Luxury Hotelier - November 2007 - (Page 9)

Hoteliers commit to changing impact on planet C an hotels save the world? They can help, if the recent inaugural World Savers Conference 2007 is any indication. The event, held in New York City in October, was produced by Condé Nast Traveller magazine (www.cntraveller.com). The winner of the World Savers award for chain hotels and resorts was Marriott International, while honorable mentions went to The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company and Sandals Resorts. Marriott won for its Youth Career Initiative, which involves training underprivileged young people. J.W. Marriott Jr., chairman and chief executive officer, announced the expansion of the Youth Career Initiative to more countries and says the J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott Foundation had offered the program a $250,000 grant, as well as a separate $250,000 challenge grant. It is looking for matching funds from competitors and other contributors. Twenty JW Marriott properties are donating stays to raise money for the youth initiative; the stays will be won in an online auction. Finally, Mr. Marriott says the company is on track to reducing its carbon greenhouse gas emissions by 20 percent by 2010. Two hotel executives appeared on a panel called, ”Can The Travel Industry Save the Planet?” Asked about recent consumer surveys showing guests claiming they were interested in environmental polices but not actually acting on that interest, Simon Cooper, president of The RitzCarlton Hotels & Resorts, says that although guest pressure might still be limited, “Our employees expect us to be leaders in this.” Mark Conroy, president of Regent Seven Seas, says guests don’t necessarily ask, because, “they assume we’re doing the right thing.” The conference was a high-profile event with the main speaker Richard Holbrooke, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and currently chief executive officer of the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Mr. Holbrooke said only three hotel companies—Ritz-Carlton, Kerzner International and Accor—are part of the coalition. “Travel is in a unique position to help and we ask other hotel companies to join us,” he says. » BY HARVEY CHIPKIN Top: Actress Marcia Gay Harden [left] and Condé Nast Traveller editor in chief Klara Glowczewska [right] stand with J.W. Marriott Jr., chairman and chief executive officer of Marriott International. Bottom: Panelists debated how hotels can contribute to sustainability initiatives. The panel featured [from left]: Jamie Sweeting, Center for Environmental Leadership in Business; Mark Conroy, Regent Seven Seas; Kevin Doyle, Condé Nast Traveller; Simon Cooper, The Ritz-Carlton Company; and Gus Van Dyk, Tswalu Kalahari Reserve. for the world’s elite. Each St. Regis is an extension of 55th (Street) and 5th (Avenue). It’s an intersection of the old guard and vanguard.” Mr. Klein says there are a limited number of opportunities for St. Regis to grow. “We want it to be the best address in any city we go to,” he says. Mr. Klein was formally introduced to the lodging industry four years ago when he joined W as its chief marketing officer. With a career built in the fashion industry, he was able to quickly draw the parallel between the two peopleintensive disciplines. “There are so many things that cross over between fashion and design and hospitality,” Mr. Klein says. “The most important is that each transaction is experiential. Without that, neither would exist. You have to be really innovative and earn the guests’ respect and know what they want the brand to represent. It’s a value proposition to the user.” » BY JEFF HIGLEY www.LuxuryHotelier.com | November 2007 | Luxury Hotelier http://www.cntraveller.com http://www.LuxuryHotelier.com

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

Luxury Hotelier - November 2007 Contents Editor's Letter Publisher's Letter Inform: News and Notes Network: People Personalities: Traditional Innovator Insight: Smith Travel Research / The Bench Insight: Ypartnership Properties: A Front-Row Seat to Moscow Properties: Northern Star Inspire: Outdoor Showers Deliver: Wellness and Fitness Protocols: The Real Deal Insight: Cornell University Innovate: In-Room Technology Development: Global Project Pipeline Indulge: Coffee and Tea Insight: Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne Connect: Regional Marketing Update: IH/M&RS Luxury Product Collection Dossier: Davide Bertilaccio of The Rocco Forte Collection’s Le Richemond

Luxury Hotelier - November 2007

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