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Hospitality

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With 24-hour 365-day operations, hotels are one of the highest energy and water consumers per square foot. Better Buildings Hospitality partners represent 1 billion square feet of the sector's total 6 billion square feet of national floorspace. Across America’s 47,000 hotels, it is estimated that the average guest room incurs nearly $2,200 in energy costs annually. By investing in and prioritizing energy efficiency, hoteliers can improve guest comfort and realize cost savings.Through the implementation of energy and water savings measures, these partners have amassed a savings of $290 million since 2011. 

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2024 Better Buildings Progress Report

To date, Better Buildings, Better Plants partners have saved more than 3.6 quadrillion Btu, saving more than $22 billion and 224 million metric tons of CO2.

Get Involved

There are many different ways to work with DOE through the Better Buildings Initiative. Explore our partnerships to find the best fit for your organization, whether your focus is energy, water, waste, or carbon.

Watch Recorded Webinars

Watch all previously recorded webinars in the On-Demand Webinars library sorted by popular topics such as resilience, zero energy buildings, and more.

Other Resources

Case Study

Marriott: Ground Mounted Solar Array at TownePlace Suites Case Study

TownePlace Suites discovered an unused four-acre piece of land adjoining one of its properties, and developed the land with a solar installation, decreasing electric costs and improving the hotel’s environmental reputation.

MGM Resorts: Casino Parking Structure Lighting Case Study

MGM lighting projects have covered more than 8 million square feet of parking area. By replacing 4,400 metal halide and high-pressure sodium light fixtures in the parking facilities with a mixture of LED and induction fixtures, MGM saved 4.5 million kWh per year as part of the Lighting Energy Efficiency in Parking (LEEP) Campaign.

Retrofits for Multiload Commercial Washers Case Study

DOE funded evaluations of a wastewater recycle system at the Grand Hyatt Seattle and of ozone systems at the Charleston Place Hotel and the Rogerson House Assisted Living Facility, saving $135,000 in the first year.

Ozone Based Laundry Systems for Commercial Washers Case Study

DOE funded evaluations of ozonation at the Charleston Place Hotel in Charleston, SC, and the Rogerson House assisted living facility of Boston, MA and found up to 60% savings in hot water requirements.

Wastewater Recycling Technology for Commercial Washers Case Study

Wastewater recycling is a market-ready solution that can save commercial washers an average of 365,000 gallons/month of combined water and sewer and 1,100 therms/month in hot water heating energy.

Case Study: Building Analytics Success Story - MGM Resorts International Case Study

MGM Resorts decided to augment their retrocommissioning (RCx) efforts by installing fault detection and diagnostic (FDD) software, which identifies building systems with suboptimal performance. Beyond the significant energy savings, the addition of analytics has changed the organization’s energy management culture, and allows for accurate, actionable reporting at all levels of the organization.

Hilton Certifies Over 5,000 Properties Worldwide to ISO 50001 Case Study

Hilton's 5,100 properties across 103 countries are ISO 50001 certified, saving the company nearly $740 million in 8 years.

Hampton Inn & Suites: Carport Solar Array Case Study

The Hampton Inn & Suites Bakersfield North- Airport operates in a hot climate and has high HVAC operating costs. To mitigate these costs, a carport solar array was installed, producing monthly savings of $8,800.

Bardessono Hotel: Installing Rooftop Solar Array Case Study

Bardessono, a hotel in Yountville, California was designed to be one of the most energy efficient hotels in the world. A major roof-top solar array was included in the design to achieve significant energy savings and LEED Platinum certification. The PV system produces approximately one-half of the electricity used by the hotel.

Fact Sheet

Hospitality Operations to Reduce Risks of Airborne Infectious Disease Transmission Fact Sheet

The National Renewable Energy Lab developed this fact sheet for hotel operators to help optimize the use and function of building systems, guest rooms, and common areas to keep airborne disease transmission to a minimum.

Guidance

Working with Your Utility on Energy Efficiency Guidance

This resource highlights examples of utility services and incentives that Better Buildings partners have leveraged to improve the energy efficiency of their buildings. Using this guide, organizations can work with their utility provider to better understand if these or other energy efficiency programs are available to them.

Key Energy Resources and Tools for Hospitality Guidance

The Better Buildings Initiative has identified resources and tools for the hospitality sector to help partners capitalize on energy efficiency opportunities.

Submetering Resources - Commercial Buildings Guidance

This document contains a variety of resources intended to help commercial partners gain better access to energy data through the use of submetering.

Implementation Model

HEI's Energy Looking Glass Dashboard Implementation Model

HEI developed an energy management tracking tool that analyzes key variables such as weather normalized utility consumption, and hotel occupancy alongside capital and operational energy efficiency initiatives to create more centralized information and evaluate opportunities for improvement.

HEI: Chasing Quarters With Energy Set-Points Implementation Model

HEI developed standardized operating procedures for establishing, maintaining, and evaluating key energy set-points at their hotel properties.

IHG Hotels & Resorts Green Engage Program Implementation Model

IHG developed a comprehensive online sustainability management system to manage hotel energy, water, and waste reduction efforts in a global, franchised business environment. 

Wyndham Vacation Ownership Green Certification Program Implementation Model

Seeking to formalize energy efficiency and sustainability practices across timeshare properties, Wyndham developed a Green Certification Program, which includes mandatory low and no-cost efficiency measures for all properties with opportunities to achieve advanced certification levels for more capital intensive improvements.

MGM Resorts: Efficiency Education App Implementation Model

MGM created a web and mobile tool to encourages employees to reduce resource use and maximize efficiency.

Presentation

Shout it From the Mountaintops: Communicating Energy Efficiency Success Stories Presentation

Communications is a tool of the future and the present day. Take advantage of best practice techniques and tips for getting the word out on your energy achievements. Learn the difference between messaging what matters and messaging for impact.

Technology Watchlist: Building Efficiency Strategies for Now and the Next Generations Presentation

Expert building technologists discussed what they are excited about now and what fledgling ideas are exciting for generations to come. This session highlighted information that can help you decide for yourself which building strategies can help you meet your goals now and well into the future.

Strategies for Piloting High Impact Technologies Featuring the Hospitality Sector Presentation

This technology roundtable facilitated discussion around evaluating and implementing emerging technologies in commercial buildings. Hospitality Better Buildings partners and National Lab representatives shared their experiences with technology verification and pilot projects.

Soaking Up Energy Savings from Water Projects Presentation

This session highlighted projects that have been able to achieve significant energy and water savings through technologies and innovative strategies.

Report

NGL Downlight Demonstration Project: Hilton Columbus Downtown Report Report

For this report, DOE evaluated the use of LED downlight luminaires in the Hilton Columbus Downtown hotel.

Showcase Project

Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel Showcase Project

Loews on-premise laundry system uses an innovative filtration system that allows it to recycle 70-85% of all laundry water. This system is estimated to save the Santa Monica hotel over 4.3 million gallons of water a year. Other improvements related to energy were also completed, showing over $200,000 in savings.

Hilton Austin Convention Center Showcase Project

The Hilton Austin Convention Center is a city-owned mixed-use complex consisting of a hotel, condominiums, and the Austin Chamber of Commerce. Hilton Austin implemented energy conservation measures in guestrooms, common areas, kitchens, and laundry facilities to achieve 31% energy savings.

Las Vegas Sands: The Venetian and The Palazzo Showcase Project

The Venetian, The Palazzo, and Sands Expo are a combined property and metered as a single campus, making this site an ideal target for energy efficiency upgrades and improvements. Las Vegas Sands Corp. identified a number of energy and water efficiency upgrades for its large campus that have already resulted in 22% energy savings.

Saunders Hotel Group's Comfort Inn & Suites Boston Logan International Airport Showcase Project

Saunders Hotel Group achieved 21% energy savings at the Comfort Inn and Suites Boston by installing a new cost-effective cogeneration unit and implementing other ECMs throughout the hotel, contributing to Saunders' corporate sustainability initiatives.

Hilton Hotels: Columbus Downtown Showcase Project

Hilton Columbus Downtown features a number of energy conservation measures (ECMs) including efficient lighting, a building automation system, and variable frequency drives. As a result, Hilton Worldwide saved 32% in annual energy consumption and $387,000 in annual energy costs.

Sheraton Chicago Hotel & Towers Showcase Project

In response to a guest focus on green initiatives, the property implemented several public area and guestroom efficiency upgrades including HVAC improvements and chiller plant optimization, saving more than $600,000 annually in energy costs.

General Services Administration (GSA): Hotel Monaco Showcase Project

Through a combination of competitive bidding, innovative design, advanced controls sequencing, and attention to hotel guest satisfaction considerations, the Hotel Monaco team compiled a comprehensive suite of impactful retrofit opportunities that save nearly $450,000 in energy costs annually.

IHG Hotels & Resorts: Holiday Inn Diamond Bar Water Conservation Pilot Showcase Project

The Holiday Inn Diamond Bar hotel was selected for a deeper-dive water conservation pilot because of the hotel’s location in a drought-affected area and the willingness of the hotel staff and employees to participate in the program. Through this Pilot, the Holiday Inn was able to save over 1.3 million gallons of water annually.

Solutions at a Glance

HEI Hotels: Fab Four Energy Buddy Program & Checklists Checklist

HEI Hotels & Resorts implemented the Fab Four Energy Buddies program which employs smart operation and maintenance procedures and effective employee engagement to achieve the full value of their investments in energy-efficient equipment.

Loews Hotels Utilizes Scorecard to Measure Building Performance Performance Scorecard

Loews Hotels developed a Score Card tool to evaluate physical and operational performance across their building portfolio. This tool provides accountability for the engineering staff, who are tasked with meeting the company’s corporate sustainability goals, and helps direct capital investment in renovations and upgrades.

Las Vegas Sands Green Ideas Challenge Outreach Materials

The Green Ideas Challenge at The Venetian, The Palazzo, and Sands Expo allowed resort staff to help identify opportunities for energy or water savings, helping staff get more involved in Las Vegas Sands's corporate sustainability efforts.

Marriott Implements Measurement and Verification (M&V) Process for New Technologies Guidance

As part of Marriott’s energy efficiency efforts, they have established an internal Measurement and Verification (M&V) process for assessing new energy-saving technologies, products, and services to be used in its global portfolio.

Webinar

Downstream Savings: From Water Efficiency to Energy Savings Webinar

This webinar hosted Better Buildings Challenge partners United Technology Corporation, the City of Atlanta, and InterContinental Hotels Group on the innovative measures taken to improve water efficiency while reducing energy use.

Sector Priorities

The Better Buildings Alliance Hospitality Steering Committee helps to set priorities for Alliance work in the sector each year.  This year, sector activities are focused on the following priorities:

  • Improving access to quality energy and water data
  • Fostering internal buy-in and developing a culture of sustainability

Steering Committee Members

  • Lauren Pravlik, American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA)
  • Joe Thomas, Loews Hotels & Co. 
  • Brian Wickens, Marriott International
  • Rishi Shah, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts 
  • Sandeep Thakrar, Neema Hospitality
  • Matt Esper, MGM Resorts International