Eco Hotels ‘Most hotels don’t know their impact’
A
new concept in hotels, utilising the latest in environmental technology, is poised to take off not in Europe but in India under
the brand name Eco Hotels. Abhijeet Umathe, chief executive of
Eco Hotels, explains: “Eco Hotels will be the first carbon-neutral hotel brand. “It’s an umbrella brand for two hotel
types: Eco Hotels, which will be like a UK Premier Inn with a premier touch, and Eco Lodges, which will be like a Travelodge. They will target the three-star premium and two-star traveller markets.” He compares the ‘premier’ concept to
Citizen M hotels, with Eco Lodge as the budget brand. Umathe says: “Most hotels don’t know
the impact of their portfolio. You just find little cards telling you ‘Hang up your towel if
you don’t want us to wash it’.” Eco Hotels will be rather different. He
says: “We will use new-build, modular, lightweight frame properties which will be 40% more efficient in heating or cooling and reduce the carbon footprint of the average hotel guest by up to 50%. “We’ll have features going into buildings
Hospitality can be economical and ecological, argues Abhijeet Umathe, CEO of Eco Hotels
FIGURE 76: COMMERCIAL ACCOMMODATION ARRIVALS, 2018 INBOUND & DOMESTIC TOTAL
HOTEL GUESTS million
100 150 200
50 0 HOLIDAY LETS million
10 15 20 25 30 35
0 5
34m* 25.5m 23m 23m 18m 10m million
10 15 20 25
0 5
25m 16m* 11m 9m 8m 6m 171m 179m 128m 131m 122m* million
120 150
40m 44m 29m 34m 30m
30 60 90
0 CAMPSITES
France Germany Italy Spain UK
Austria Greece
Netherlands Poland Sweden
Figures rounded *2016 data Source: Eurostat
145m 121m 97m 105m 72m*
to provide better insulation and more sunlight to reduce the need for artificial light during daytime. We are looking at sourcing local food, at instructing suppliers to become carbon neutral and at how guests will engage with the building. “The aim is to reduce both the building’s
footprint and the daily operational footprint by 50%. Whatever is not mitigated will then be offset, with certification through the [London-based] CarbonNeutral Company.”
Ecological selling point Umathe insists there will be no trade-off in guest experience. On the contrary, the environmental ethos should be a selling point. He argues: “We aim to be economical and
ecological. The key is educating the guest so they feel they are getting value for money. People will get a good-value room with a good mattress, a good pillow, fantastic housekeeping, air conditioning, free Wi-Fi. “They will also be a patron of a
brand that is doing a raft of stuff in the background. For example, we will pipe filtered water into rooms to save on plastic bottles. “We’re looking to have sensors to
measure how much water a guest uses. The average use may be 10 litres for a shower and if you use 14 litres the sensor may tell you ‘Perhaps you want to use less next time’. “There will be no compromise on the
guest experience, but the brand will engage with guests to give a sense of doing good.” In summary, he says: “It will be a
pan-Indian, standardised guest experience ensuring the carbon footprint is mitigated.” Why launch in India? He explains: “There
is a population of 1.3 billion – that is the opportunity. India has a raft of mom and
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