| Effects of previous variables on energy use in hotel buildings were reviewed and synthesized |
Consider the scale, structure, and services of hotels when planning the buildings’ energy efficiency |
| High concentration of articles in Asia and Europe |
Need for research in more regions |
| Gross Floor Area and Total Number of Guestrooms affect hotel energy use positively |
Larger hotels with more rooms should implement strategies to manage their resource consumption |
| Occupancy had inconclusive results, with hotel star level affecting the outcome |
Upscale hotels could invest in strategies to increase occupancy rates avoiding excessive energy use |
| 13 contributors to energy use in hotels are evaluated |
Use of advanced EMS, retrofitting buildings with greener technologies, and optimizing services to minimize energy waste |
| Divergences in using raw energy data and EUI indicators |
Consider raw energy data when evaluating the relationship with hotel physical parameters |
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Future research directions
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Methodology
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| Development and investigation of theories to support the relationship in the empirical literature |
| Incorporation of new variables should be considered mainly in the social and environmental areas (e.g., female employees, staff turnover, hours of training, waste generated) |
| Role of company annual reporting methodologies such as GRI |
| The contribution of the COVID-19 Pandemic in the relationship between contributors and energy use in hotels |
| Development of longitudinal studies to evaluate the dynamics among variables |
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Contributors to energy use
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| Expand research on occupancy rates and their relationship to energy use, including possible moderators |
| Expand social and environmental relationships with energy use in hotels (e.g., number of employees, carbon emissions, water use, ambient temperature) |
| Expand the area of knowledge by considering significant underrepresented variables (star level, retrofit, guestrooms area, guest-nights, room revenue, among others) |
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Moderators
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| Include hotel levels, locations, and services offered in further investigations |
| Evaluate potential impacts of innovative technologies, such as EMS and smart meters |
