The Situation

Hilton manages and franchises a broad portfolio of almost 5,900 properties with more than 939,000 rooms, in 114 countries and territories. It has welcomed three billion guests in its 100-year history, including the award-winning Hilton Prague located between the business district and the historic Old Town of Prague, Czech Republic. 

In 2018, Hilton launched its Travel with Purpose 2030 Goals, becoming the first major hospitality company to institute science-based carbon reduction targets approved by the Science Based Targets initiative. As part of the ambitious sustainability goals for its hotels, Hilton committed to doubling its investment in social impact and cutting its environmental footprint in half through responsible hospitality across its value chain.

To fulfill these commitments and redefine sustainable travel and tourism, Hilton continues to explore new ways to reduce environmental impact and strengthen communities by working together with partners to create economic opportunities and help preserve the environment.

In 2013, the Hilton Prague hotel laundry, which washes laundry for both Hilton Prague and Hilton Prague Old Town as well as several other hotels, faced poor dosing equipment and a lack of data management, which made it difficult to monitor system efficiency and look for opportunities to make improvements.

With support of the Ecolab Textile Care team, the focus was put on total cost optimization (TCO) and quality improvement through a holistic approach combining service and technology. 

"We heard a real appreciation from hotel management, speaking about satisfaction with Ecolab in general, the results we deliver and the exceptional level of service we provide", said Vojtech Cerny, District Manager for Textile Care in the Czech Republic "Hilton Prague  is today considered as a benchmark within the Hilton chain."

The Solution

Ecolab worked together with Hilton and completely changed its approach to the washing process. By installing dosing systems and implementing digital monitoring platforms, Hilton was able to get full control of the washing process, follow all the required steps and adjust the parameters any time during the process to optimise and maximise the results.

By making the switch from a 90°C process to one at 60°C while keeping washing efficacy, Ecolab was able to lower operational costs by 10 percent during the first few months of operations.

Then in 2017, Ecolab successfully deployed a new technology for low-temperature washing: OxyGuard40. As the name would suggest, OxyGuard 40 is a programme based on a wash temperature of 40°C, which generates water and energy savings for commercial laundries. 

From a sustainability standpoint, Hilton also appreciated OxyGuard 40’s EU Ecolabel, as a mark of its commitment to reducing the environmental impact of its laundry operations. 

“Not only do we regularly deliver what we promise, but we go the extra mile and we always search for additional benefits and solutions such as OxyGuard 40“ - explained Vojtech.

The Results

From the beginning in 2013 to today, Ecolab has continued to grow its partnership with the Hilton hotel in Prague over years, helping to reduce the impacts emanating from the laundry operation:

• Water use by 35.8% 
• Gas consumption by 23.6% 
• Total costs of operation by 29.3%