ING: hotel chains must spend more on sustainability as guest habits stall progress

Major hotel chains operating in the Netherlands will need to make “substantial investments” to cut emissions further, ING said Tuesday, warning that progress is being slowed both by cautious spending in the sector and by hotel guests who reportedly show little interest in environmentally friendly choices.

In a new report based on research into twenty large hotel chains, the bank said comfort still outweighs climate ambitions across the industry. According to ING, sustainability “plays little to no role” when guests choose a hotel, and existing incentives do not change their behavior. “Small financial incentives, such as a free drink, appear to be ineffective in encouraging hotel guests to behave more sustainably. Introducing a surcharge has a greater impact,” the bank said.

ING’s researchers argue that stronger public policy is needed to push the sector forward. “Further sustainability measures require clear and consistent government policy,” the bank wrote.

Hotels have already adopted steps such as water-saving showerheads and LED lighting, but the hospitality sector has become more cautious this year, ING said. Many hoteliers are delaying new sustainability investments because of economic uncertainty and a planned VAT increase in 2026, which will make hotel rooms more expensive.

Beyond water and energy savings, ING identifies “waste reduction, combating food waste, and more sustainable behavior by hotel guests” as crucial to lowering CO₂ emissions. The researchers said that changing guest behavior is theoretically a “relatively inexpensive solution” that could deliver major emissions cuts. They noted that reducing daily cleaning and avoiding automatic towel replacement can meaningfully limit water and energy use.