Sustainability Perspectives of Rural and Urban Luxury Hotels

Sustainability and luxury are topics of research at an individual level, but the relationship between them is still somewhat ambiguous. Sustainability aims to protect and preserve the environment, encourages the conscious use of resources, and promotes good community involvement. Luxury, on the other hand, is considered materialistic consumption to satisfy individual pleasures, referring to the exclusive and personalized use of a product or service. Assuming this antagonistic relationship, the main objective of this study is to compare the perception and practices of sustainability in luxury hotels, both in urban and rural areas. To this end, the specific objectives are to understand the sustainability indicators and in the context of hotel operations, the behavior and receptiveness of tourists to sustainability practices in hotels (urban and rural) and to identify the obstacles faced by hotels in implementing sustainable measures. Using qualitative analysis, through semi-structured interviews with the managers/directors or representatives in charge of luxury hotels in urban and rural areas in the Northern Region of Portugal, it was also possible to gain a more detailed understanding of sustainability in luxury hotels in urban and rural areas, as well as their points of convergence and divergence. Some of the statements made in the literature review were confirmed, especially regarding the profile of tourists, who mention that their perception of sustainability differs according to their geographical location. It was also possible to confirm that many sustainable practices are not implemented in luxury hotels, not only for fear of affecting the quality of the guest experience, but, according to the data from this research, it is also mainly due to a lack of financial resources, awareness, and leadership problems.