Photo by Casey Horner on Unsplash
When you think of luxury hospitality, I doubt sustainability is the first word you think of. In fact, an article from EHL Insights suggests that “sustainability and luxurious hospitality experiences are fundamentally at odds with one another” (Kim et al., n.d.). So, what can a Relais & Chateaux, 4 star, 4 diamond property do to ensure that not only are we operating with the highest sustainability practices in mind, but also, “ensure that these initiatives are visible to their customers” (Tsukanova & Saul, n.d.).
Sustainability is nothing new here at the Inn. We have had a “Green Committee (now Sustainability Committee)” since day one. We have noticeboards and internal
websites dedicated to everything we are doing. Our Sustainability Committee meets once a month and organizes near-weekly events focused on various topics. These are often only attended by those with an explicit interest in sustainability. As someone with a platform to interact with most of our team members, what do I need to consider when it comes to instruction methods, and how can I share what we do with those who may not be interested?
(Pssst, are you curious about what we actually do? Well then, you should click here.)
Everyone loves a good handout, right? When you leave a training session clutching the myriad of notes, tests, models, etc. you put them into your bag, then into a folder somewhere, or into a drawer never to be seen again! Moving from handouts to digital copies is the first step I’m going to take. The second will focus on spreading awareness. Highlighting sustainability practices to the team, as well as quizzing them on their department’s practices, will hopefully keep these in the forefront of their minds and ready to be shared with our guests. A future goal is to move my feedback forms from paper to digital possibly utilizing a QR code linked to a SurveyMonkey survey.
I would like to leave you with a question. What do you think are some areas where hotels can improve when it comes to sustainability? Leave a comment and start a discussion!
Kim, S., Giradin, F., Fuchs, M. (n.d.) Luxury hospitality: Trends, challenges, and best practices. https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu/luxury-hospitality-trends-challenges-best-practices
Tsukanova, T., Saul, L. (n.d.) Hospitality Trends 2023: the future ahead. https://hospitalityinsights.ehl.edu/hospitality-trends-2023-future
Very interesting as such a big issue