In the hospitality and tourism sectors, the consumption of resources such as energy and water represents one of the main points of inefficiency that generates significant economic overruns. The use of HVAC systems (ventilation, air conditioning, and heating) for prolonged periods leads to high energy costs that need to be optimized. Particularly in the hotel sector, this consumption is not always under direct control as guest comfort must be guaranteed. However, inadequate management of these resources can represent between the 14% and 25% of a hotel's operating costs.

This data warns 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 establishment's competitiveness.

The Importance of Reducing Resource Waste in Hospitality

The excessive consumption of resources in the hotel sector not only negatively affects operating costs but also has significant repercussions on the environment and customer perception. Additionally, according to ROIBack, a guest can consume between 300 and 1,200 liters of water a 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 energy and water expenditure, hotels can significantly decrease their operating costs, leading to a higher margin of profit. This aspect is particularly relevant if we consider 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 environmental management systems (EMS). This is because 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 minimize waste.

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

Integrating these goals into business strategy enhances reputation among increasingly aware consumers regarding sustainable practices. Complying with the SDGs allows for acquiring certifications that provide credibility and recognition on a global scale, 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 like ISO 14001:2015, which outlines the requirements for an effective environmental management system; or ISO 14046:2014 which defines the framework for efficient water resource management, is not only a matter of environmental responsibility but also a legal necessity to avoid economic and reputational risks.

Noncompliance with existing 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, proper monitoring of compliance with environmental management standards helps ensure such compliance and minimize these risks.

How to Measure Resource Consumption:

Advanced tools such as smart meters, sensors, and digital devices allow establishments to monitor and track essential resource consumption such as energy, water, or food. Some of these systems that can assist us in this monitoring are:

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 record electricity consumption by areas, equipment, or rooms, providing real-time data that facilitates identifying consumption patterns and savings opportunities.

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

• IoT ammeter clamps: These devices allow measurement of electric current intensity in installations without interrupting the circuit. They facilitate maintenance technicians measuring current at different points in the installation and monitoring 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 for ensuring 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 anomalies in consumption.

3- Food Consumption Monitoring:

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

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

• RFID tags for inventory: 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 heating, lighting, and other hotel systems. Automatically adjusts energy and water consumption based on occupancy and actual needs, minimizing waste and reducing costs.

• Energy Management Systems (EMS): Focuses on monitoring and managing energy consumption. Analyzes real-time data to identify areas for improvement, optimize the use of equipment, and reduce electricity expenditures, promoting sustainability and compliance with environmental regulations.

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

• Advanced analytics solutions and Big Data: allows analyzing large volumes of collected data and applying machine learning algorithms to extract insights that help us understand resource consumption. This makes it 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: Digital twins represent one of the most advanced solutions for data-driven decision-making. They allow the creation of virtual replicas of the establishment and its processes, facilitating the graphical 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 have opted 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 the guest experience.

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

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

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

Some examples of hotels already using digital twins include:

• Palladium Hotel Group: Has implemented digital twin technology focused on providing immersive experiences for users, so they can virtually visit the rooms. At the same time, Palladium uses the twins to improve internal operations.

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

• Marriott 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 achieve tangible results, contact our experts. They will guide and accompany you through every stage of the process, so you can transform your hotel into a benchmark in innovation and efficiency.