Considerations for circularity in hotel buildings and operations

Abstract

This research concludes on the strategic and operational considerations for implementing circularity in hotel buildings and operations. Sustainable urban area developments are increasingly led by private parties and facilitated by public parties. Hotels support the make-up of a sustainable mixed-use development while also trying to reduce their carbon emissions and meet the goals of the Paris Climate Agreement. To do so, circularity has been proposed as a solution. Through three case studies of pioneering hotels in Amsterdam and an additional test case in Delft, the considerations for implementing circularity in hotel buildings and operations have been discovered. Findings include considerations beyond the scope of real estate to include strategic business considerations such as position in the market, brand story, target market, community impact, environmental impact, regulations, partners as well as real estate and investment strategy. Operational considerations found were practical and included availability, durability, maintenance, reliability and aesthetics. These findings show that considerations extend beyond the scope of real estate and beyond the building level, leaving privately developed circular hotels to contribute to sustainable urban area developments.