The size of modern tourism becomes increasingly important; a particular problem facing the tourism industry is providing for tourists higher-quality services. For a customer to return the same hotel, you need equipment and qualified personnel. This paper aims to present modern technologies with which, in hospitality industry, can provide quality services at lower costs, considering the environment protection.hotel industry, emerging technologies, costs, sustainable development

Andrei Ruxandra

Stan Elena Roxana

English

Research Papers in Economics

Modern technologies used to reduce costs in accommodation spaces from sustainable development perspective  142 
MODERN TECHNOLOGIES USED TO REDUCE COSTS IN 
ACCOMMODATION SPACES FROM SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT 
PERSPECTIVE 
 
Andrei Ruxandra, Stan Elena Roxana*  
 
Abstract 
The size of modern tourism becomes increasingly important; a particular problem facing the 
tourism industry is providing for tourists higher quality services. For a customer to return the same 
hotel, you need equipment and qualified personnel. This paper aims to present modern technologies 
with  which,  in  hospitality  industry,  can  provide  quality  services  at  lower  costs,  considering  the 
environment protection. 
 
Keywords:  hotel  industry,  emerging  technologies,  costs,  sustainable 
development. 
 
JEL Classification: O12, O14, M10 
 
1. Introduction  
 
It is certain that the services sector has gained in the last years a great economic 
and  social  importance.  The  economic  importance  lies  in  the  fact  that  providing 
services (in our case touristic services) is not a simple activity of one single factor 
involved, but is an amount of actions which converge to the same goal   customer 
satisfaction. Thus, the travel multiplier is found in practice, and this is more visible as 
in modern Europe the most developed areas in terms of variety of activities sectors 
are the one with touristic potential properly exploited. It is known that any excess is 
harmful, and this fact must be taken into account when are made the development 
plans of areas with tourism potential, so that the balance between man and nature do 
not have to suffer long term. 
Social importance has two aspects: that of the host social group and that of 
tourists. It is clear that a community entered in touristic circuit will benefit from a 
certain „opening”, which will lead to development, with implications for all plans, 
including the social. From the tourist’s point of view, it is clear that, regardless of 
social  class,  we  all  need  a  little  vacation,  which  make  us  more  relaxed,  better 
prepared, better trained and mood work. 
 
 
 
                                                 
* Ruxandra Andrei is Associate Professor at the Romanian American University, Bucharest. E mail: 
ruxandrei@yahoo.com 
ElenaRoxana Stan is Assistant Professor at the Romanian American University, Bucharest. Romanian Economic and Business Review – Vol. 5, No. 2  143 
2. Emerging technologies used in hotels to reduce costs 
 
When we speak about a touristic product we have in mind a variety of aspects. 
Imagine  a  diamond  with  a  hundred  facets.  If  a  single  face  is  scratched  or  has 
imperfections, the overview is affected. The same goes with the touristic product. 
When  a  tourist  buys  a  stay,  he  buys  an  amount  of  services  that  would  provide 
comfort and satisfy his needs, so that the final satisfaction to even price paid. The 
general impression is the sum of the impressions formed on each type of service, be 
it the road, destinations, means of communications or entertainment. It is a real 
battle that goes in that regard, because the ultimate goal is customer satisfaction, and 
only thus can ensure the perpetuation of success in tourism. 
In fact, the degree of comfort and privacy that a hotel can offer his guests 
represent a determining factor when it comes to make a choice. In case of Bucharest 
(in which practiced tourism is almost exclusively business, conference or some times 
transit),  other  factors  that  determine  the  choice  are:  the  distance  from  the  place 
where the customer operates, the prices charged by hotels or the client belonging to a 
hotel chain represented in the city. 
Professionalism of staff working in tourism is another sensitive chord, because 
if something goes wrong from technical point of view, customer can understand and 
even overlook if is someone who would talk to him and explain. If staff don’t proves 
professionalism, the problem becomes more serious or more acute, and long term 
effects are more „painful” than the short term (the customer simply leaves), because 
the bad reputation is hard to straighten. Human resource is the key for all today 
organizations and the future organizations. The problem is much broader and does 
not have place here. 
When it comes to facilities, we analyze two issues: ensuring a greater degree of 
comfort  for  the  client  and  the  use  of  cutting edge  technologies  to  streamline 
investment and operating costs. May be listed a series of examples from practice, but 
it is equally clear that next year about this time some of them will be considered 
obsolete.  And  this  will  certainly  happen,  because  the  developments  and  changes 
taking place in most areas of activity have reverberations in tourism   sensitive to 
news. 
Emerging  technologies  help  to  reduce  costs,  and  more  than  that  they  are 
designed to help protect the environment. 
Saving paper is a method to reduce costs in hotels, having in mind sustainable 
development. 
Computer is one of the most important ways that helped in organizing and 
developing hotel industry. Thus, he drove to reduce and save paper, that spread 
automatically also on the number of forests that could be saved. 
Another  argument  for  using  computer  and  successfully  replace  paper  is  to 
conduct  all  operations  in  real  time  from  hotel  booking  to  checking  availability 
anywhere in the world by simply accessing the system. Modern technologies used to reduce costs in accommodation spaces from sustainable development perspective  144 
There are departments that use recycled paper for documents, all to reduce and 
saving paper. 
There are paper recycling systems   specialized companies take the collected 
paper from each hotel and goes to recycling centers. 
If  we  stay  around  this  area,  the  hotels  should  implement  various  recycling 
systems for plastic and glass. Plastic and paper cups which recently replaced the old 
glass cups can be collected. 
Another way to reduce paper is to replace it with various devices containing 
cotton towels, which after use by turning the towel it reaches the top of the device 
where it is automatically disinfected and dried for the next use. 
Saving water is one of the new ways to reduce costs and implement sustainable 
development in hospitality. Large quantities of water are wasted in hotels due to lack 
of a strategy for sustainable development. Regarding this, there have been started 
new  „Eco”  strategies  for  water  conservation  in  hotels  and  implementation  of 
modern technologies to reduce costs. So, old valves were replaced with the ones with 
sensor, which enables water supply in the quantity required and thus it avoids wasting 
water by omitting to close the traditional valve, reducing inefficient water use. 
Another way to reduce water consumption in hospitality is made by various 
brochures which inform the hotel guests that the towels would be washed only if 
they are used and left in bathroom in a certain place. 
The  use  of  eco friendly  detergents  and  of  concentrated  detergents  in 
housekeeping  department  reduces  pollution  and  costs.  Detergents  used  in 
maintenance and sanitation of a hotel have a particular importance. Usually these 
operations  require  impressive  amounts  of  substances.  In  recent  years,  however, 
appeared  specific  solutions,  professional,  super  concentrates,  with  great  cleaning 
power, so that the quantities used to be reduced drastically. Environmental pollution 
affects us directly, so we should take care to maintain an environment as clean as 
should be. 
Substances  used  in  cleaning  in  recent  years  have  also  high  biodegradability 
degree, over 98%, so that the resulted residues are as few and as less harmful. Of 
course, is not enough only to have the substance, it should be used properly with 
appropriate equipment. If for detergents and disinfectants used for daily maintenance 
are special cups (as drip 4 5ml) and professional spray which spread optimal the 
solution on the surface to clean, for heavy areas were already invented machines to 
ensure,  polishes,  crystallize,  washes  everything  being  controlled,  dosed,  without 
unnecessary  waste.  Simple  cleaning  of  carpets  with  dry  foam  helps  protect  the 
environment, because the resulted residues do not go into the sewerage system, but 
in the vacuum cleaner dust bag. 
Unnecessary consumption can be avoided also in laundry, (which is known to 
use the most important quantity of detergent) by installing extremely economical 
dosing systems, which operates based on dispensed by professionals with experience 
in this field (leaves from 2 ml/kg of dry laundry) and by using liquid detergents, 
which do not produce waste and have a high degree of biodegradability (95 98% in Romanian Economic and Business Review – Vol. 5, No. 2  145 
the  initial  phase  and  completely  degraded  within  1 2  months).  The  same  dosing 
systems  are  used  also  for  dishwashers,  which  use  detergent  and  rinsing  agent. 
Glassware  gets  out  of  the  dishwasher  clean and dry, very  important  in  terms  of 
clients health. 
Refreshing spaces is another sensitive side, which helps create a pleasant overall 
impression.  In our days  there are nontoxic fresheners, gels with high content of 
perfume. They are „melt” slow and the amount of residues is negligible, without 
having in mind that the packaging is from recycled materials. 
And because this alone is a trend of increasingly large in terms of recycling and 
reuse. There was also in Romania this good habit of recovering certain types of 
materials, but the wave of change that came in 1989 did not selected what was good 
from what was bad and the 3R rule have lost. It is time to take this into account and 
to support him as much as we can. Apart from binding of traders to separate the 
waste resulting from their activity, there must be, as well, a real possibility to be 
collected separately, without imposing a weight scale. Otherwise, efforts to sort waste 
becomes useless and recycling impossible. 
There are up to date and efficient technologies, able to reuse paper and get 
excellent products in terms of quality. In quantitative terms, economy can be done 
using recycled products, thereby avoiding unnecessary waste. There was a period of a 
fashionable  jet  of  hot  air  dryers,  but  has  been  shown  that  hot  air  promote  the 
development and spreading in air of microbes and in many cases has dropped them 
and return to the classic paper napkins, distributed individually, which do not allows 
a customer to reach more once, but only the one that they used. The same system 
can be used in the kitchen. There distributor have other advantage (is not necessary 
to be touched). It is equipped with photoelectric cell and is trigged by simply passing 
the hand in front of device. It releases a piece of paper. It is hygienic and economical. 
Among the new innovations used in hospitality to reduce costs is distinguish the 
solar  panels,  which  reduce  energy  consumption  and  through  them  water  can  be 
heated. 
Also windmills (eolian) are mint to produce energy, thereby helping to reduce 
costs while keeping an unpolluted environment. 
In regions where hotels are built close to thermal waters, this water may be used 
to ensure the necessary heat especially when it is cold. 
Hot water for hotels may be given by some tanks located on the hotel roof, 
especially in regions which experience high temperatures. 
Lamps which operate on solar energy are loaded during the day and at night 
they give light. 
Innovative technologies used to reduce energy consumption of a hotel refer to 
the artificial light produced from natural light through optical cables. A series of fiber 
optic  cables  carries  natural  light  from  external  environment  inside,  this  process 
reducing electricity costs by up to 30%. 
Another way to reduce energy and also to reduce costs is by interconnecting 
electrical and appliances equipment in a hotel. This can be put into use when the Modern technologies used to reduce costs in accommodation spaces from sustainable development perspective  146 
tourist is in the hotel room by using magnetic card that takes place of the key in a 
device that controls the energy. 
Modern technologies make their presence felt in facilities less observable but 
which contributed to the overall impression   curtains, carpet, mattresses are made of 
fireproof materials, to enhance the safety of tourists.  
Wall covered  have  resistance  to  soiling  and  scratches,  and  over  time  creates 
significant savings. 
LED spots, although are more expensive to purchase, have multiple advantages 
by  significantly  higher  during  running,  with  extremely  low  consumption  and  not 
generating heat, not create on the ceiling around them that ring dirty looking (as heat 
attracts dust and fix it), so it rarely arise the need to paint ceilings.  
Benches and chairs have removable covers that make them easy to maintain.  
Pillows are filled with silicone balls, some small lumps of silicon wires, which 
have a long life (decrease of 2% by volume in a year of operation), does not cause 
allergies, are comfortable and can be washed and clean however, which increases the 
security given by the ordinary cleanliness of the room.  
It gives up more and more for traditional cotton underwear, for mixed fabrics, 
more light and silky and easier to clean, not to mention the fact that not requires 
dressing, and this it is known as a global trend. 
It is obvious that modern technology that would assist in customer satisfaction 
and  reduce  costs  must  be  present  in  public  space  segment.  Meeting  Segment  is 
sufficiently profitable that will be well considered. In rooms, facilities consist of ultra 
modern equipment, video projectors, sound equipment, wireless, direct international 
line for videoconferencing, so that communication will be done in minimum time, 
even simultaneously. 
A  pleasant  environment  in  all  public  places  can  be  assured  with  a  sound 
installation, which spread 24 of 24 relaxing music, able to induce a good mood state 
so essential to success. 
Locating  a  plasma  in a bar  or  in  on  open  space will certainly  gather guests 
whenever are news or is playing an important football game. There are opportunities 
for hotels to increase revenue and for customers to socialize. All are designed to 
form a whole.  
The hotel is a machine in which all wheels must work perfectly. The idea is that, 
as  in  any  business,  is  desirable  to  obtain  higher  incomes  with  low  cost, without 
compromising the quality, but simply avoiding waste. 
It can make significant savings in energy consumption by using motion sensors in 
low or increased traffic areas so that the light stay switched on only as long as is needed. 
The  centralized  hotel  management  system  has  not  only  the  mean  to  ease  the 
accounting of entries and exits, but also to save customers time. The use of access cards 
saves time and increases the guest’s safety. And because we are talking about guests safety 
there are in certain critical points surveillance cameras, meant to capture those situations 
that can create inconvenience to customers, making it possible to solve them in time. Romanian Economic and Business Review – Vol. 5, No. 2  147 
Progress  by  applying  modern  technologies  and  reduce  costs  is  felt  in  the 
building  where  we  plan  to  do  with  divisions  of  gypsum  board,  which  is  any 
renovation work and reduce the time of intervention, which helps to play into faster 
an area affected: Use of central ventilation systems, although it has disadvantages that 
can not allow each customer to change the room temperature too long, however, 
uses a lower amount of fuel and thus release less noxious; Use of PVC windows with 
insulating glass, LOW E filter that keeps the heat outdoors in summer and indoors in 
winter, again helping to achieve significant savings in terms of heating costs; A good 
initial  impression  for  the  client  creates  even  elevators.  After  first  contact  with  a 
person smile at reception desk and check in in short time, the path to the room must 
be pleasant, quiet, smooth and if possible in quiet ambient music. There are already 
invented such lifts. Costs are quite expensive, but as well as satisfaction. 
 
3. Conclusion 
 
What happens in Romania in this period is somehow atypical, because investors 
in  this  sector,  touristic,  is  to  gain  quick  profit  and  more  rapid  depreciation  of 
investments, and this is happening together with a poor quality of infrastructure, a 
poor  training  of  staff  involved  in  the  tourism  industry  and  the  lack  of  effective 
monitoring of compliance with legislation.  
But there are timid steps in the fight for quality assurance, and this is seen 
already in hotels in Bucharest, where competition has begun to show their teeth. 
Except peak of fairs (spring and autumn), when hardly find a place to stay, fight is 
taking on intervals considered 'poor' when demand decreases, and supply remains 
too high. Customer loyalty is no longer a slogan, because from them depend the 
business success when you own a hotel.  
Investors who choose this field understands (at least in the capital, but slowly it 
generalizes) that a client is hard won and easily lost. For that customer to return the 
same hotel, you need equipment and qualified personnel. 
Currently, in the hotel industry the focus is on  methods to reduce costs by 
saving  paper,  water,  use  of  detergents  and  electricity,  taking  into  account  also 
sustainable  development.  Thus,  the  latest  technologies  help  to  reduce  costs  and 
protect the environment. 
 
References 
   
Dragulanescu,  N.  and  Dragulanescu,  M.  2003.  Quality  management  services, 
Editor AGIR, Bucharest 
King, J. H. and Cichy, R. F. 2006. Managing for Quality in the Hospitality Industry, 
Culinary and Hospitality Industry Publication Services 
Stanescu, D. Mihai, St. N. and Stan, R. 2009. Quality in tourism services, Editor 
Universitara, Bucharest 
 
 

Quality management services, Editor AGIR,

BLACK SEA: MODERN TECHNOLOGIES USED TO REDUCE COSTS IN ACCOMMODATION SPACES FROM SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE

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BLACK SEA: MODERN TECHNOLOGIES USED TO REDUCE COSTS IN ACCOMMODATION SPACES FROM SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PERSPECTIVE

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