In the hospitality and tourism sectors, the consumption of resources such as energy and water represents one of the main points of inefficiency that generate significant economic overruns. The use of HVAC systems (ventilation, air conditioning, and heating) for prolonged periods entails a high energy cost that needs optimization. Especially in the hotel sector, this consumption is not always under direct control, as guest comfort must be ensured. However, inadequate management of these resources can account for between the 14% and 25% of the operating costs of a hotel.

These data warn of the need to implement measures to control and optimize resource consumption without sacrificing guest comfort. The adoption of efficient technologies, along with sustainable practices, not only contributes to environmental conservation but also generates significant savings and improves the competitiveness of the establishment.

The Importance of Reducing Hospitality Resource Waste

Excessive resource consumption in the hotel sector not only negatively affects operating costs but also has significant repercussions on the environment and customers' perceptions. Additionally, according to ROIBack, a guest can consume between 300 and 1,200 liters of water per day, which implies intensive use of water and energy resources, as well as higher CO2 production associated with water treatment and heating.

1- Economic Impact:

By reducing spending on energy and water, hotels can significantly decrease their operating costs, resulting in a greater profit margin. This aspect is especially relevant considering that energy consumption can account for up to 25% of total costs in the hotel sector.

2- Environmental Impact:

Environmental legislation requires the hospitality sector to adopt systems for environmental management (EMS). This is due to the fact that the hospitality-tourism sector is responsible for a significant portion of greenhouse gas emissions and global water consumption. Adopting sustainable practices contributes to reducing the carbon footprint and promotes the responsible use of water resources, aligning with global efforts to combat climate change.

3- Compliance with SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals):

The United Nations 2030 Agenda has established 17 sustainable development goals aimed at taking more sustainable actions. Among these SDGs, we have identified some that are directly related to hotel operations. These include:

• SDG 6 (clean water and sanitation): encourages efficient water use and pollution control.

• SDG 7 (affordable and clean energy): promotes investments in sustainable energy sources to mitigate the effects of climate change.

• SDG 12 (responsible consumption and production): aims to reduce food waste and decrease waste.

• SDG 13 (climate action): advocates for renewable energy sources to strengthen resilience and reduce vulnerability to climate risks.

Integrating these goals into the business strategy enhances reputation among increasingly conscious consumers towards sustainable practices. Complying with the SDGs allows for acquiring certifications that provide credibility and recognition globally, facilitates access to sustainable financing, and positions the establishment as a leader in sustainability and resilience.

4- Regulatory Compliance:

Regulations regarding sustainability and energy efficiency are becoming increasingly stringent in the hotel sector. Complying with standards such as ISO 14001:2015, which establishes requirements for an effective environmental management system; or ISO 14046:2014 that defines the framework for efficient water resource management, is not only an environmental responsibility but also a legal necessity to avoid economic and reputational risks.

Non-compliance with current environmental regulations can result in significant fines or penalties, loss of licenses, and even temporary or permanent closure of establishments in the most severe cases. Therefore, properly monitoring compliance with environmental management standards helps to ensure that compliance and minimize these risks.

How to Measure Resource Consumption:

There are advanced tools like smart meters, sensors, and digital devices that allow establishments to monitor and track the consumption of essential resources such as energy, water, or food. Some of these systems that can help us in this supervision include:

1- Energy Consumption Monitoring:

• Home automation devices (KNX or IoT) automate energy use, such as lighting, based on occupancy and schedules.

• Smart energy meters: these devices register electrical consumption by areas, equipment, or rooms, providing real-time data that facilitate the identification of consumption patterns and savings opportunities.

• Presence and light sensors: allow automation of lighting and climate control according to occupancy, reducing unnecessary consumption.

• IoT clamp meters: These devices allow measuring the electrical current intensity in installations without interrupting the circuit. They enable maintenance technicians to measure current at different points in the installation and monitor the consumption of electrical equipment.

2- Water Consumption Monitoring:

• Smart flow meters: These devices measure water consumption in different areas of the establishment, such as rooms, laundry, pools, and irrigation systems, in real-time. This data is very valuable for detecting leaks and optimizing water use.

• Water quality sensors: these sensors monitor parameters such as conductivity, pH, and turbidity. Analyzing these components is essential to ensure water quality in pools, spas, and drinking water systems.

• IoT Systems: this technology allows data collection for remote reading of water meters, facilitating efficient water management and early detection of consumption anomalies.

3- Food Consumption Monitoring:

• Artificial vision systems: These systems identify and quantify waste, providing data that helps reduce food waste and optimize inventory management.

• Humidity and temperature sensors in cold storage: These sensors help prevent premature spoilage of stored food, ensuring optimal conservation conditions and reducing waste.

• RFID inventory tags: The implementation of RFID tags allows tracking the use and expiration of products, facilitating efficient inventory management and reducing food waste.

Tools for Analyzing Data and Optimizing Energy and Water Use:

Once data is collected through various devices and technologies, it is necessary to have management, analysis, and data visualization tools and platforms to make decisions that optimize our processes. Some of these tools include:

• Building Management Systems (BMS): Automates and centralizes the control of climate, lighting, and other hotel systems. Adjusts energy and water consumption automatically based on occupancy and real needs, minimizing waste and reducing costs.

• Energy Management Systems (EMS): Focused on monitoring and managing energy consumption. Analyzes real-time data to identify improvement areas, optimize equipment use, and reduce electric expenses, promoting sustainability and compliance with environmental regulations.

• Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI): Provides detailed data on water and energy consumption through data collected by smart meters. This allows for more accurate management, detecting leaks or unusual consumption and achieving decision-making that promotes resource savings.

• Advanced analytics and Big Data solutions: allow analyzing large volumes of collected data and applying machine learning algorithms to extract insights that help us understand resource consumption. With this, it is possible to anticipate seasonal demand, identify savings opportunities, and manage resources more efficiently.

• Business Intelligence (BI) Platforms: These platforms focus on facilitating decision-making by providing the most relevant data through dashboards or other visualizations.

• Digital Twin Platforms: The digital twins represent one of the most advanced solutions for data-driven decision-making. They allow creating virtual replicas of the establishment and its processes, facilitating the graphic visualization of the most relevant data. Additionally, they integrate information from various sources, centralizing data on a single platform for efficient resource monitoring.

Implementation of Digital Twins in Hospitality and Tourism

Many hotels are opting for the implementation of digital twins to improve efficiency through data. These virtual replicas of physical facilities, in addition to monitoring energy and water consumption in real-time, allow for predictive analysis to manage maintenance tasks and ensure compliance with environmental regulations while enhancing guest experiences.

Some digital twin platforms like TOKII, for instance, incorporate modules that facilitate comprehensive management of hospitality and tourism operations, making it a 360-degree platform that provides complete control and security at all times.

TOKII utilizes artificial intelligence to facilitate predictive maintenance, which allows setting alarms for erroneous behaviors, preventing, for example, energy overloads, electrical failures, or unexpected leaks. It also allows flexible connections to all existing systems such as Odoo, SCADA, BMS systems, and many more, to have all information centralized.

It allows uploading and managing corporate documentation directly on the platform, adding key dates to the calendar, and receiving notifications via preferred channels (mobile, PC, or email) to ensure the proper functioning of equipment and facilities.

Some examples of hotels that are already using digital twins are:

• Palladium Hotel Group: Has implemented digital twin technology with a focus on providing immersive experiences to users, allowing them to virtually visit rooms. At the same time, Palladium uses twins to improve internal operations.

• Marina d'Or: Undoubtedly, this tourist complex, a benchmark in Spanish tourism for its services and customer treatment, could not do without such advanced technology, which is allowing them to analyze customer behavior and preferences better, facilitating decision-making to optimize occupancy, service offerings, and facility use.

• Mariott International: The famous hotel chain has implemented digital twins to optimize energy use and reduce its carbon footprint, positioning itself as a leader in eco-efficient practices.

According to ET hospitality, hotels that have implemented digital twins in their operations have documented improvements such as:

• 20% increase in customer satisfaction.

• 15% reduction in energy consumption.

• 20% reduction in water use through monitoring and adjustments.

The data is clear. The integration of digital twins is already revolutionizing the hospitality sector, allowing establishments to differentiate themselves while generating significant savings.

Would you like to achieve similar results in your establishment?

If you want to discover how to take your management to the next level and obtain tangible results, contact our experts. They will guide you and accompany you at every stage of the process, so you can transform your hotel into a reference in innovation and efficiency.