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While visiting family and friends in Rhode Island, my guy and I are staying at a local low-budget hotel. I admit that I originally thought the affordable price point would mean few amenities, like no pool or hot tub or restaurant on site. What we got, instead, was streetlights blazing through the thin curtains all night. An air conditioner that sounded like a diesel truck motor. Just hot water from the bathroom faucet — no cold for brushing teeth. A dripping tub spout. A light smell of sweat. No exterior green space, just asphalt and more asphalt. Silly me. A penny saved is a pound foolish, the aphorism goes. Needless to say, I reimagined the possibilities of the space during my insomnia. A net zero hotel would be mightily different!

The hotel industry has begun to adopt sustainable and environmentally conscious practices. It’s definitely a starting place. Hotels have the delicate task of achieving carbon neutrality without compromising the quality of services expected of star-rated hotels (not mine, of course).

What practical solutions are within reach so that a positive outlook for sustainable living in hotels can become an industry norm?

The Key Elements to a Net Zero Hotel

The hospitality sector plays a substantial role in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, with yearly energy expenditures surpassing £1.3 billion ($1.7 billion) and the release of more than 8 million tons of carbon emissions annually. Three dimensions of emissions that are typical for the hotel industry include:

• Scope 1 emissions, which emanate from the building itself and come primarily with gas consumption for heating, hot water, and catering purposes;
• Scope 2 emissions, those that arise from electricity usage — lighting, cooling, appliances; and,
• Scope 3 emissions, those indirect byproducts of the industry such as business travel, employee commuting, transport of goods, purchased and capital goods, use of sold products, and end-of-life treatment of products.

Hotels have the substantial task of achieving carbon neutrality, which involves balancing the amount of carbon emissions generated with an equivalent amount of carbon removal or offsetting. In the context of star-rated hotels, this entails a comprehensive approach to minimize and offset the carbon footprint associated with their operations.

What are essential components of a net zero hotel? Chaudhary, Singh, and Ghos published a 2024 study in the Atlantic Press in which they explored the role of net zero methodologies and responsible tourism practices in the hotel industry’s sustainability efforts. Following green certification standards requires, among others:

• waste reduction and recycling initiatives in a closed-loop system;
• sustainable building design, with eco-friendly materials, green roofs and walls, energy-efficient architecture, and eco-friendly landscaping;
• energy production systems that use renewable sources like solar photovoltaic systems, wind turbines, and battery storage;
• water conservation so resource consumption is minimized using items like low-flow fixtures and small irrigation systems;
• transportation systems for guests like EV fleets, low emission/ last mile vehicles, and partnerships with eco-friendly transportation providers; and,
• responsible tourism, which includes locally sourced, organic, and sustainable products for hotel operation across food, amenities, and furnishings that embrace community engagement.

Case Study: Winooski, Vermont’s 8-Story Sugar House Hotel

An eight-story, net zero boutique hotel with accompanying three-story parking garage and a five-story apartment building of workforce housing is now underway outside Burlington, VT. Situated on about an acre near the Community College of Vermont, the completed projects will have a view of the nearby Winooski River.

It’s an endeavor that the locals have fought for as a signifier of the area’s strong environmental commitment.

As reported by the Burlington Free Press, the 115-room Sugar House Hotel will be part of the Marriott Tribute brand. It will be the first all-electric, net zero, no fossil fuel, LEED platinum-certified hotel in the Marriott Global Family.

With an expected 30,000 visitors annually, the hotel complex will include a parking garage with 275 parking spaces and 40 electric vehicle charging stations. The hotel will house a general store selling Vermont products, including those from the clothing manufacturer Fourbital Factory and from AO Glass.

The inclusion of 83 apartments of workforce housing was the final design element for the project, which is being built on the last major lot available in Winooski’s 20-year downtown development project. The workforce housing will include studio, one-bedroom, and two-bedroom apartments, the majority of which will be affordable for households making 80% of Winooski’s average median income — just over $77,000.

The hotel will cost about $40 million to build, with an additional $20 million to construct the workforce housing.

Is a Net Zero Hotel Economically Feasible?

The Winooski net zero hotel is an ambition undertaking. Can it be a model for the industry?

With the growing awareness of climate change and the need for sustainable practices, hotels are increasingly adopting measures to minimize their carbon footprint. A net zero energy building is generally thought of as a building which has reduced its energy needs, with its necessary energy demand supplied by renewable energies.

The net zero building envelope incorporates only decarbonized building’s materials, is better insulated than traditional designs, uses carbon-free heating and cooling, draws upon high efficiency equipment, and is powered by renewable energies, hotels embark on a new era. This means the achievement of net zero emission hotels is not only technically and economically feasible but it also will bring additional benefits. A net zero hotel will assume a more collaborative approach with the local and state community, which will benefit not only the individual hotel but also contributes to the overall reduction of GHG emissions and reliance on non-renewable energy sources, aligning with global sustainability goals.

Tourism can be reimagined with the help of a local net zero hotel, so that a city’s decarbonization plans become structured for emission reductions. Tangible changes to energy supply, mobility, building construction, waste management, wastewater treatment, food systems, and the carbon sequestration benefits of vegetation can emerge with the collaboration. Of course, these strategies promote sustainability and lead to significant financial savings and reduced carbon footprints.

It is assumed that reducing operational cost and protecting the environment creates conditions for hotels to remain competitive. Moreover, a positive and significant impact of a net zero hotel’s effect is eco-literacy — a pro-environmental attitude that becomes a norm. Regenerative tourism intention evolves so that net zero commitment concern strengthens the positive association between vacationing and comfort when away from home, reinforcing the idea that net zero lifestyles are not only achievable but preferable for a healthy, happy existence.