From refillable amenities and organic gardens to immersive conservation experiences, we explore how hotels are discovering that sustainability resonates most when it enhances comfort, authenticity and connection to place – not when it feels performative.
For years, sustainability in hospitality was largely hidden from view – confined to energy systems, procurement policies and discreet linen reuse cards left in guestrooms. But today’s travellers are paying closer attention and they are no longer simply asking whether a hotel has sustainability credentials; they are increasingly judging how those values shape the experience itself.
Across luxury hotels, safari camps, wellness retreats and global brands, one message is becoming clear: guests notice sustainability most when it feels authentic, sensory and seamlessly woven into their stay. The initiatives that resonate are often the ones guests can touch, taste, participate in or take home with them. Equally, many hoteliers are discovering that the most effective sustainability measures are those that improve the guest experience rather than asking travellers to sacrifice comfort.
“The practical, visible sustainability efforts, rather than broad ‘greenwashing’ statements, are most frequently highlighted in guest reviews and feedback,” said Christian of Jaya House River Park in Siem Reap.
That distinction between performative sustainability and meaningful experience appears repeatedly across the industry. Guests increasingly want evidence that hotels are operating responsibly, but they also want it delivered with quality, care and a genuine sense of place.
At Jaya House River Park, sustainability has become one of the property’s defining guest touchpoints. Christian said the hotel’s decision to eliminate single-use plastic water bottles back in 2016 remains one of the initiatives guests talk about most.
“Every guest receives a reusable aluminium bottle which can be refilled at stations across the hotel and Cambodia,” he explained. “Today, it remains our most recognised initiative because it gives guests something meaningful to take home and continue using long after their stay.”
That idea – sustainability as something memorable rather than instructional – is increasingly shaping hospitality thinking. At La Sultana Oualidia in Morocco, Resident Manager, Nabil El Bahri, said guests respond positively to the hotel’s reusable glass water bottles supplied through an on-site filtration and bottling system. But interestingly, many guests do not frame it as sustainability at all.
“They simply say the experience feels more elegant, more thoughtful and more aligned with the kind of luxury they are looking for,” he said. Similarly, at Moar Gut in Austria, Host, Nora Lipp said guests tend to notice the atmosphere created by sustainable choices rather than focusing on individual environmental initiatives.
“Guests also particularly appreciate that sustainability at Moar Gut is not overly staged or performative, but instead feels like a natural part of the overall experience,” she explained. “What has surprised us most is how much guests value authenticity.”
Across the sector, refillable bathroom amenities have become one of the clearest examples of this shift. Once viewed as a potential compromise in luxury settings, refillable products are now often associated with premium quality and thoughtful design.
Christian said that guests at Jaya House increasingly see sustainability and luxury as inseparable. “What we’ve learned is that today’s luxury traveller increasingly values authenticity and responsibility alongside traditional luxury standards,” he said. “Guests still expect high quality products with premium ingredients, elegant, thoughtfully designed packaging and a refined sensory experience – but they also appreciate knowing that their stay is having a lower environmental impact.”
The hotel’s Jaya Organics amenity line, handmade locally using Cambodian botanicals, has become so popular with guests that the products are now sold internationally after repeated guest demand.
At Sopwell House, General Manager, Giammario Ragnoli, said refillable amenities, reduced single-use plastics and locally sourced produce consistently receive positive guest feedback. Yet what resonates most strongly is the sense of care behind them. “Increasingly, luxury guests associate sustainability with care, attention to detail and a sense of place,” he said.
Perhaps the most notable change in guest behaviour is that travellers increasingly want to engage with sustainability directly rather than simply observe it. At The Torridon in Scotland, part of Relais and Chateux, guests are connecting deeply with the property’s kitchen garden, livestock and food production. Sustainability is not treated as a separate programme but as part of the emotional experience of staying there.
“Guests love our kitchen garden and farm,” said Kristen Locy, Sustainability Officer at The Torridon. “Food that is reared, grown, caught and foraged here brings all of that together.” What surprises many hoteliers is how strongly guests connect with the people behind these initiatives.
“Often, the highlight is speaking with Seonaid, our Head Gardener, or chatting with Chris from our Grounds team while he feeds our Mangalitza pigs,” Kristen added. “There is something deeply meaningful about reconnecting with food, nature and people.”
This theme of participation and connection appears consistently across the hospitality sector. At Beachcomber’s Shandrani resort in Mauritius, guests are invited to join guided snorkelling trails and marine clean-up activities within the Blue Bay Marine Park.
According to Nidhi Ramlogun, Head of Sustainability, Beachcomber, travellers increasingly value experiences that allow them to contribute positively during their stay. “This creates a more meaningful and purposeful experience, allowing guests to actively contribute to the preservation of the natural environment they are enjoying,” she explains.
At Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Resorts in St Lucia, guests engage directly with marine conservation efforts through coral restoration, Dive Against Debris initiatives and sustainability tours exploring the property’s operations.
Karolin Troubetzkoy, Executive Director, Marketing and Operations of Anse Chastanet and Jade Mountain Resorts said that one of the biggest surprises has been how interested guests are in the operational complexity behind responsible hospitality. “Our Behind-the-Scenes sustainability tour consistently receives exceptional feedback because guests are fascinated by our complex water management systems, in-house water bottling operations, organic farm, microbrewery, and waste reduction initiatives,” she said.
Importantly, the communication style matters. Karolin believes sustainability should feel enriching rather than instructional. “We try to communicate sustainability in a way that feels experiential, enriching, and inspiring rather than instructional,” she explained. “The emphasis is always on discovery, enjoyment and authentic connection to place.”
That emphasis on storytelling is increasingly critical for brands seeking to avoid sustainability fatigue or scepticism. Nina Boys, Vice President of Beyond Green, said guests engage most strongly when sustainability becomes part of a larger human story.
“Sustainability efforts that resonate deeply with guests are those that are experiential, immersive, and rooted in human connection,” she said. “The most memorable experiences are ones that guests can meaningfully participate in.”
She believes many sustainability initiatives go unnoticed simply because they are not translated into compelling guest experiences. “Travel, at its core, is about human connection, so sustainability efforts should be brought to life in a way that guests can engage with and feel connected to,” Nina explained.
While visible sustainability initiatives drive guest engagement, operators stress that some of the most impactful work remains largely unseen. Inge Huijbrechts, Chief Sustainability and Security Officer at Radisson Hotels, noted that guests increasingly notice low-carbon menus, verified net-zero credentials and sustainable meetings offerings, but much of the group’s environmental progress happens behind the scenes.
“Some of the most impactful sustainability work happens behind the scenes and often goes unnoticed – including renewable energy sourcing, electrification, waste reduction systems, and operational supply-chain changes,” she said.
“These measures deliver major environmental benefits, even if guests don’t always see them directly.” Radisson’s Verified Net Zero hotels programme highlights how sustainability is evolving from isolated initiatives into fully integrated operational frameworks. Hotels in the programme eliminate Scope 1 and 2 emissions through electrification, renewable energy and low-carbon systems while significantly reducing operational Scope 3 emissions across food, waste and procurement.
Yet even with these large-scale investments, guest communication remains important. Inge said the challenge is balancing operational credibility with guest-friendly simplicity. “The key is combining meaningful operational action with visible, guest-friendly experiences that feel seamless rather than restrictive,” she said.
That balancing act is becoming increasingly important as travellers become more sophisticated about sustainability claims. Guests are no longer satisfied by generic environmental messaging. “Today, they are far more interested in transparency, carbon impact, food sourcing, renewable energy, and whether sustainability claims are independently verified,” Inge explains.
Independent certifications such as EarthCheck, Green Key and Green Tourism are therefore becoming increasingly influential in guest perception. At Sopwell House, Giammario said the hotel’s EarthCheck Silver Certification helped validate the authenticity of its efforts.
“It shows guests that our small, thoughtful touches are backed by rigorous, scientifically verified standards,” he explained.
At The Torridon, Kristen similarly believes third-party certification helps reassure guests that sustainability commitments are genuine. “Ultimately what matters is that guests feel confident a business is making a genuine effort,” she said.
One of the clearest shifts across the sector is the collapse of the old assumption that sustainability requires compromise. For many guests today, sustainability itself has become part of the luxury proposition.
At Wild Wakati Camp in Tanzania, Enduata Camps co-founder Matt Wilkey, said guests frequently comment on the sense of peace created by the camp’s entirely solar-powered, low-impact design. “Guests often remark on the unique atmosphere created by the absence of constant generator noise and harsh artificial lighting,” he explained.
“The camp feels quieter, more peaceful, and much more connected to the surrounding wilderness.” What began as an environmental decision ended up enhancing the emotional quality of the stay.
Likewise, at The Torridon, sustainability investments are increasingly tied directly to comfort and operational quality. Kristen highlighted the resort’s new remote-controlled radiator valve system, which allows rooms to be adjusted more precisely before guest arrival.
“It’s a small detail, but one that contributes to a more seamless and comfortable experience,” she said. “It’s a good example of how sustainability and guest experience don’t need to be competing priorities.”
At Moar Gut, Nora said the integration of the property’s organic farm and seasonal kitchen philosophy has improved both environmental performance and guest satisfaction. “Guests can see where food comes from, experience nature firsthand, and develop a stronger connection to animals, farming, and seasonal living,” she said.
Meanwhile at La Sultana, organic kitchen gardens initially introduced to reduce transport emissions and food waste quickly became part of the property’s luxury identity. “Reconnecting people with the rhythm of nature has become one of the most valuable forms of luxury today,” said Nabil.
This idea of “meaningful luxury” is increasingly influencing food and beverage strategy too. At Jaya House, Christian says travellers are becoming less interested in imported status ingredients and more interested in authentic destination-led cuisine.
“In the past, luxury dining was associated with imported products such as Alaskan salmon or Japanese beef,” he said. “However, today’s travellers seek more grounded, destination-led dining experiences.”
The hotel’s restaurant centres on local Cambodian ingredients and vegan-friendly menus designed around ethical sourcing and low-waste principles. “All ingredients are ethically and locally sourced from Cambodian suppliers who are paid fairly,” Christian explained. “That not only helps reduce the hotel’s environmental footprint but enhances the guest experience with a genuine connection to Cambodia through food.”
The growing sophistication of travellers means sustainability is increasingly moving from a “nice-to-have” into an expected operational standard. “There is now an expectation that a hotel is running a sustainable operation,” said Mark Conron, Group Head of Customer Communications, Nisbets UK.
He noted that environmental certifications increasingly influence booking decisions and that guests are paying greater attention to supply chains and procurement standards. This is especially true in the corporate travel and meetings market. According to Inge, business travellers and event planners are placing much greater emphasis on verified sustainability performance than they did even five years ago.
“A study from GBTA found that 89% of industry professionals consider sustainability a top priority for their company,” she said.
Interestingly, hotels are also beginning to see measurable commercial returns from sustainability positioning. Radisson’s operational Verified Net Zero hotels in Manchester and Oslo have achieved awareness scores above 70%, while around 20% of guests indicated they booked specifically because of the hotels’ net-zero status.
At the same time, hoteliers caution against over-communicating sustainability in ways that feel preachy or performative. “I think guests increasingly expect honesty and consistency rather than perfection,” said Nabil of La Sultana.
“They understand that hospitality uses resources, but they want to see genuine efforts and meaningful actions rather than sustainability being treated as a marketing exercise.”
That sentiment is echoed across almost every contributor interviewed. Sustainability appears to resonate most strongly when it feels integrated, authentic and additive to the guest experience rather than framed as sacrifice or obligation. Kristen from The Torridon believes positive framing is essential. “People want to feel good on holiday, and I think it’s important that sustainability adds to that rather than taking away from it,” she said. “I don’t think negative ‘reduction’ messaging works particularly well.”
Looking ahead, many hospitality leaders believe sustainability will soon become an invisible baseline rather than a differentiator in itself. Matt from Enduata Camps believes travellers increasingly expect sustainability to be fully embedded into hospitality operations.
“Guests are increasingly expecting sustainability to be built into the experience as a standard, not an added feature,” he said. Importantly, he believes many travellers are more adaptable than the industry sometimes assumes.
“In our experience, many travellers are actually willing to embrace lower-impact approaches,” Matt explained. “Whether that’s reducing plastic use, enjoying more natural camp environments, or participating in energy-conscious operations.”
That growing openness presents an opportunity for hotels to rethink how sustainability is framed – not as restriction, but as enrichment. The strongest sustainability initiatives increasingly create experiences guests actively remember: a refillable water bottle that travels home with them; herbs picked from the garden that morning; silence unbroken by generators; conversations with gardeners, marine biologists or farmers; or the simple reassurance that a hotel’s values feel genuine.
As Nina from Beyond Green puts it, sustainability becomes most powerful when it creates connection. “The key is that this messaging should be transparent and never performative,” she said. “It should be integrated throughout the guest experience, inviting guests in by creating a sense of community and connection.”
For hospitality brands navigating evolving traveller expectations, that may ultimately be the most important lesson of all. Guests do notice sustainability – but only when it feels real.
One of the clearest examples of sustainability becoming part of the everyday guest journey can be seen in the operational details guests interact with almost unconsciously. Jackie Brown, Regional Director North & West Europe, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts said the most effective initiatives are often the simplest and most intuitive.
“At Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, we recognise that while sustainability strategies often sit behind the scenes, rooted in procurement, energy management and compliance, what ultimately matters to guests is far more immediate: the visible, tangible touchpoints that shape their stay,” she explained.
According to Jackie, guests respond particularly well to initiatives that allow them to participate easily without disrupting the comfort or flow of their stay.
“The most impactful elements are often the most unassuming,” she said “Towel and linen reuse programmes, supported by clear and considered in-room messaging, provide an intuitive way for guests to participate, while also signalling a property’s environmental intent without requiring guests to actively seek out information.”
She noted that practical measures such as recycling facilities, refill stations, paperless check-out and energy-efficient lighting are increasingly helping sustainability feel seamless rather than instructional.
At some Wyndham properties, sustainability has also become a more visible part of the guest experience itself. Jackie pointed to Wyndham Grand Istanbul Europe’s on-site organic farm, where surplus vegetables are preserved and used year-round, creating what she describes as a “visible farm-to-fork dining experience for guests.”
Meanwhile, at Ramada Downtown Dubai, a monthly Earth Hour initiative transforms sustainability into a collective experience by reducing lighting across public spaces and inviting guests to participate.
“The hotel creates a sense of collective engagement,” Jackie explained, “making sustainability more immediate and memorable within the guest journey.”
Ultimately, the hotels making the strongest impression are not necessarily those shouting loudest about sustainability, but those embedding it most naturally into the guest experience. From locally grown food and refillable amenities to immersive conservation activities and thoughtful operational design, today’s travellers are responding to authenticity, transparency and a genuine sense of place. Increasingly, sustainability is no longer viewed as a compromise or an optional extra, but as an integral part of modern luxury hospitality, one that enhances comfort, connection and the overall quality of a stay.