so we will give it to them. We need to really bite the bullet.”

There is always room for improvement, but it is encouraging to see the environmental awareness – and level of action – across the hospitality sector increasing. To watch the briefings in full, please click here.

Are you concerned about the future of sustainable hospitality? Let us know your thoughts on Twitter at @RefinishTouch.