Not long ago, I found myself at yet another roundtable on sustainability and well-being in hospitality.
These themes dominate our industry dialogue, yet I can’t help but wonder: Who is truly making meaningful strides? If, as an industry, we’ve not advanced as far as we claim, how important are these initiatives in practice? Will design finally push us to lasting change, or will we keep decorating around the problem?
Superficial gestures no longer satisfy travelers. A yoga mat in the corner or a token recycling bin doesn’t cut it when guests are asking tougher questions and rewarding hotels that back up their promises. Studies confirm it: Sustainability drives loyalty and repeat business. Guests seek eco-conscious practices and are willing to pay more for visible, credible efforts that reduce waste, conserve resources and support local communities.
Wellness, too, has moved far beyond the spa. Today’s travelers expect holistic experiences — immersion in nature, nutritious cuisine sourced locally and spaces that restore body and mind. With wellness tourism projected to grow from $850 billion in 2021 to $2.1 trillion by 2030, and wellness real estate forecast to reach $913 billion by 2028, demand is clear: Guests want regenerative experiences rooted in authenticity, not token add-ons. Yet many hotels and designers still greenwash by decorating the problem instead of redesigning the solution.
The data backs this up. Eighty-eight percent of travelers say they consider sustainability when booking, and more than 4 out of 5 actively seek eco-friendly tourism. Wellness is no longer niche; either half of all travelers seek it out, and among affluent guests, expectations climb to 84%. Yet the hotel industry’s response is strikingly small. Out of more than 700,000 hotels worldwide, just 110 have earned LEED Platinum, about 400 hold LEED certification of any level, and only 10 under a single brand in India have reached LEED Zero Carbon. In the context of global industry, those numbers barely register. Until hotels redesign the solution, “sustainability” and “wellness” risk remain buzzwords rather than breakthroughs.
Hotels may seem small compared to other industries, but collectively they account for roughly 1% of global carbon emissions — about 363 million tons of CO2 every year, enough to power 45 million homes. According to the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, the sector must cut emissions 66% per room by 2030 and 90% by 2050 to align with Paris Agreement targets. Yet progress remains slow.
So, what’s really holding us back actual costs or just perception? Designing sustainably can add 2% to 5% to construction budgets, sometimes more for luxury projects. Understandably, developers hesitate when focused on escalating costs. But from a design perspective, the equation looks different. Materials, spatial planning and integrated systems don’t just reduce impact, they create long-term value.
The numbers tell a compelling story: Efficiency strategies alone can trim operating costs by as much as 30% through savings in energy, water and waste. In some cases, energy use drops by nearly 80%, and water consumption falls 20% to 40% when smart systems are built in. The upside isn’t just lower costs — revenue grows, too. A Cornell study found U.S. green-certified hotels achieved RevPAR that was 11% higher than their peers, while STR data shows LEED-certified properties consistently outperform in both ADR and occupancy.
Examples prove what’s possible. In North Carolina, the Proximity Hotel, the first LEED Platinum hotel, cut energy use by 41% and meets 60% of its hot water needs with rooftop solar panels. In Seattle, the 1 Hotel translates sustainability into a tactile experience with reclaimed woods, organic linens and a complete ban on single-use plastics. In India, ITC Grand Chola runs almost entirely on renewable energy with near-total water recycling. In Sri Lanka, Jetwing Vil Uyana turned degraded farmland into wetlands that now support biodiversity and local livelihoods. These projects show that when sustainability and wellness are designed in from the start, they reduce operating costs, elevate guest experience, and transform hospitality into a regenerative force for both business and the planet.
Meanwhile, regulations are catching up. Starting in 2026, the EU’s Empowering Consumers for the Green Transition Directive will require hotels to substantiate environmental claims, directly targeting greenwashing. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) already mandates ESG reporting for large companies. In the U.S., the SEC is phasing in climate-risk disclosure rules in 2025–26, requiring public companies to report material climate-related risks and emissions. In this environment, failing to embed authentic sustainability isn’t just a missed opportunity, it’s fast becoming a liability.
I keep coming back to the same question: Is it truly harder to design for sustainability and wellness than for convention? Or is it simply a different kind of challenge that demands courage, creativity and a willingness to redefine what luxury and hospitality means?
Too often, the industry talks in circles. But design is the lever that moves ideals from slogans to substance. Materials, systems and spatial strategies can make sustainability measurable, wellness tangible and trust authentic. While a handful of hotels prove what’s possible, far too many still hide behind incremental gestures.
Developers worry about costs, brands worry about perception and guests worry about trust. Design can reconcile all three. Embedding sustainability into the DNA of hospitality isn’t harder, it’s smarter. It protects investment, builds loyalty and secures relevance for the future. It shouldn’t feel bold anymore. It should be the new baseline.
Amy Jakubowski is principal and managing director of the Chicago studio of Pierre-Yves Rochon (PYR).
This column is part of ISHC Global Insights, a partnership between CoStar News and the International Society of Hospitality Consultants.
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