Luxury Hotelier - September 2007 - (Page 50)

50| Protocols hotel has a green image, that will mean the environment cannot be ignored or neglected. “Hotels do need to be flexible, but if properly explained and delivered, most guests will gladly support programs that have significant social or environmental goals,” he says. “If a guest asks why he isn’t getting his shampoo in a plastic bottle, but rather a reusable ceramic bottle, the housekeeper needs to be able to explain why. If lighting systems turn off when a guest takes his card-key out of the control panel, [the hotel] needs to be able to explain that while momentarily inconvenient, there is a good reason. Symon Bridle, chief operating officer of Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts, also has a few reservations. “It’s important to remember that whilst hoteliers can provide the luxury experience, the guest’s perceptions and expectations are defining it,” he says. “For example, guests have a certain expectation of their bathroom amenities—that they are individually packaged and presented— whereas the idea of a ‘dispenser’ for these, while perhaps more efficient, wouldn’t fit the luxury expectation of today.” Perceptions like these are challenged by companies such as The Banyan Tree, which is installing refillable containers made from celadon or ceramic for nontoxic and biodegradable shampoo, hair conditioner, bath gel and body lotion. Mr. Bridle believes balance is required. “Sustainability is one of the cogs that a luxury operator has to look at, but it is within the context of not compromising on customer comfort,” he says. “As suppliers become more sophisticated in meeting customers’ demands in this area, the potential for the marriage of luxury and sustainability becomes more of a reality.” The management team must be on board, Mr. Baffsky says. “To be successful, sustainable development policies need to be fully endorsed by senior and middle managers who can convey the message and importance of participation to their staff,” he says. “It cannot be tokenism; otherwise, operators will do the bare minimum and the problems facing the industry will just magnify.” Guests are aware of the need to conserve energy resources and actually are helping, Mr. Challis says. Guests have the option not to have their room cleaned and towels laundered and are rewarded for doing so with a 20-percent discount at Stamford’s restaurants. Claire Chiang, managing director of Banyan Tree Gallery and managing director, retail operations, Banyan Tree Holdings, is one of many who see guest participation as essential. “Our work to achieve carbon neutrality will be a challenge and we are realistic about the difficulties,” she says. “Having started the process of evaluation, we have discovered the most obvious initiatives are not always the most effective and we are ensuring that the decisions … not only are effective but also easily supported by our guests who can contribute to local environmental projects via the Banyan Tree Green Imperative Fund, through which the hotel group matches the guest’s contribution dollar for dollar.” She points out that hotels must not work in isolation. “Future work includes examining the sustainability of our supply chain,” she says. Obstacles to green Mr. Baffsky acknowledges the challenges. “Sadly, our industry is anything but a pioneer in sustainable development principles, though I am confident that more and more tourism-based companies are beginning to see the value and benefits of taking a more responsible and holistic approach to development and operations,” he says. The most positive aspect of greening the luxury hotel industry is the expense that can be saved. Environmental changes cut costs; it simply means looking beyond the short term. “There is a dollar figure attached to pursuing corporate social responsibility factors,” says Mr. Baffsky. “In the past, many company executives would have simply regarded it as a negative on the balance sheet; today, an increasing number of corporations see it as an investment in their future profitability … companies that measure and manage their environmental impacts are often making substantial savings on their operating costs.” Accreditation Internationally, the ISO14001 certification is a key accreditation for environment standards. A voluntary standard established by the International Organization for Standardization (www.iso.org), the aim is to support environmental protection and the prevention of pollution in balance with socioeconomic needs. Limitations include that criteria is not independently audited, but it puts forward target benchmarks for which hotels can strive and provides an independent assessment of the accommodation’s environmental performance. The organization develops and maintains the ISO 14001 Standard. Certification is carried out by other independent groups under their own responsibility and independently of ISO. The future The current trend within the hospitality industry for greater sustainability is positive, according to Ms. Chiang. “The growth of this trend is pushing innovation and increasing awareness for operators and consumers alike,” she says. “So it seems to be a positively perpetuating cycle.” Ms. Chiang sees the luxury sector as having a crucial responsibility for the hotel industry as a whole. Luxury Hotelier | September 2007 | www.LuxuryHotelier.com http://www.iso.org http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Luxury Hotelier - September 2007

EDITOR’S LETTER PUBLISHER’S LETTER INFORM NETWORK PERSONALITIES INSIGHT INSIGHT PROPERTIES ROPERTIES INSPIRE DELIVER PROTOCOLS INSIGHT INNOVATE DEVELOPMENT INDULGE INSIGHT CONNECT UPDATE DOSSIER

Luxury Hotelier - September 2007

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