“More than ever,” writes Michelle Millar, assistant professor of hospitality management at the University of San Francisco, “travelers consider themselves environmentally conscious and are seeking hotel products that meet their personal values about protecting the environment. A hotel that provides green services to guests is in line with those same values.”

According to Millar “green services” can mean your linen re-use policy, your recycling practices, and the amenities you place in your bathroom: “Green amenities are now on the top of many hotels' green to-do list.”

Seeing certified green amenities, such as the Eco Fresh or Eartherapy brands, tells your guests that you’re not just greenwashing, which is simply charging higher prices without actually investing in environmentally responsible products, services and practices.

The Open Secret

And frankly, the open secret is that going green is good for hoteliers. Guests really don’t mind paying a little extra to support environmentally-friendly hotels and much of what qualifies as “environmentally-friendly,” from the hotel’s point of view, is actually cost-cutting: Washing fewer towels, gently reminding guests about water and electricity usage and other green-friendly policies that save you money.

What Are Your Options?

Some hotels are going green by installing soap and shampoo dispensers in their bathrooms, instead of supplying small bottles of bathroom amenities, since those frequently end up half-used and the wasted portion goes along with the plastic bottle in landfills. But many hotels are aware that their clientele prefer “single-serve” amenities and supply them with soap, shampoo and other toiletries clearly branded as eco-friendly.

After evaluating your environmental policies, if you find yourself leaning towards going green, make sure that it’s not perceived by your guests as simple cost-cutting – and one of the best ways to do that is by providing good quality eco-friendly bathroom amenities.