Hotel Tech-in is our regular feature that takes a closer look at emerging technology in the hospitality industry.
With wellness and sustainability concerns at the forefront of its operations, the newly opened L7 Chicago by Lotte hotel is tackling plastic waste with a unique water filtration system.
The luxury property opened in June overlooking the Chicago River in the city’s downtown Loop district. The first L7 hotel in the Americas, the location offers guests an alternative to plastic water bottles: filtered water from the sinks in each room. With the water filtration system, the hotel is cutting plastic waste while also meeting guest demand for more sustainable accommodations.
Hotel Dive sat down with L7 Chicago’s assistant general manager, Selwyn Robles, to hear more about the property’s water filtration technology and the importance of plastic waste reduction.
The system
L7 Hotels by Lotte is a lifestyle hotel brand that centers on wellness and luxury hospitality. The brand has several properties across South Korea and Vietnam, in addition to L7 Chicago.
When planning the U.S. flagship hotel, the team wanted to remain true to the brand’s sustainability standards while also providing guests with an elevated experience, Robles shared. Enter Apec Water Systems, a California-based company founded in 1995 offering reverse osmosis water filtration systems.
Every sink in the guest rooms at L7 Chicago is fitted with an Apec Water filtration system. The filtration systems are built directly into the cold water faucets of the rooms, providing guests with access to purified water at all times of the day, without needing to request the amenity, Selwyn shared. There is a sign in every room notifying guests that the water is filtered and ready for consumption.
The filtration system was “very inexpensive and easy to install,” according to Selwyn, who noted it would be feasible for other luxury hotels to use a similar product. It cost L7 Chicago approximately $15 per faucet, and the hotel’s in-house engineering team installed the systems, Selwyn said.
Beyond the in-room water filtration systems, L7 Chicago has a station offering complimentary filtered water and other refreshments in the lobby. The hotel also provides guests with reusable water bottles to refill at stations throughout the property or in their rooms. Water refilling stations are a growth trend across the hotel industry, with Choice Hotels International’s Sleep Inn brand implementing them. Tempo by Hilton, meanwhile, debuted a “hydration station” at its Times Square hotel, where guests can purchase reusable water bottles.
The guest rooms at L7 Chicago are also equipped with air purification systems and “wellness essentials” like yoga mats, stretch bands and light weights.
The impact
L7 Chicago’s filtered water systems add significant value by reducing plastic waste and meeting guest demand for more sustainable hotel options, Selwyn said.
The hotel's systems “set a new standard for comfort, experience, and sustainability by filling a gap in service that is covered in most hotels by expensive and wasteful plastic bottles,” according to an L7 Chicago statement shared with Hotel Dive.
L7 Chicago estimates its filtered water systems save upwards of 97,000 plastic bottles from being used each year.
The system also provides a “huge relief” to guests who want to reduce their plastic waste while maintaining their routine while traveling, according to L7 Chicago.
“While this amenity might not be the first thing guests seek out in their hotel experience, it should be the first amenity other hotels seek to include for their guests,” L7 shared. “The most common feedback the hotel has received since opening is about how much people love the amenities.”
Hotels industrywide are pursuing a variety of ways to meet guest demand for more sustainable offerings and amenities, including smart shower heads and air filtration systems.
To reduce plastic waste specifically, hotel companies including Marriott International and Hilton are eliminating single-use plastics at the property level, replacing single-use toiletry bottles with full-size pump dispensers and adding water refilling stations in lieu of offering plastic water bottles.
In Illinois, the home state of L7 Chicago, the State Senate passed a bill in April aimed at phasing out the use of small, single-use plastic bottles at hotels. Similar legislation has been approved in Washington, California and New York.
