ITHACA, N.Y.—A study of more than 500 business and leisure travelers, which appears in the August 2011 issue of the Cornell Hospitality Quarterly (CQ), is one of only a few studies that capture leisure travelers’ preferences regarding sustainability in hotels. However, the study found few preference differences between business and leisure travelers. Top on the list of features for this group of travelers was green certification.
The article, “Hotel Guests’ Preferences for Green Guest Room Attributes,” by Michelle Millar and Seyhmus Baloglu, is available at no charge, by arrangement with Sage Publishing, which publishes the CQ on behalf of the Center for Hospitality Research at the Cornell School of Hotel Administration.
Millar, of the University of San Francisco, and Baloglu, of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, used a market research technique known as conjoint analysis to determine the travelers’ preferences for the following seven sustainable practices: recycling policy, shampoo amenities, lighting control, energy efficient light bulbs, towel policy, linen policy, and green certification by an outside agency. In conjoint analysis, consumers rate packages that offer different combinations of one or more of these seven features. The ratings are compiled to determine which sustainable practices are most important to guests.
Based on the responses of 571 business and leisure travelers, the study found that the most influential single attribute on hotel room preference for this sample was green certification, a result that has not been found in other studies. These respondents were also supportive of rooms with a refillable shampoo dispenser (also an uncommon finding), energy efficient light bulbs, and towel- and linen-reuse policies. Guests also appreciated the idea of a key card that would control all energy use in the room. Relatively few respondents agreed that they would pay more to stay in a “green” room, as found in other studies. It’s worth noting that the study included only respondents who indicated a willingness to stay in green rooms and as such cannot be generalized.
