Tips for Hotel Management

Quick Wins (can start immediately)

1. Set clear goals and priorities

Define what success looks like for your hotel, whether it’s reducing water use per guest night, cutting leaks, or increasing the use of rainwater. Use SMART goals so targets are specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound. Make sure goals are visible and practical across all departments, and in customer-facing messages, and report progress transparently both internally or externally.

If targets aren’t met, it’s not a failure as long as you know why. Instead, see it as an opportunity to understand what happened and implement new measures. What matters most is that there’s a clear direction, a willingness to learn, and an ongoing commitment to keep improving.

2. Motivate and involve the team

Your staff are in the operation day in, day out. They’re your eyes and ears on the ground. They may spot opportunities others miss, but they may also become blind to issues they see every day, especially if they’ve raised them before and nothing changed. That’s why it’s so important to create a culture where people feel listened to.

Encourage staff to suggest improvements, report issues like leaks, and take ownership. Make it clear that all ideas are welcome. Don’t dismiss any suggestions, especially not in front of others. Let people know their input will be considered, and genuinely consider it. If something isn’t feasible right now, explain why. Honesty builds trust.

Before reviewing your CAPEX budget, ask the team for a wish list — you might be surprised at the practical, low-cost ideas they’ve been sitting on.

Recognise effort, not just outcomes. Celebrate the ideas that work as well as those that didn’t, because finding out what doesn’t work is another step towards finding out what does.
Reward staff for stepping up, for trying something new, or for pointing something out, not just for getting it right. That’s what builds a motivated team and a culture where change is possible.

3. Coordinate across departments

Water use doesn’t sit neatly within one team’s responsibility; it flows through the entire hotel. Housekeeping, kitchens, laundry, maintenance, gardens, front office, and even guest services all play a role in how water is used, monitored, and communicated. If teams are working in isolation, you’ll miss opportunities to spot problems, align actions, or build momentum.

Coordination doesn’t have to mean formal meetings or big projects. It can be as simple as getting the right people in the room when reviewing procedures, planning upgrades, or addressing recurring issues like leaks or overuse.

Encourage departments to share ideas, flag issues, and learn from each other. When people understand the bigger picture and how their work connects to others, they’re more likely to get involved, and solutions are more likely to stick. Water-saving works best when it’s built into how teams already work, not bolted on as a separate task.

4. Include contractors in the conversation

Outsourced teams like gardeners, landscapers, or external cleaning services often play a big role in how water is used, especially when it comes to irrigation, plant choices, or outdoor cleaning routines. But because they’re not always part of daily briefings or internal communications, they can easily be left out of water-saving efforts.

Managers should make sure these contractors are clear on the hotel’s water goals and expectations, especially around things like watering schedules, leak reporting, or drought-tolerant landscaping. Ask them what they’re seeing on the ground as they may have valuable insights or ideas based on their experience at other properties. If changes are made (like switching to treated wastewater or adjusting irrigation times), make sure those updates are communicated clearly. Contractors may not be part of the internal team, but they’re still part of the operation, and their actions need to align with your sustainability priorities.

5. Stay informed about local risks and regulations

Water availability and pricing can change quickly, especially in regions facing drought, population growth, or infrastructure challenges. Managers should stay up to date with any planned or emerging changes to local water tariffs, restrictions, or supply risks. This might include seasonal limitations on irrigation, government guidelines for businesses during dry periods, or upcoming changes to billing structures.

Being informed means being prepared, not just to stay compliant, but to make more informed decisions about where and when to invest in efficiency and to avoid last-minute disruptions to operations. Build relationships with your local utility provider or municipal office, and keep lines of communication open with suppliers and industry networks. The more you know, the more proactive you can be.

6. Support meaningful guest engagement

Guests are more likely to support your water-saving efforts when messages are clear and aligned with their experience. Whether it’s a note in the bathroom, a message during check-in, or a digital display on the in-room television, communication around water should reflect your brand’s tone and values. Avoid guilt or pressure, most guests respond better to practical suggestions and knowing their actions make a positive difference.

Guest engagement only works when it’s backed up by what’s happening behind the scenes. If the messaging says one thing but the practice shows another, like water running down pathways or gardens being irrigated in the heat of the day, your credibility is lost. You have a role in making sure guest-facing communication is consistent with how water is managed throughout the property. Involve staff in shaping the messages where possible so they feel confident talking about them and can lead by example.

Building the Foundation (needs time, planning, or budget)

1. Equip staff with time, tools, and support

You cannot achieve different results by doing the same thing. You will need to give teams what they need to implement changes. This could be anything from updated equipment, new standard operating procedures, or simply ensuring that there is enough time in their shift to get the work done or enough people in the team to distribute the work more evenly. This goes back to ensuring that employees feel valued.

2. Approve smart investments

Some of the most effective water-saving actions, like efficient taps, low-flow showers, leak detection systems, or sub-metering, are relatively low-cost and pay back quickly through lower utility bills and reduced maintenance. But they still need to be approved.

Make sure water-saving opportunities are factored into annual budgets, procurement decisions, and planned maintenance, not treated as extras. When systems are due for replacement or refurbishment, it’s the ideal moment to upgrade to more efficient models.

Newer options are constantly emerging, often offering better performance and greater efficiency than what came before. Encourage teams to flag opportunities early, and create a space in the budget for small upgrades that can make a big difference over time.

Not every action needs to be high-tech or high-cost, but overlooking these opportunities often comes down to lack of visibility, not lack of value. Keeping water in mind during purchasing and planning helps avoid missed chances to cut waste and future-proof the hotel.

3. Monitor and adapt

Although it’s usually the responsibility of the maintenance team to take meter readings or respond to leaks and other water-related issues, management needs to be close enough to the data to spot patterns, ask the right questions, and make informed decisions. If a spike in usage goes unnoticed or unreported for weeks, it can lead to wasted resources and missed opportunities. When managers are engaged in monitoring, it sends a clear signal that water use matters at every level, and that improvements are something the whole hotel is working toward, not just a technical task for one team.

Long Term

1. Centralised On-Demand Laundry Systems

If your hotel has the space, consider on-site ozone laundry systems or water-recirculating commercial machines for reducing water per cycle while improving stain removal and disinfection.
These systems can lower water and energy use while reducing chemical needs, which also helps linens last longer.