Frequently Asked Questions

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We’ve compiled a list of questions we often get asked by hoteliers, students and others in the hospitality industry.

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284 action steps you can take NOW to become a sustainable hotel

What's the definition of sustainability?

While you probably know a decent amount about sustainability, it's okay if you don't know exactly how to define it. The most-used definition of sustainability dates back to 1987 when the World Commission on Environment and Development (WCED) published the "Our Common Future" report, better known nowadays as the "Brundtland Report." In this report, sustainable development is defined as:

Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

What is a sustainable hotel?

A sustainable hotel is a hotel that strives to promote sustainable development through its business practices. While many use it interchangeably with the term “green hotel,” a sustainable hotel takes on a more holistic approach to sustainability – addressing its three core pillars: social sustainability (People), environmental sustainability (Planet) and economic sustainability (Profit).

See how sustainable your hotel is by taking the free Hotel Sustainability Assessment.

Why do hotels need to be sustainable?

Not only is sustainability good for People and Planet, it’s good for business too! Here are some benefits to having a sustainable hotel:

Gain customer appeal
Generate customer loyalty
Save costs & realise efficiencies
Better navigate turbulent times
Attract investment
Inspire & benefit stakeholders
Create a better future

What are the 4 types of sustainability?

People - Social Sustainability: The impact your hotel has on People, including your guests, employees, partners and local community members. At the cornerstone of social sustainability is protecting human rights, addressing issues that affect your People, and uplifting and empowering them.

Planet - Environmental Sustainability: The impact your hotel has on the Planet, ensuring that you protect the world's ecosystems and conserve natural resources for the health and wellbeing of all - now and in the future.

Profit - Economic Sustainability: The impact your hotel has on economic growth, without negatively impacting the social and environmental aspects of the community – while driving profitability for your hotel.

Purpose: While it’s not officially one of the pillars of sustainability, Purpose stands at the core of MAp’s sustainability framework. The definition is simple: Purpose is the WHY that drives you to do what you do – and love it!

How can you make a hotel more sustainable?

To make your hotel more sustainable, you simply must recognise the importance of sustainability and be committed to improving your hotel's social, environmental and economic impact. The most important step is to start! Keep in mind that progress - not perfection - is key, and small actions can make a big impact.

And to help you get started on your sustainability journey, visit our shop.

Why is sustainability so expensive?

While sustainability can be expensive in the short-term as your hotel makes investments in new technology, equipment and upgrades that decrease your carbon footprint, it pays off. By adopting sustainable practices, you realise efficiencies and cost savings over the long-term thanks to reduced water and energy consumption, smarter buying habits and more.

Not to mention, many sustainable practices cost no money at all! So don’t let money deter you from becoming a more sustainable hotel - small actions can make a big impact.

Why is everybody talking about sustainability right now?

Travellers are increasingly more conscious of their impact. According to Booking.com, 83% think sustainable travel is important and 61% say they want to travel more sustainably. And COVID-19 has only made People more mindful of the way in which they interact with the world.

That said, in order to ensure we provide a healthy Planet for future generations, we need to take action now – making sustainability a moral imperative for all.

What is sustainability in the hospitality industry?

For the hospitality industry, there’s only one way #onwards into the future – and that’s with sustainability!

It’s those hotels (and other hospitality businesses) that strive to create a positive impact in this world by promoting sustainable development through their business practices, known as sustainable hotels. While many refer to them incorrectly as “green hotels,” sustainable hotels take on a more holistic approach to sustainability – addressing its three core pillars: social sustainability (People), environmental sustainability (Planet) and economic sustainability (Profit). Check our answer above to learn what a green hotel is!

And why is sustainability important for the hospitality industry? Let us share the ways:

Not only is the hospitality (and tourism) industry THE People industry, it is also one of the largest industries in the world, employing 1 in 10 People globally.
it is deeply intertwined with local communities and natural environments. Hotels depend on stable communities and healthy ecosystems, because after all, what else do you have to offer your guests if your destination and its People are in trouble?
With the state of our world, there is a moral and ethical imperative to provide future generations with a healthy Planet.

If you have a hotel, then it’s time to join the journey to impact!

See how sustainable your hotel is by taking the Hotel Sustainability Assessment and access helpful resources by visiting the shop page.

What is a green hotel / What is an eco hotel?

What makes a hotel green? A green hotel, or eco-friendly hotel, focuses on environmental sustainability and strives to reduce its environmental impact. It employs a number of activities to do so, such as reducing its carbon emissions, water usage, waste, as well as being mindful of the impact its food, design, products & supplies, etc., have on the world.

The fact of the matter is: it’s great to be green. But it’s even better to be sustainable in a holistic sense, creating a better future for Planet and People!

Create a green hotel with the help of our Planet handbook.

Why are hotels going green? And what green practices are in the hotel industry?

Besides the fact that there’s no Plan(et) B, there is a strong business case for green hotel practices. A significant amount of energy and water in hotels is wasted, and wherever inefficiencies happen, we know underperformance does too. By implementing green measures, hotels realise efficiencies and cost savings that increase overall hotel profitability!

Green practices in the hotel industry cover a number of important areas:

Energy: Drawing from renewable energy sources and using energy more wisely.
Waste: Aiming to achieve zero waste by reducing, and ultimately, eliminating landfill garbage entirely.
Food: Being mindful of how hotels get their food and the food they serve (organic, local, seasonal).
Water: Minimising water consumption wherever possible.
Eco-design + development: Incorporating sustainability into the planning, building and running of hotel buildings.

Green practices don’t need to be expensive to implement, sometimes it’s just a matter of employing a common-sense approach. Have you ever thought to check for leaky faucets or change the temperature settings on your HVAC systems, for example? Such small actions can make a bit impact!

Create a green hotel with the help of our Planet handbook.

What are examples of green hotels?

We’ve got loads of favourite green hotels, and you can find them in The Sustainable Hotel Handbook: Planet! Check out some of our favourites below:

Koncept Hotels = an innovative hotel group with hotels that are digital, fair and local.
Locanda Mistral = a small, family-run hotel that protects and promotes the untouched nature of Valle Maira, Italy.

Why do we love these hotels? Because they’re committed to lowering their carbon footprint, preserving our natural surroundings and leaving this Planet better off for future generations.

What are sustainability ideas for hotels?

Our sustainability ideas can be grouped into three important pillars:

People: Treat your People well and uplift/empower them – including guests, employees, partners and local community members.
Planet: Use resources more efficiently, eliminate waste and minimise your carbon footprint, taking into account energy, waste, food, water, and eco-design.
Profit: Exchange your bottom line with Triple Bottom Line, ensuring all management and operational decisions are made in line with the environment, society and profitability.

Check out The Sustainable Hotel Handbook - Collection for a comprehensive list of all of MAp’s sustainability ideas.

What is The Sustainable Hotel?

The Sustainable Hotel is a one-stop-shop for all things hotel sustainability, built for hoteliers, investors, consultants, organisations, universities, students, etc. seeking to understand hotel sustainability and implement it into their work. On our hotel sustainability platform, you’ll find FREE tools and resources, handbooks, checklists and guides to make this Planet a more purposeful and hospitable place for all.

For whom are The Sustainable Hotel Handbooks?

We created The Sustainable Hotel Handbooks for anyone working in the hospitality industry, whether you own a hotel, work at a hotel, want to work at a hotel, or work with hotels :-) That’s right, they exist for hoteliers, sustainability managers, students, DMOs, consultants and more – anyone interested in learning more about hotel sustainability and how it fits into their work.

Which handbook is the right one for me?

We have four handbooks in The Sustainable Hotel Handbook – Collection: Purpose, People, Planet, Profit. To learn which one is the right one for you, we recommend taking the Hotel Sustainability Assessment to see how your hotel stacks up when it comes to each P.

When I buy one of your products, can I get also personal hotel consulting and support?

How can DMOs benefit from The Sustainable Hotel?

With our full suite of hotel sustainability handbooks, guides, checklists, tools and resources, we’ve got everything you need to support your member hotels in becoming more sustainable. We can even tailor them to your specific destination!

We also provide workshops, coachings and trainings for DMOs. Contact us directly to learn more about how we can best support you.

How can universities benefit from The Sustainable Hotel?

Our tools and resources are packed with insights for students interested in learning about hotel sustainability, whether it’s for their studies or writing their theses. In fact, The Sustainable Hotel Handbook – Collection is one of the few resources out there on the subject of hotel sustainability, and it’s available in digital and print formats for easy distribution.

Join other universities in giving your students the comprehensive knowledge and insights they need to succeed in today’s hospitality industry and create more impact for the future. Contact us directly to learn more.

Who is MAp Boutique Consultancy?

MAp is a B Corp-certified boutique hotel consultancy that is shaping the future of the hospitality industry through innovative and sustainable hotels. MAp empowers independent and boutique hoteliers, hospitality brands and investors on their journeys to creating hotels that make a positive impact and stand out on the MAp.

Learn more about our approach.

What is MAp’s Purpose?

To make our Planet a more purposeful and hospitable place.

What services do you offer for hotels?

MAp Boutique Consultancy has been providing consulting services to boutique and independent hotel clients since 2014.

We provide consulting services in the following areas of expertise:

Hotel Concepts – developing innovative and sustainable hotels
Hotel Branding – creating stylish, unique hotel brands and re-positioning existing ones
Hotel Marketing – mapping out sales + marketing strategies that increase growth
Hotel Sustainability – guiding hotels on their sustainability journeys

Get in touch with our team to learn what services are the best fit for your hotel!

Why are you B-Corp certified?

In 2020, we made a conscious decision with our rebrand to become more purpose-driven. Our steadfast motivation is to create purposeful hotels, businesses and brands for a better future for People and Planet. To practice what we preach, we set off to achieve B Corp Certification, putting our own sustainability practices to the test!

Read the full blog announcement here.

Why is your website so stylish?

What can we say, we love pretty, colourful and inspiring things! Because beautiful things make People happy. And this world needs some colourful inspiration, positivity and happiness right now.

Thank you to those amazing humans who helped us bring our stylish vision to life:

Werner Haselrieder, our digital master
Elisabeth Aster, our amazing Bergkind and design guru
Emma Winton, who crafted The Sustainable Hotel illustrations with so much passion and love

And of course, thanks to everybody else who have joined us along this exciting journey to a more purposeful and hospitable Planet.

Guide, Handbook

Your Hotel Sustainability Action Plan – put hotel sustainability into action NOW

Benefit from 284 practical and actionable steps to achieve holistic sustainability in your hotel and reduce costs – balancing the needs of People, Planet, Profit and Purpose.

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