By Trish Nugent
Sustainability tends to get a lot of attention in April for Earth Month. By May, the messaging quiets down, but guest expectations don’t.
For hotel leaders, the issue isn’t whether sustainability matters. That question has already been answered. The issue is that a lot of sustainability messaging still isn’t landing.
Most brands can point to a list of initiatives—reduced plastics, local sourcing, energy-efficient systems. On paper, the effort is there. But for guests, those efforts often feel distant, vague or hard to verify. And in a travel environment where people are more informed and more skeptical than ever, that gap shows.
Sustainability messaging isn’t falling short because hotels aren’t doing enough. It’s falling short because it’s not being communicated in a way that feels real.
What’s changing now isn’t the expectation of our guests. It’s the standard. Guests aren’t looking for more claims. They’re looking for proof. So be prepared to show receipts.
Start with honesty, not perfection
One of the fastest ways to lose credibility is to present sustainability as a finished story.
It’s not. And guests know that.
What they’re actually looking for is a clear view of where a property stands today. They want to know what’s working, what’s improving and where there’s still ground to cover.
That level of transparency can feel uncomfortable. It’s much easier to default to broad language like “ecofriendly” or “green.”
The problem is those words don’t mean much anymore. If anything, they signal that the details are missing.
Credibility comes from specificity—what’s in place, what impact it’s having and how it’s evolving over time.
That requires a shift in mindset. Sustainability isn’t a campaign that gets rolled out and wrapped up. It’s an ongoing operational reality and it needs to be communicated that way.
Make it visible—or don’t expect it to matter
In many hotels, sustainability still lives behind the scenes.
It’s built into operations, tracked in reports and discussed at the leadership level, but largely invisible to the guest. That’s where things break down.
Hospitality is an experience business. If guests can’t see or feel something, it’s very hard for it to influence perception.
The brands that are getting this right aren’t necessarily doing more. They’re making what they’re doing visible in ways that feel natural instead of forced.
At The Lake House on Canandaigua, sustainability shows up across the stay itself. Guests see it in the gardens that supply meals and cocktails. They experience it through tours led by a horticulturist. Even additions like an on-site apiary are designed to become part of that experience over time.
Behind the scenes, systems like geothermal energy, composting and eliminating single-use plastics support the model. But they’re not positioned as standalone talking points. They connect back to what the guest actually sees and experiences.
That’s the difference. Sustainability stops being an abstract idea and starts becoming something tangible.
Stop telling isolated stories
Another common mistake is treating sustainability like a series of individual wins.
A recycling program here. A farm-to-table menu there. An energy upgrade layered in.
Each of those matters. But in isolation, they don’t add up to much in the mind of a guest.
Travelers aren’t evaluating one initiative at a time. They’re forming a broader impression of how a property operates.
The brands building real credibility understand that and tell a more connected story.
How is energy sourced? How is waste managed? How are materials selected? How do local partnerships fit in? And how do all of those decisions reinforce each other?
That systems-level view does two things: It reflects reality more accurately and it gives guests a clearer sense of what a brand or property actually stands for.
Translate impact into something guests can feel
There’s also a tendency to rely heavily on data, certifications and technical achievements. Those matter. They signal commitment and can reinforce credibility.
But they’re rarely what guests connect with.
Guests don’t necessarily remember metrics. They remember how a place felt.
Was it quieter? Cleaner? More connected to its surroundings? Did the experience feel more thoughtful, more intentional?
That’s the translation challenge. Ask yourself:
- What does sustainability actually change about the stay?
- What will the guest notice?
- Why does it matter in a way that feels immediate?
If those answers aren’t clear, the message gets lost, no matter how strong the underlying effort is.
Credibility is where this lands
Sustainability is only going to become more central to travel decisions.
As it does, the gap between what brands say and what guests experience will matter more, not less.
The hotels that lead won’t be the ones with the longest list of initiatives. They’ll be the ones that communicate those efforts clearly, consistently and without overreach.
Because at its core, this isn’t just a sustainability issue. It’s a credibility issue.
Trish Nugent is SVP, head of PR & PA and travel specialty leader at Mower, a 100% employee-owned, women-led advertising, marketing and public relations agency.
This is a contributed piece to Hotel Business, authored by an industry professional. The thoughts expressed are the perspective of the bylined individual.