An analysis of the state of sustainability in Indiana's luxury hotels

This thesis delves into the hotel industry in Indiana to discover the quality and quantity of sustainable practices commonly implemented in the hospitality industry of the state, as well as how effective these efforts are. Concern over the state of the environment, especially looking towards the future, is of prime importance in this piece. The abundance of increasingly efficient technologies as well as efficient models of appliances has allowed hotels to cut energy use and save money. However, each property has different levels of implementation of such technologies and individualized plans in conducting sustainable business. To provide a standard to compare Indiana hotels to, research was conducted to establish sustainable practices in place nation-wide. In turn, Indiana's hotel industry was examined by conducting interviews at selected properties in the luxury sector of hotels in downtown Indianapolis, which are the properties most likely to implement sustainable practices, especially in their effort to serve customers with higher standards for environmental consciousness. After such interviews were conducted, the luxury hotels' sustainable practices were examined and compared, with conclusions made about the State of sustainability in Indiana's luxury hotels, creating a basis on which to evaluate Indiana’s hotel industry as a whole.Honors CollegeThesis (B.?