The phrase 'green hotel' is searched 2,900 times on Google in India-the 12-month average of user queries-and 60,500 times across the globe. We could be optimistic and say that it reflects the rise in the number of environmentalists, but perhaps the reason is not entirely altruistic.
Taking the eco-friendly route improves a hotel's bottom line and most smart operators pass on the savings to guests by way of lower room rates.
After all, if a hotel can save over Rs 33 lakh simply by switching to PL lamps or CFL, as in the case of The Orchid in Mumbai, going green all the way is sure to save much more. In recent times, the hotel industry has jumped on to the eco-friendly bandwagon, with every upcoming resort aspiring to the haloed green tag, and the existing ones trying to integrate sustainable practices without rebuilding from scratch. That's why initiatives such as installing chlorofluorocarbon-free air conditioners, rainwater harvesting, tapping solar and wind power to become energy-efficient, linen reuse programmes, and recycling waste are becoming as common as toiletries by the basin.
These efforts translate into considerably lower energy and water consumption, which means a smaller carbon footprint as well as lower operational costs. For instance, using locally sourced or indigenous building material not only shaves off transportation costs but is also a more efficient way to tackle the elements. Says Krishan Singh, business head, domestic holidays, Yatra.com: "A ballpark estimate of the kind of savings a hotel can notch up in a year with its eco-sensitive initiatives would be around 20-25%." So it's practically a crime to not pass on some of this to end-users.
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