The Hidden Cost of Bottled Water in Hotels

The Hidden Cost of Bottled Water in Hotels

Key Takeaways

  • The cost of bottled water extends beyond the per-case purchase price to include operational expenses—staff time/labor, and the logistics of shipping, storage, and waste disposal. 
  • Studies show that guests expect filtered water as a baseline amenity, and hotels meeting that expectation see it reflected in booking data.
  • Standardized drinking-water infrastructure across guest-facing areas is easier to maintain than a bottled-water program.

More than 8 gigatons of plastic waste have accumulated since 1950, over half of it after 2002. Plastic contains thousands of toxic chemicals that leach out to contaminate our oceans, soil, and food. Single-use plastics, like those used for most bottled water, account for 35–40% of current plastic production, which is on track to triple by 2050.1 But concern for the health of guests and the environment isn’t the only reason hotels have increasingly focused on sustainability in their day-to-day operations. It has economic benefits as well.

What’s the Real Cost of Bottled Water for a Hotel?

Because it’s more than just a line item, the full cost of a bottled water program for any given hotel remains unexamined. But aggregated data begins to get at the true outlay. 

CBRE classifies bottled-water programs under F&B. When the company looked at the monthly operating statements of 866 properties for the first half of 2025, it broke F&B budgets into three categories: labor, the cost of goods, and “other.”2 But a bottled-water program cuts across all three of these. The initial purchase of the bottled water is added in “cost of goods,” while the time that staff spend reordering, monitoring inventory, and restocking guest-facing areas gets logged under “labor,” and the storage and disposal of single-use plastic falls into the “other” category. And in the last two of these categories, the proportion of expenses tied to bottled water isn’t tracked.

From an asset-management perspective, CBRE argues, occupancy expenses like repairs and maintenance, utilities, real estate taxes, insurance, and management fees need to be factored in to understand the true profitability of (for example) a hotel restaurant.3 The same can be said of a hotel’s bottled-water program: the actual price per bottle, staff labor, the value of required storage space, and the sanitation charges associated with bins full of plastic—all should be considered in assessing the program’s cost. 

Point-of-use water-filtration systems have costs of their own, of course, but they minimize the labor and logistic expenses associated with bottled water programs while supporting economic best practices and aligning brands with growing consumer demand for sustainability. 

No wonder, then, that Marriott International, Hilton, and IHG Hotels & Resorts are just a few of the players making strides to reduce single-use plastic at their properties. 

Do Guests Really Notice Wellness and Sustainability Amenities?

Absolutely. According to a 2023 Ipsos survey, 76% of Americans are concerned about plastic pollution and its impact on the environment,4 and Booking.com's most recent Travel & Sustainability Report shows that 85% of global travelers want to make more sustainable choices. 

While a gap remains between stated commitment and actual behavior, the data indicates a general shift from intention to action when people choose where to stay. JD Power's 2026 North America Hotel Guest Satisfaction Index Study finds that guests consider filtered water stations a "need-to-have" amenity5, and on Booking.com alone, travelers reserved 100 million nights at eco-certified properties in 2025.6

Where Best to Install Filtered Drinking-Water Systems in a Hotel

Point-of-use hydration stations, like AquaTru Pro’s freestanding and on-wall units, are ideal for lobbies, rooftop lounges, fitness and conference centers, and meeting and event spaces, as well as break rooms and high-traffic back-of-house areas.

What Should Operators Look for in a Filtered Drinking-Water System?

  • Capacity. Approximately how many people will the unit serve? A break room might need a unit that can supply 25 people throughout the day, while one in a busy lobby may need to quench the thirst of 100 or more. 

  • Maintenance. Do appointments need to be scheduled with specialized techs to handle something as routine as filter changes, or can filters be purchased direct at any time and replaced by any employee on site?

  • Ease of Installation. How much plumbing is required to get the units up and running? If a retrofit, how much touch-up or construction is needed? The AquaTru Pro Series On-Walls, for instance, have large rear access cavities that allow for easier alignment and installation when working with rough-ins made for comparable models by Elkay, Halsey Taylor, Murdock, and others. And their slightly larger overall footprint minimizes the need for wall repairs and conceals minor marks caused by mounting the previous units. 

Does Standardizing Drinking-Water Infrastructure Across a Brand or Portfolio Make Sense?

Yes. Consistency across properties streamlines upkeep for staff. Instead of dealing with multiple vendors to manage several bottled-water contracts, you work with one and can leverage bulk purchasing power for discounts on point-of-use units and replacement filters. Integrated across a multi-flag portfolio, a standardized, high-quality drinking-water program is easier to track than a patchwork of ad hoc solutions and can become part of your brand—an amenity that shows marketable care, attracting guests.

I Want a Customized Drinking-Water Program for My Hotel or Portfolio. Where Do I Start?

AquaTru Pro designs custom drinking-water programs for single properties and multi-flag portfolios. Whether your goal is to incorporate a cost-effective, standout amenity that aligns with current trends in consumer demand, or you simply want to use less plastic in your operations, AquaTru Pro’s Multi-Stage Ultra Reverse Osmosis® purifiers and on-wall filtration systems can help make it happen.

→ Click here to get started on a customized filtered-water program for your hotel or portfolio.

FAQs

Are single-use plastic water bottles banned in hotels anywhere in the US? 

At present, there are no total bans. Current state laws in California, New York, and Illinois restrict small-format personal care toiletries like shampoo and lotion, not drinking-water bottles.7 But that might soon change. Local ordinances to restrict the retail sale of single-use plastic water bottles, especially in California8 and Massachusetts9, are growing rapidly.  

Does replacing bottled water with water-filtration systems lower operating costs? 

It removes the associated costs—staff time/labor, shipping, storage, and waste disposal. The exact savings afforded by a point-of-use program depend on a property's current bottled-water spend, occupancy, and how many point-of-use systems are installed. 

Can filtered water stations support green certification programs like LEED or Green Key? 

Both programs include water stewardship and waste-reduction criteria in their scoring, so eliminating single-use bottles, whether plastic or glass, is one factor among many that can help a property achieve certification. At the time of this writing, high-quality drinking-water specifically is not a requirement for LEED or Green Key Global certification. With LEED, however, providing it earns you an optional single-point pilot credit.10 Check the organizations’ websites for more details.

Does in-room bottled water get replaced by hydration stations, like those sold by AquaTru Pro? 

The practice is not yet widespread. Point-of-use filtration stations are built for common areas. It’s possible to install them next to the ice machines on guest floors and have refillable stainless steel bottles or glass carafes in guest rooms.

What’s the point of filtered water? Isn’t tap water safe to serve? 

Municipal tap water is treated and tested to meet federal and state drinking water standards before it reaches a property. AquaTru Pro Series point-of-use filtration systems add a further layer of protection and are certified by IAPMO, an independent third-party, against contaminants like arsenic, microplastics, chlorine byproducts, PFAS, and lead that can leak from old pipes in a building.

Citations

  1. Landrigan, Philip J., et al. “The Mindaroo-Monaco Commission on Plastics and Human Health.” Annals of Global Health, vol. 89, no. 1, 2023. Ubiquity Press. https://annalsofglobalhealth.org/articles/10.5334/aogh.4056
  2. Mandelbaum, R., Grigg, A. “Hotel Food and Beverage - A Bright Spot in 2025.” November 13, 2025. https://www.cbre.com/insights/articles/hotel-food-and-beverage-a-bright-spot-in-2025
  3. Ibid.
  4. Oceana National Plastic Pollution Survey, February 23, 2023.
    https://www.ipsos.com/sites/default/files/ct/news/documents/2023-02/Ipsos%20Oceana%20National%20Plastics%20Polling_2023%20Topline%20Report%2002%2023%202023.pdf
  5. "Great Guest Rooms, Improved Hotel Upkeep Drive Surge in Hotel Guest Satisfaction, JD Power Finds," July 14, 2026. https://www.jdpower.com/business/press-releases/2026-north-america-hotel-guest-satisfaction-study/
  6. Booking Holdings 2026 Sustainability Report. https://news.booking.com/download/1d38ba01-14dd-49e4-87ab-2af8fe9ecbb3/booking.comtravelampsustainabilityreport2026_newsroomedition4.pdf
  7.  “New Regulations Among U.S. States Target Single-Use Plastic in Hotels,” January 13, 2025.  https://regask.com/us-single-use-plastic-ban-hotels/
  8. Skinner, Anna. “Map Shows Where Sale of Plastic Water Bottles in Banned in US,” April 10, 2025.  https://www.newsweek.com/us-map-plastic-water-bottle-sale-banned-nevada-california-2058097
  9. https://www.sierraclub.org/massachusetts/plastic-beverage-containers
  10. https://www.usgbc.org/credits/new-construction-core-and-shell-commercial-interiors-existing-buildings/v5/wepc170?return=%2Fcredits%2FNew+Construction%2Fv5
Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.