Hotel Guests’ Preferences for Green Guest Room Attributes

A study of 571 business and leisure travelers examined the environmentally friendly attributes that guests seek in hotel rooms. Using conjoint analysis of bundles of seven hotel room attributes, the study found that the most influential single attribute on hotel room preference for this sample was green hotel certification (such as LEED). These respondents were also supportive of rooms with a refillable shampoo dispenser, 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. The study included only respondents who indicated a willingness to stay in green rooms and as such cannot be generalized. However, the study found few differences between the preferences of the 284 business travelers and the 287 leisure travelers. Three findings differed from other research outcomes in the weight ascribed to green certification, the preference for a shampoo dispenser, and lobby-based recycling. The idea of an energy-controlling key card is also uncommon, but would represent a considerable retrofitting expense for most hotels. While these findings are of interest, one limitation is that only seven attributes were studied, and the inclusion of additional attributes—or more levels of the seven attributes—might alter the results. Nevertheless, these findings give hoteliers information about preferences of a substantial number of guests who would consider staying in a “green” hotel room.