Opting out of room cleaning is an option offered by many hotels, but it is rarely taken up. At the Spree-Waldhotel Cottbus, one in two guests now chooses this option. The reason: the decision can be made with a single tap in the guest app and produces a visible result. This article shows how the hotel, the Gastfreund guest app and Click A Tree work together to ease the workload on staff and demonstrate a tangible impact to guests.
1. The challenge: the blind spot in room cleaning
The option to opt out of room cleaning has long been available in many hotels, but in practice it is rarely taken up. Yet it is clear that such offers only work if they are simple and available at the right moment. If guests lack motivation and cannot see the effect of their decision, the offer remains unused.
At the same time, costs for water, energy, cleaning products and staff are rising. Guests are also paying much closer attention to how a hotel manages its resources than they did ten years ago. This raised the question for the Spree-Waldhotel Cottbus: how can an option that hardly anyone uses be turned into a decision that guests are happy to make?
2. The solution: a tap on the guest app, a tree in the Philippines with Click A Tree
The solution is two-pronged: it involves the Gastfreund guest app, which has been part of everyday life at the hotel for many years, and the partnership with Click A Tree, which turns a digital decision into a visible impact.
Guests can opt out of room cleaning via the guest app, either for a single day or for the entire stay. At check-in, the team personally draws their attention to this option. In the room, an NFC display serves as a reminder : simply hold your smartphone up to it briefly, as with contactless payment, or scan the QR code. That’s all it takes.
For every room cleaning service that is cancelled, the Spree-Waldhotel Cottbus uses Click A Tree to have a tree planted as part of a reforestation project in the Philippines, whilst also collecting one kilogramme of plastic. Some of the recycled plastic is used to make school chairs for local schools.
“Thisproject shows just how important good partnerships are. With Gastfreund, we reach our guests digitally; with Click A Tree, we’re doing our bit for the environment at the same time – together, this is exactly the right solution for us. In the end, everyone benefits: our guests, our hotel and the environment.”
Melanie Liebe, Managing Director at the Spree-Waldhotel Cottbus
3. Implementation: The Spree-Waldhotel Cottbus, Gastfreund and Click A Tree – the winning trio
Behind this result lies the collaboration of three partners. Each takes on a clear role, and it is only through working together that the experience guests enjoy at the hotel is created.
The Spree-Waldhotel Cottbus creates the opportunity. The hotel focuses on solutions that can be put into practice not only in everyday life but also whilst on holiday. It therefore goes one step further and gives its guests the opportunity to make a contribution themselves. Anyone who opts out of room cleaning is actively taking part: it is not just the hotel, but the guests too, who are implementing the project.
The Gastfreund guest app makes the decision easy. It is the digital hub, connecting guests, the hotel and the reforestation project. There, guests can find hotel information, offers, tips and a travel guide round the clock; they can message the team via chat whilst out and about, or opt out of room cleaning with a single tap. This gives guests a sense of satisfaction, supports the project and frees up more time for the hosts.
Click A Tree makes the impact visible. The company documents the hotel’s commitment and ensures that, for every room cleaning service cancelled, a tree is planted and 1 kg of plastic waste is collected. In this way, the hotel, guests and the partners involved support the reforestation project in the Philippines.
This collaboration works because the three elements are interlinked: the hotel provides the opportunity, the guest app offers a simple way to take part, and Click A Tree delivers a verifiable result. This places no additional burden on the team during day-to-day operations.
4. Results: One in two guests opts out of room cleaning
- 1,780 trees planted per year. For every room cleaning service cancelled, the hotel arranges for a tree to be planted via Click A Tree; for every tree, an additional 1 kg of plastic is collected.
- 593 hours saved in housekeeping per year. The extra workload decreases with every cleaning service cancelled, calculated on the basis of around 20 minutes per cleaning.
- 35,600 kg of calculated CO₂ sequestration per year. The calculation is based on approximately 20 kg of CO₂ per tree. The sequestration occurs as the trees grow and does not represent CO₂ that has already been fully removed.
- Average estimated cost saving of €9,600 per year. This is achieved through reduced consumption of water, energy and cleaning products, as well as by switching to digital solutions: a guest app instead of paper folders, and NFC displays instead of leaflets in the rooms.
5. Conclusion: One click, one tree – more time for personal interaction
The Spree-Waldhotel Cottbus demonstrates that the guest app not only provides information but also helps guests, in partnership with Click A Tree, to make a contribution to the environment: The guest app allows offers and services to be booked, connects guests directly with the hosts, and turns every cancelled room cleaning into a quantifiable impact – currently calculated at 1,780 trees planted per year. For the team, this means more time for personal interaction with guests.
Find out more in the full success story:
✔ How the Spree-Waldhotel Cottbus uses the guest app to ensure that one in two guests opts out of room cleaning
✔ How every cancelled room cleaning turns into a tree: 1,780 trees planted per year with Click A Tree
✔ How housekeeping recovers 593 hours per year
✔ How the guest app and NFC displays replace paper folders and leaflets, reducing costs by an estimated €9,600 per year on average
Read the full case study now and be inspired:
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