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Abstract
The hospitality industry is a significant contributor to energy consumption with hotels contributing substantially to environmental footprint. This study employs a systematic content analysis of recent literature to map the conceptual landscape of research on energy efficiency innovations in hotels . The aim of the study is to identify and categories the predominant innovations studies, the key themes in academic discourse and the explicit and implicit benefits and barriers documented in literature. A review of 38 peer-reviewed articles published between 2018 to 2023 was conducted. Using a systematic process guided by the PRISMA protocol, SCOPUS and Web of Science database articles were identified and coded to analyse content based on innovation type, methodological approach, reported outcomes based on economic, environmental and social issues as well as cited barriers. The findings revealed five dominant innovation categories : Smart Building System and IoT, HVAC and Thermal Comfort, Lightening Retrofits, Renewable Energy Integration and Strategic Management and Behavioral Programs. The discourse is overwhelmingly positive, highlighting significant energy savings (20 - 30%), financial returns (ROI >20%) and enhances brand reputation. Nevertheless, the analysis highlights three pervasive barriers: high initial investment, informational asymmetry and the split-incentive dilemma. This review also goes beyond a traditional summary and provide a rigorous analysis of the context and focus on academic research in this domain. The study reveals a technological bias in the literature with less focus on strategic implementation framework as well as staff-driven behavioral programs. The findings also offer researchers a clear agenda for future studies.
Keywords: Energy Efficiency, Sustainable Innovations, Hotels, Hospitality Technology, Systematic review, Barriers