Murray Roberts talks about the need for migrant workers in hospitalit Value of good amenities | Page 25
HOW HOTELS
CAN SAVE
MONEY AND
REDUCE
WATER WASTE
E
nergy costs make up a small
percentage of turnover in hotels,
however, the Carbon Trust claims
that reducing them can directly
increase the business’ revenue without
the need to increase sales. All of the
money saved on energy goes straight
to the bottom line which enables your
establishment to be more competitive.
But to actually make these energy
savings at your establishment, you do
need some initial financial investment. It
is worth bringing in a third party who can
carry out an energy audit at your hotel
to enable you to see how much energy is
being used and which areas need the most
focus or investment. You might find that it
is recommended you install LED lighting,
for example. But never overlook the huge
importance of smart water efficiency.
Most UK hotels outsource their laundry
operations to a third party – but it could be
time to re-evaluate your laundry operation
from the ground up by introducing an
on-premise near-waterless laundry system
like Xeros. Whilst traditional machines use
between 40% and 70% hot water, Xeros
only uses approximately 5%. With less
water to heat, more energy is saved and a
hotel’s bills are reduced.
The Xeros washing machine is able
to use less water and deliver a gentler
wash thanks to revolutionary polymer
technology it harnesses. This gently
removes soil and stains from fabrics,
helping hotels save on average over two
million litres of water each year.
After outsourcing the cleaning of its
towels for many years, the Doubletree by
Hilton Sonoma in the US decided to take
back control and invest in an on-premise
laundry facility. This decision was made
because the rural location of the hotel
had led to high processing costs and
inflexible overhead times. The hotel also
became frustrated with having to replace
towels and robes that had been damaged
by the harsh chemicals used in the mass
cleaning process.
The Xeros in-house laundry operation
they invested in was 47% cheaper per
year compared to outsourcing and
helped secure a 23% reduction on cost
per occupied room. Furthermore, the
prolonged linen life not only saved on
replacement costs, it also led to happier
customers as the towels were reported to
be brighter and fluffier than ever before.
Adding up the operational and labour
savings, the hotel has reported annual
savings of almost £60,000.
Back in 2012, the Hyatt Regency Reston
in the US wanted to replace its old washing
machines due to high maintenance costs,
rising detergent costs and poor wash
quality. As a leading hotel brand, it wanted
an innovative partner who would help
reduce laundry costs and deliver superior
cleaning results.
A few months later the hotel decided
to test out a Xeros machine and after
a successful trial period which saw
significant cost and water savings as
well as reduced towel damage, the
establishment installed another two
machines. The hotel has reported annual
savings of £33,000 since installing the
near-waterless system.
The Marriott in California was motivated
by cost saving and the environment when it
invested in Xeros. The region was suffering
severe drought so a water-efficient laundry
system was needed fast. The hotel is now
reporting monthly savings of over £1,000
on water energy and detergent – and is
helping the environment at the same time.
So whether you are motivated by
cost saving, helping the environment,
or indeed both, it is worth considering
investing in near-waterless on-premise
laundry facilities.
www.xeroscleaning.com
Housekeeping management
25