easyHotel CEO Karim Malak on how the group is rising to the sustainability challenge

Sustainability is rising in consumer conscience and hotels across the market spectrum are meeting this challenge by adapting their physical spaces and services to a clientele that is increasingly aware of the impact that their travel has on the environment.

The task of making the easyHotel group more sustainable was not a seismic shift, according to CEO Karim Malak, but rather a gradual tuning of an offering which by design was already making less of an impact on the environment than some other players in the hotel industry.

The company, which opened a new hotel in Oxford last year, now has 44 hotels globally with a further 22 across 15 countries in the pipeline which are due to open over the next 18 months.

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Karim describes the company's business model as having a "sustainability bias" with its compact rooms, close proximity to public transport, focus on high occupancy and choice not to have restaurants.

He said: "A lot of hotel operators will focus on banning operations such as single use plastic which is very good, however it's important to consider the entire life cycle of a hotel from construction, operation and then its phasing out after 30 years.

"We have compact rooms which are smaller than the competition therefore use less concrete than the competition. Concrete and the actual building of the hotel represents 75 per cent of carbon emissions of its entire lifecycle.

"Food waste at hotels typically eats up 12 per cent of carbon emissions and we have chosen to encourage guests to explore the restaurants around the hotel."

easyHotel has also focused on its capital expenditure to ensure its hotels are as energy efficient as possible through replacing boilers, windows alongside implementing a new room design made of furniture that is entirely recyclable.

The company has also invested in its smart buildings systems to regulate energy which can also alert guests on how they alter their behaviour to be less energy intensive during their stay.

Rival operator Airbnb, which sees owners rent out rooms or homes through the online platform, has come in for increasing criticism over its impact on the property market in the areas that it operates.

Karim said: "We use assets in a more sustainable way as the square metre equation is not as good.

"I am never a fan of taking an apartment of someone who could be involved in the community and with our hotels we are seeing locals use them with that percentage in some locations being up to 20 per cent."

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The hotel market is polarising into high end luxury and basic offerings which has been hastened by recent soaring inflation rates.

Karim says easyHotel's positioning puts it in a strong position for growth.

"There is a real need for hotels to be specific in their offering rather than having an average offering for everyone.

"You need to be specific on the clientele you want and add value drivers for those clients."