Reinforcing Sustainable Hotel Operations: 3 Innovative Water Management Strategies Come to Life Across the Globe

A Group-Wide Water Policy

As purveyors of hospitality and unique experiences around the world, we are acutely aware of the critical challenges of water scarcity and pollution. These issues impact our local communities, destinations and, ultimately, our business. With this in mind, we are committed to significantly reducing our water footprint ౼ 40% of which is generated through our direct operations, such as the usage of in-room showers and taps, and 60% through upstream activities, mainly associated with Food & Beverage purchases.

Discover How 3 Hotels Around the World Tackle this Challenge

Mövenpick Petra, Jordan: Reducing Water Consumption in a Water-Scarce Environment

This 5-star resort is located in one of the world’s most water-scarce countries. With this in mind, between 2020 and 2022, the Mövenpick Petra converted 90% of its rooms from bathtubs to walk-in showers. During the transition, water consumption dropped from 45M liters in 2019 to 43M liters in 2022. By the end of 2023, consumption dropped again to 33M liters ౼ a 25% decrease compared to 2022. This progress has not only positively impacted the hotel’s water conservation efforts, but also generated overwhelming support from staff and clients alike.

Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort, Australia: Responsible Reuse of Rainwater

Located in a picturesque coastal oasis, nature is always top of mind at Sofitel Noosa Pacific Resort. In an effort to shrink its environmental footprint, the resort partnered with Ecotourism Australia and earned the Sustainable Tourism Certification in November 2023. Over the years, the resort has put in place a wide range of sustainable initiatives focusing on energy and water conservation, reducing food and material waste and eliminating single-use plastics. Notably, they've designed a rainwater capture system to conserve water. This system captures and stores 16,800 liters of rainwater in the basement car park and supplies the hotel’s irrigation and pool systems.

Novotel Itu Terras de São José Golf & Resort, Brazil: Reclaiming Greywater

Sustainability was woven into the very design of the Novotel Itu Terras de São José Golf & Resort, with features like solar water heating, a VRF air conditioning system and rainwater and greywater capture systems. Notably, the on-site Grey Water Treatment Plant treats wastewater from guest room showers and sinks. In 2023 alone, they reclaimed and reused an impressive 4.4M liters of greywater from 343 guest rooms for irrigation, guest toilets and various outdoor areas.

Going further on our longstanding commitment to water conservation, in 2023, we formalized our Group Water Policy with specific focus on water management practices (water quantity, water quality and access to water, sanitation and hygiene) – ensuring consistent water stewardship across all Accor hotels, segments and regions. Our comprehensive water strategy integrates technical solutions to boost efficient water use, adopts a fresh perspective on the Food & Beverage value chain, and sparks a shift in guest habits.

We also look beyond our own operations and actively collaborate with other actors to tackle shared environmental and social challenges. Signing the CEO Water Mandate is our latest step in raising industry standards for water stewardship. This UN coalition unites us with like-minded organizations, focusing on continual progress across six key areas: direct operations, supply chain, collective action, public policy, community engagement and transparency.Click here to learn more about our Water strategy