Ms. Mendelson

Eco-Friendly Practices

Why Corporate Social Responsibility for Hotels is More Than a Trend

By Nancy Mendelson, Senior Vice President, Branding & Communication, Loews Hotels

Long before CSR became a mainstream acronym and integral to the way business is done in the 21st Century, Loews Hotels Chairman & CEO, Jonathan Tisch, believed you could do well and do good at the same time.

To realize this notion and affirm Loews’ responsibility to the communities beyond our porte-cocheres, the Loews Hotels Good Neighbor Program was created. What began as the hospitality industry’s first comprehensive community outreach program some 21 years ago, today encompasses a broad range of social, economic and environmental policies and initiatives.

While Loews Hotels is one of many hospitality companies who have long embraced their social responsibility, ours is the only commitment I can speak to with knowledge, comfort and—I’ll admit it—pride.

We are blessed with the Tisch family legacy of philanthropy and civic-mindedness, and over the years, as if by osmosis, this has been incorporated into our culture and has become part of our brand DNA. Jon Tisch’s recent book titled CITIZEN YOU: Doing Your Part to Change the World, and his endowment to his alma mater Tufts University for The Tisch College of Citizenship and Public Service serve to illustrate the depth and breadth of a commitment that transcends any trend.

Through a sustaining commitment to the communities we serve, we nurture ties with individuals, organizations and institutions in all of the Loews Hotels neighborhoods. Similarly, our guests seek to align themselves with socially responsible businesses who share their personal values—which often focus on community and the environment.

Silver Strand State Beach

In San Diego, Loews Coronado Bay partners with the California State Parks and their Foundation, to help preserve and maintain the Silver Strand State Beach, a rare and magnificent coastal habitat that is located just steps away from the resort. In addition to adding a one-percent Environmental Fee to guestroom rates, the partnership includes an interactive educational and “volunteerism” guest experience. “We’ve noticed that more and more of our guests want to give their vacation an important purpose,” says Kathleen Cochran, GM of Loews Coronado Bay. “Our volunteer experience gives guests the tools they need to make their vacation last a lifetime, and that’s by leaving their mark in the sand for years and years to come.”

As a result of this partnership, Loews Coronado booked the State Parks Associations’ annual meeting.

Green Teams & Good Neighbor Councils

Like most hotel companies, we are a major employer in many of our destinations and understand how valuable a hotel is to the lifeblood of a community. At every one of our properties, our employees eagerly volunteer for our Green Teams and Good Neighbor Councils, and are often the idea generators for local and brand-wide initiatives… from sustainability practices to community fundraising activities. “It is the essence of who we are--Loews Hotels-- in any given community,” says Tom Negri, GM of Loews Vanderbilt in Nashville. “It expresses our thoughtful approach to our team members, guests and the community as a whole and enables us to become their partner.”

Loews Vanderbilt does a lot of work with the Red Cross. Not only does the hotel partner during crisis situations like the recent flooding in Nashville, but they have hosted numerous training programs, as well as the organizations’ Citizens Award Breakfast, Chapter Executives Conference, Tennessee Red Cross luncheon, and have an executive level conference booked for the fall.

“Ventana has become the “home” for numerous charity events in Tucson over the last 25 years,” says Loews Ventana Canyon GM, Brian Johnson. “In a small town like Tucson, being involved in charity events builds relationships with key players across diverse industries and creates opportunities for future business. The return we see from hosting and underwriting charity events is the overall exposure to the hotel. The American Heart Association's Heart Ball has been here for 14 years, and as the event grows, so does the exposure to the hotel. For example, over 100 rooms have been booked for this weekend's Heart Ball. Experiencing the top-notch service and beautiful décor often leads to event attendees booking local catering business, weddings and meetings.”

James LoBosco, GM of Loews Annapolis adds, “I never truly “got it” before moving to Annapolis. The impact of our contribution here is amplified, since we are in a small town, but nonetheless critical to the success of our business and the community we serve. For years I was taught to maintain a balance among your key constituents or the “three legged stool”; guests, employees and the business. Having worked for Loews for the last 8 years, I have learned that there’s a fourth leg of the stool and that’s the community.”

Modest Needs

As part of a major rebranding of Loews Hotels in 2007, a primary corporate charitable partner was identified to compliment our ongoing local efforts. That partner was the Modest Needs Foundation, a web-based charity with a critical mission to stop the cycle of poverty before it starts for low-income workers by providing these hard-working people with grants to cover short-term emergency expenses.

DonorsChoose.org

In, 2010, as part of the 20th anniversary of the Loews Good Neighbor Program, we announced a new corporate partnership with DonorsChoose.org, an online charity that makes it easy for anyone to help students in need. Public school teachers from every corner of America post classroom project requests on DonorsChoose.org. Requests range from pencils for a poetry writing unit, to violins for a school recital, to microscope slides for a biology class. Then, individuals can browse project requests and give any amount to the one that inspires them. Once a project reaches its funding goal, the organization delivers the materials to the school.

Build a Better Lunchbox

By partnering with DonorsChoose.org, we are able to maintain a healthy balance between our corporate fundraising efforts and our local initiatives. We launched our new partnership with a brand-wide effort, Build A Better Lunchbox, in conjunction with Driscoll’s Berries and the F & B teams at all of our properties. Using our Loews Loves Kids Program as a springboard, each hotel held an event that taught kids and their parents how to create delicious, healthy lunches to take to school---with the proceeds going to fund local DonorsChoose.org projects. Build a Better Lunchbox will become an annual fundraising event, timed when kids head back to school.

In Jonathan Tisch’s book, The Power of We: Succeeding Through Partnerships, he devotes an entire chapter to “Being a Good Neighbor.” Rather than paraphrase his words, I will share them: “My idea of a partnership between a business and the community that supports it is very different. It’s not about putting on a tuxedo a couple of times a year and writing a check for a worthy cause. It’s about understanding and shouldering our responsibility to the community we belong to. Like every true partnership, it must bring clear benefits to both parties from day one. It must be built on shared interests, goals, obligations, and reflect the pooling of money, time, effort, and other resources in pursuit of common objectives. When a business partners with the community, it means a shared commitment to the long-term social and economic health of the area and its people…which, in turn, provides the only kind of environment in which business can really expect to thrive.”

In her role as Senior Vice President – Branding & Communication, Nancy Mendelson oversees the management and strategic development of the Loews Hotels brand, as well as insuring that all brand messaging is consistently communicated to both internal and external audiences: This includes media channels such as advertising, public relations, social media, direct marketing and the web. The recipient of numerous industry awards, Ms. Mendelson is a published writer and member of Writers Guild of America, the Forbes Executive Women’s Board and the NYU International Hospitality Industry Investment Conference. Ms. Mendelson can be contacted at 212-521-2777 or nmendelson@loewshotels.com Extended Bio...

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