Statler Hotel and CHR Test Energy-Saving Guest Room Treatments-Guests Seem Pleased

Hotels everywhere would like to find ways to save energy but are concerned that conservation efforts may interfere with guests’ satisfaction with the room. In a research study conducted at the Statler Hotel, Assistant Professor Alex Susskind and Professor Rohit Verma found that careful changes do not result in dissatisfied guests.

In a study supported by Philips, a CHR partner, Susskind and Verma worked with General Manager Rick Adie ’75 to test energy-saving lighting treatments in selected guest bathrooms and to adjust the brightness settings on certain LCD television sets. In the bathrooms, the hotel substituted LEDs for the compact fluorescent bulbs. The TVs were tested with three different brightness levels.

Guests who experienced the “manipulated” rooms reported being just as satisfied as guests who had “regular” rooms. Guests liked either the LEDs or the CFSs. As explained in a recent CHR Report, Susskind and Verma conclude that this study indicates that hotels can find ways to save substantial energy without interfering with guest satisfaction.