SUSTAINABLE OPERATIONS IN HOTELS : Methodology to benchmark the water consumption in small and medium-sized hotels in Germany
Hernaiz, Mariana (2017)
Hernaiz, Mariana
Metropolia Ammattikorkeakoulu
2017
All rights reserved
Julkaisun pysyvä osoite on
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2017100115577
https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:amk-2017100115577
Tiivistelmä
Climate change, which seemed to be a long-term reality, has now become a tangible fact. This emphasizes the urgency of taking effective and timely measures, within which the hotel sector has acquired an important value, since its services are highly dependent on the uses of natural resources, like for instance water.
However, even with the relevance of this issue, the response of hotel companies on the efficient management of resources consumption, is inconsistent and difficult to monitor for the hotel operator. Among hotel categories, this is most evident in small and medium-sized (SMS) hotels, which are usually less ecologically active than their larger counterparts (Hotel Energy Solutions, 2011). Hence, the great importance of providing simple and clear procedures, suitable to this category of hotels, in order to efficiently implement resource consumption management.
This Thesis focuses its research on small and medium-sized (SMS) urban hotels in Germany, which represents the most abundant category in the country, in order to create a methodology for the management of water consumption, thus closing the gap created by the absence of systems adapted to the limitations and characteristics of this accommodations.
Given that water reserves are abundant in Germany, hotel operators do not consider the management of this resource as a priority. However, the upward trend in the concentrations of pollutants in the groundwater bodies (Richter et al., 2010, pp. 11-37), is a fact that should not be taken lightly. For that reason, the aim of this research is to offer SMS hotels operators in Germany, a new perspective that allows them to expand their environmental awareness, and to incorporate successfully and responsibly sustainable practices.
Throughout the research, three stages were developed:
• First stage: a literature review;
• Second stage: a qualitative questionnaire; and
• Third stage: a case study.
The first two stages were used as an essential preparatory process, which were founded, first, on the literature review, that allowed to find current practices and tools for water consumption management, and second, a qualitative method based on a questionnaire was used as qualitative information to obtain attitudinal data. The case study (third stage) allowed the collection of primary data directly from hotels operators. All the information gathered during this stage was use to answer the research question and sub-questions, and satisfy the research objectives.
Finally, this thesis has led to the development not only of a systematic methodology to monitor water consumption, but also has proposed easy-to-use methods for SMS urban hotels in Germany, in order to collect data from on-site measurements, and internally benchmark their water consumption performance.
However, even with the relevance of this issue, the response of hotel companies on the efficient management of resources consumption, is inconsistent and difficult to monitor for the hotel operator. Among hotel categories, this is most evident in small and medium-sized (SMS) hotels, which are usually less ecologically active than their larger counterparts (Hotel Energy Solutions, 2011). Hence, the great importance of providing simple and clear procedures, suitable to this category of hotels, in order to efficiently implement resource consumption management.
This Thesis focuses its research on small and medium-sized (SMS) urban hotels in Germany, which represents the most abundant category in the country, in order to create a methodology for the management of water consumption, thus closing the gap created by the absence of systems adapted to the limitations and characteristics of this accommodations.
Given that water reserves are abundant in Germany, hotel operators do not consider the management of this resource as a priority. However, the upward trend in the concentrations of pollutants in the groundwater bodies (Richter et al., 2010, pp. 11-37), is a fact that should not be taken lightly. For that reason, the aim of this research is to offer SMS hotels operators in Germany, a new perspective that allows them to expand their environmental awareness, and to incorporate successfully and responsibly sustainable practices.
Throughout the research, three stages were developed:
• First stage: a literature review;
• Second stage: a qualitative questionnaire; and
• Third stage: a case study.
The first two stages were used as an essential preparatory process, which were founded, first, on the literature review, that allowed to find current practices and tools for water consumption management, and second, a qualitative method based on a questionnaire was used as qualitative information to obtain attitudinal data. The case study (third stage) allowed the collection of primary data directly from hotels operators. All the information gathered during this stage was use to answer the research question and sub-questions, and satisfy the research objectives.
Finally, this thesis has led to the development not only of a systematic methodology to monitor water consumption, but also has proposed easy-to-use methods for SMS urban hotels in Germany, in order to collect data from on-site measurements, and internally benchmark their water consumption performance.