Hotel & Motel Management - April 21, 2008 - (Page 34)

34 News H&MM April 21, 2008 | HotelMotel.com www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition Green procurement Continued from page 4 lowed by standards and accountability, consumer awareness and cost expectations, incentives, training, commitment, cooperation and common sense. In order to connect some of these missing links, effort must be made on part of both purchaser and supplier. Fred Lawlor, v.p., procurement for Fairmont Rafﬂes Hotels International, said that at the Fairmont Royal York Hotel in Toronto, management did an audit of the hotel and found waste in many forms throughout the property— from the Styrofoam that manufacturers used to package products for shipping to the scraps leftover from meals. The team amended its purchases to be more consistent with the company’s Green Partnership Program, an extension of its environmental program introduced in 1990, and made operational changes, such as donating extra food to local charities and keeping the scraps for an area pig farmer to pick up for feed. An honest sale At Gaylord Hotels, purchasing depends on honesty, integrity and research, especially for sustainable products. “We’re not going to buy something just because it has a green label on it. It truly has to work [as a sustainable product],” said Richard Oakes, category director, strategic alliances & supplier development for Gaylord Entertainment. Gaylord tests all potential products to ensure the product delivers on its promise and does not have any side effects that might be harmful to Gaylord guests. For Gaylord, honesty really is the best policy. “When you come to us, tell us the good, the bad and the ugly. Know your product, because it does hurt the relationship when Making sense For both buyers and vendors, economic sense is central to going green. “The bottom line is there’s a bottom line,” Lawlor said. Buying from less-expensive companies in Asia, for example, might save money in the short term, he said, but hotels must look at the longterm life cycle of the product because the product might not last. “Ultimately, this is going to be driven by economic and social factors,” said Dennis Baker, president and c.e.o. of procurement company Avendra. Socially, customers might want to stay at an environmentally friendly hotel, he said, but, “Is somebody willing to pay $20, $30 more per night because the room is sustainable?” he asked. Hirsch said there are three drivers for hotels to buy green products: the cost of savings, the customers who will come to that hotel because of their environmental commitment, and “doing the right thing because it’s the right thing.” However, he and others warned purchasers to be on the lookout for illegitimate green products, because what’s said to be green isn’t always that. Vendors must start supplying more legitimately sustainable A networking event brings together Larry Bailey, product manager at Electrolux Major Appliances, and Trevor Newton, director of purchasing at Chip Hospitality in Vancouver, B.C., Canada. Dean Grifﬁn, director of rooms at the InterContinental Monte Lucia Resort & Spa, meets with Jean-Guy Groleau and JoAnne Tanguay, national sales managers for LOC International. Roundtable discussions during HOTEC Operations focused on purchasing, green products and technology. products, but a push might be necessary for some. “It all goes back to leverage. If there’s enough demand on the Cargills and the Tysons to look at other [sustainable animal farming] options, they’re going to do it,” Lawlor said. In order to obtain green certiﬁcation, buyers and sellers must collaborate, an opportunity Baker said is prevalent in the industry. “No matter what role you are in the supply chain, you are absolutely an essential part [to it],” Hirsch said. “Don’t feel like you’re working in a vacuum. We’re all in it together.” Lawlor concluded with advice based on a Native American saying: “We don’t inherit the earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children. If we approach [sustainability] in that vein, you’ll see the residual effects.” ehanna@questex.com Franchising Continued from page 4 agreements. The promises are summed up in point 17: “We will never undertake or underwrite any program that makes a profit for the franchisor at the expense of our customer.” Another key area is operations support. The Operations Support Resource is an online encyclopedia of best practices for franchisees. The company will not do traditional quality assurance inspections. “We do not want to be in the mandating business,” Harvel said of the minimal interference approach. Rather, operations [franchisees’] best insupport directors will terests,” Harvel said. visit every 60 days to “We’re not going to provide opportunibabysit.” ty for franchisees— If the first four or customers, as Vispoints of the program ta prefers to refer to are achieved, the ﬁfth Vista by the numbers them—to get guidpoint, triumphant cus651 guestrooms ance. To ensure qualitomers, is automatic, ty and guest approval, Harvel said. Vista cus10 hotels open Vista will track guest tomers should expect complaints and work two outcomes from 400 hotels targeted for 2013 with franchisees to retheir investment: reSource:Advantis Hospitality Alliance spond. Vista has set turn on investment baseline standards for and asset appreciation. guest satisfaction, and franchisees can add Revenue per available room is the lead inany amenities appropriate for their mar- dicator of ROI for the brand. ket, Gokal said. There also is a self-review Gokal said the philosophy is about a program for the hotels. service attitude. “We don’t want to pretend to know “We believe we should deliver our cus- tomers services they could not buy for the fees we charge,” he said. “That’s our continual challenge. Growth goals The brand has 10 hotels open and expects 69 by year’s end. The focus is conversions, but there have been substantial inquiries on new construction, Gokal said. The goal is to have 400 hotels comprising 28,000 rooms by 2013, with 100 of the properties new construction. The current target for growth is south of the Mason-Dixon Line east of the Mississippi River and Texas. “We want people to know we’re different,” Harvel said. “It’s not where we are, where we’re going. It’s the program we have.” hgunter@questex.com ALL PHOTOS DAN THORENS we [conduct tests] and ﬁnd out your product doesn’t work like you said,” Oakes said. “If we test and ﬁnd [a chemical] is in there and you’ve told us it isn’t, you don’t want to know what’s going to happen.” http://HotelMotel.com http://www.HotelMotel.com/digital_edition

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Hotel & Motel Management - April 21, 2008

Hotel & Motel Management - April 21, 2008 Contents Vista Affirms Fair Franchising Doctrine HOTEC Panel Explores Green Procurement Spa Revenue Drives Overall Profitability Perspective Legal FAQ Sales Clinic Travel Trends Guest Column Trends & Stats Owners and Operators Feel Pressure to Switch to HD Protect and Clean Stone Floors Coffee On Demand Fitness Equipment Experts Weigh New Builds Vs. Conversions Transactions Ad/Edit Index Marketplace Classifieds Checking Out

Hotel & Motel Management - April 21, 2008

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