Hotels, are you PEFCR-ready?
How EU rules will change the way we design, build and furnish hospitality spaces
By 2026, the Product Environmental Footprint Category Rules (PEFCR) for hotel accommodation will become the new benchmark for measuring environmental performance in the hospitality industry.
And here’s the game-changer: PEFCR looks at everything - not just your energy and water usage, but also your interiors, furniture, materials and even how often you renovate.
If you’re a hotel owner, architect or interior designer, this will directly impact the way you plan, design and invest in your spaces.
Why this matters for hotels
The PEFCR provides a uniform European framework to measure environmental impact across 16 key categories - from carbon footprint and water use to resource depletion and material traceability.
For hotels, this means:
You’ll need data on every material and product used in your interiors
Upcycled, recycled and certified materials will lower your PEF score
Frequent renovations with virgin materials? Negative impact on your rating
Products without traceable material data will make compliance harder
Hotels that adopt circular design principles will have a clear competitive edge
What this means for interiors
Under the new PEFCR rules, the way we design and furnish hotel spaces will need to change. Interiors are no longer just about aesthetics and comfort - they’re part of a hotel’s environmental footprint.
Every material, product and finish you choose will now carry weight in your sustainability score:
Furniture: Hotels will need to prove where materials come from and how pieces are made. Choosing upcycled, recycled or certified furniture can significantly reduce your impact.
Flooring and finishes: High-impact materials like exotic woods, virgin plastics and non-recyclable composites will negatively affect your score. Durable, low-impact alternatives will become the smarter choice.
Textiles: From bedding to curtains, fabrics have a huge footprint due to water use, chemicals and production energy. Hotels will need to shift towards certified, traceable and low-impact textiles.
Lighting and fixtures: Energy-efficient, repairable and modular solutions will not only improve your rating but also extend product lifecycles.
Maintenance and cleaning: The more effort it takes to maintain and replace your interiors, the higher the environmental cost. Choosing durable, low-maintenance solutions will pay off - for both sustainability and operations.
In short: hotels will need to rethink interior choices through the lens of lifespan, traceability and circularity. Every design decision — from a chair to a carpet — will directly affect your environmental performance under PEFCR.
Where May Again comes in
At May Again, we curate bold, upcycled design pieces and showcase them in Context Capsules - temporary or permanent showroom-like setups inside real hospitality spaces.
Our capsules give hotels the chance to:
Test and experience upcycled and traceable design pieces
Lower their environmental footprint by integrating smarter material choices
Showcase innovation to guests, investors, and press
Stay ahead of EU legislation and prepare for PEFCR compliance
In other words: we turn sustainability into a tangible guest experience — without compromising on aesthetics or boldness.
The opportunity
Hotels that act now can lead the shift towards circular interiors and future-proof hospitality design.
PEFCR isn’t just another regulation. It’s an invitation to rethink how we build, furnish and experience hotels.
At May Again, we’re helping hotels make that transition — one Context Capsule at a time.
If you’re a hotel owner or interior architect and want to stay ahead of these changes, let’s connect. We’re currently looking for partners in Oost-Vlaanderen to co-create a pilot capsule as part of an upcoming subsidy program.
Header image taken by Wendy Scheerlinck in a hotel in Berlin
