Sustainability
Other trends are menus that prioritise low ‘food miles’ (distance from farm to table), serving local/regional wines, ordering menus to start with vegan/low carbon footprint options first. You could argue this is giving consumers more choice by being more transparent about impact. In fact, expect to see more of this transparency in terms of social or environmental impact, as we are subject to greater climate-related reporting. Fron runners of this trend include Shorefast Foundation, which has created an Economic Nutrition certification mark. Modelled on the concept of food nutrition labels, it provides consumers with financial information behind a product or service. If you stay at their social enterprise, Fogo Island Inn, the label reveals how revenue is allocated across multiple categories including labour and food/supplies.
Above: InterContinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort and Spa uses sea water air-conditioning.
Below: Katharine Le Quesne, visiting lecturer at Glion Institute of Higher Education.
Previous page: Fogo Island Inn.
For example, with zonal sensors in a typical urban
hotel, we could ensure appropriate levels of light/ heat/cooling in public areas and room corridors during peak versus low volume periods of the day. The widespread use will obviously depend to a degree on building codes and/or brand standards (legislation is often a necessary lever to constrain cost-cutting/short-termism in construction). Food waste is another area where we have seen
significant progress. There is a growing range of equipment for tracking and managing food ingredients as they pass from wholesaler to the diner’s plate and on into the waste bins. Waste measurement devices have proved to reduce waste volumes and therefore both food acquisition costs and disposal costs. This is a ‘back of house’ change that the customer
neither sees nor needs to be aware of, except perhaps as part of a positive marketing message if the hotel/ restaurant has waste reduction figures to be proud of. But it doesn’t all have to be behind closed doors. Silo London says it is the world’s first zero-waste restaurant.
Don’t forget the guests
As we grapple with balancing economic, environmental and social aspirations, one of the barriers to sustainability efforts – especially in the luxury segment – is fear of a customer backlash. Hoteliers can be nervous that the clientele may perceive these measures as detrimental to guest experience and therefore a drop in value for money. It is also important to be aware of national or cultural expectations. For example, the Swiss Tourism Board states clearly
on its website that tap water in the country is drinkable and high quality. One particular luxury hotel provides a refillable water bottle in guest rooms, with a note informing guests that local tap water is excellent, and the bottle can be refilled from the tap in the room, saving energy and waste (single-use plastics/glass). I discussed this with an overseas corporate group, who do not drink water from the tap at home due to poor water quality. Despite all the reassurances and their confidence in Swiss quality generally, these visitors wanted bottled water – it is not their custom to do otherwise. A situation such as this highlights how many operators will need to think creatively and tread carefully in the trade-off between guest satisfaction and sustainability. There are growing numbers of brands striving to do this well, from domestic players such as Room2, Hometels, Zeal Hotels and Beyond Apartments, to international ones like 1Hotels, Habitas and Six Senses, to name but a few. Sustainable brands are focused on reducing the embodied carbon (how much carbon was used to create the building materials and construct the asset) and operational carbon (the carbon intensity of the operations). When it comes to sustainability, communication and clear message delivery is essential to winning over the hearts and minds of the guest. Hotels must engage in a constant dialogue with their guests, explaining the positive impacts of particular actions. Education/awareness,
36 Hotel Management International /
www.hmi-online.com
InterContinental Bora Bora Thalasso Resort and Spa
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