HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW
MAY FOCUS: Eco-Friendly Practices

Greening The Supply Chain: How to Make Simple & Impactful Changes for The Planet

By Robert Stoney Director of Sustainability & Environmental Development, Valor Hospitality | April 2023

While it can be easy to get bogged down in the seemingly countless changes that can be made, it's best to take small and simple steps towards making a positive impact yet remaining mindful of the increasing urgency to mitigate the effects of climate change.

In addition to updating appliances and standard operating procedures, which can at times be taxing on budgets, hospitality brands can tap travelers to help lighten the load and create a memorable and positive guest experience for all.

In fact, travelers really want to get involved and are actively seeking out ways to help. According to Booking.com research, 57 percent of Americans are saying they want to leave the places they visit better than when they arrived and 60 percent are saying they want to have experiences that are representative of the local culture. 19 percent of Americans say they have actively familiarized themselves with the local cultural values and traditions at their travel destination in advance of their trips and 20 percent would be willing to pay more for travel activities to ensure they are giving back to local communities. Despite the appetite to give back and connect during their travels, 40 percent indicate that they don't know how or where to find activities or tours that ensure they are actually having a positive impact and giving back to the local community.

With sustainability initiatives spanning the globe, Valor Hospitality Partners consistently looks to The Lodge at Gulf State Park as a source of inspiration for implementing sustainability initiatives throughout. Through our work and environmental advocacy at The Lodge, we feel confident that the tourism industry as a whole can change directions and serve as a force for good to people, the planet and our surrounding ecosystems.

Replace Old Equipment with More Energy-Efficient Alternatives

As property appliances and tools begin to break down or show their age, this is a great time to change out equipment (HVAC, refrigerators, etc.) for more energy-efficient alternatives. It's encouraging to see that manufacturers are now consistently creating new energy-saving options to keep up with sustainability trends, and there are incredible upgrades that not only serve their intended purpose, but also have additional eco-friendly features that increase overall property sustainability.

For example, condensation from the HVAC system can be collected and recycled to replace water in a hotel swimming pool. At The Lodge, summer high humidity collection peaks at 8,400 gallons per day and year-round this condensation collection system generates a sizable water saving that averages 2,000 gallons per day.

Install Kitchen Food Waste Processors, Grinders and Composting Capacity

The amount of food waste in a hotel restaurant can be astronomical and taking minor steps towards reducing it can make a lasting impact on the sustainability footprint of a property. I recommend installing equipment such as a commercial food waste grinder that meets the capacity of waste you are producing so that you are able to turn it into compostable material and/or dispose of it into the sewer line. The imperative is to keep the material out of landfill, and is the very least we should be doing, to prevent it decomposing to produce methane, a greenhouse gas at least 30 times more powerful than carbon dioxide.

In the same vein, increasing the composting capacity of a property is even more important as the installation of proper food processors and grinders. One product that we are loving right now is the below-ground worm-composting SubPods for our chef's garden. This allows us to compost more than 15 gallons of food waste per week.

Recycle All Cooking Oil

It may seem like a simple solution, but recycling cooking oil is a great way to increase sustainability on property. We work with Restaurant Technologies Inc, in Birmingham, AL, to ensure that our waste cooking oil is disposed of properly and recycled. 90 percent of it goes into advanced biodiesel and 10 percent to animal feed. Biodiesel is not only renewable but cleaner-burning too, and reduces net CO2 emissions by 74 percent (compared with petroleum diesel) because the Carbon dioxide released from biodiesel combustion is offset by the Carbon dioxide absorbed from growing the crop that produces the oil.

Install Sensors on Windows and Doors

As you update community guest rooms, a great way to increase energy-efficiency is to add sensors to windows and doors that cut off the heating or air conditioning if the balcony doors or windows are left open. Additionally, we have seen great success in adding low wattage, energy efficient lighting with motion sensors to reduce energy waste.

Reduce and Eliminate Single-Use Items and Plastics

For buffet breakfasts and in-room service, there is a superficial sense of convenience to single-use plastics or items. However, with a greater goal of sustainability in mind, there are dozens of options that allow properties to reduce and eventually eliminate these items. I specifically think of straws, utensils and napkins that can easily be swapped for biodegradable alternatives that still provide an exemplary experience for guests.

Install Water Bottle Filling Systems

At The Lodge and other locations throughout the park, we have installed 10 refillable water bottle stations to decrease the use of plastic water bottles that ultimately end up in landfills. Each water station has a small screen that displays a running total of 20-ounce servings poured, and therefore the number of plastic bottles saved from waste. Since their installation in 2019, we have recorded a total of 94,000 bottlefuls served. We want to continue to increase this number across Valor Hospitality properties as we grow as a leader in the sustainable tourism space.

Prioritize Locally Sourced Foods

It's a goal of ours to prioritize truly local foods and support local producers. For our team, this includes reducing food miles and mainly partnering with area farmers, producers, distributors and other manufacturers that are located within our property communities.

Use 100% Recycled and Biodegradable To-Go Containers

In the same vein of simple, sustainable swaps, we can switch restaurant or room service to-go containers from standard plastic or Styrofoam. There are several 100 percent recycled or biodegradable options that are nearly as cost-effective as traditional containers.

Extending Sustainability into the Local Community

At the Learning Campus, our state-of-the art environmental teaching facility nestled in the wilderness of the park, we partner with area schools, colleges, and universities to inspire the next generation to connect with, learn about, and look after the remarkable cultural and natural heritage that surround them. In this way we help provide one of the most important practices of sustainability, a direct outreach to the local community. In addition, at The Lodge, we also offer business groups opportunities for community outreach, that double as team building activities. These typically involve one of the management duties of dune maintenance and restoration such as the planting of sea oats, shoreline and dune trash collection and Christmas tree recycling.

Every day in the lobby we stage a 'fun facts' presentation called "Turtles at 2:00," where guests can learn more about the sea turtles that come ashore to nest. This is not only a fascinating story, but a key example of the Share the Beach program, a way to let visitors understand that nature was here first and, for so many rare animals and plants, their only home.

We also offer more hands-on educational courses such as nature hikes in the park, organic gardening and worm composting and summer STEAM Camp classes for K-6 students. In collaboration with Alabama colleges and high schools, we continue to provide internship opportunities for students interested in careers in hospitality.

Challenges in Sustainability

A good way to understand sustainable hospitality is to view it as three pillars: 1) environmentally friendly practices; 2) protection of natural and cultural heritage; and 3) the social and economic well-being of local people. Additionally, at Gulf State Park, following the substantial enhancement project completed four years ago that 'baked in' so many of these sustainability features at the outset, we follow the overarching mission statement to operate as "an international benchmark of economic and environmental sustainability demonstrating best practices in education, recreation, and hospitable accommodations".

In effect, then, we have two bosses, what I call the "red boss" and the "green boss". The red boss is our fiscal responsibility to keep the red ink to a minimum. The green boss is the mission statement, our environmental and social responsibilities.

The tricky aim of daily operations is to ensure the bosses align. There are many opportunities and examples, particularly at the Learning Campus and Interpretive Center, where there is perfect alignment. For example, selling to entities requiring a base camp for their environmental activities in the Park, but there are also many instances where the two bosses can appear to pull in different directions.

In other words, the aim of the Learning Campus is to generate enough revenue to at least cover its costs. However, to develop and achieve its full potential and be an international benchmark requires external funding, both capital and operational expenditure, to do so. At present that funding comes from the more fiscally profitable arm of the business. The challenge is to understand and accept that the cost of sustainable development must be accounted for and is the true cost of running an environmentally responsible business, a cost that has been externalized and ignored by the majority of the corporate world for too long.

In summary, sustainability in its simplest form is about living well and in harmony with the world around us, in a way that does not harm the ability of future generations to do the same. We like to think that Valor's sustainable development has already delivered significant results and made a great start in achieving this simple objective. Yet we intend to go further. We want to be known as an industry-leading organization that is dedicated to sustainability no matter what the cost. We want to be recognized across our global properties as a hospitality leader who puts their guests, the environment and the betterment of tourism above a profit margin.

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Hotel Newswire is a newswire service that distributes press releases on behalf of our users. If you decide to submit a press release for distribution through our system we will transmit your entire press release including any personal information therein contained to our media contacts and online distribution points including search engines. This is the only redistribution of your information that we engage in. Your submission of press releases through our system indicates consent with this policy. The information we collect during your registration process is used to notify users about updates to our service and inform users of any special events hosted by Hotel Newswire. This information is not shared with other organizations for commercial or non-commercial purposes.

Cookies: Our system requires the use of cookies to enable the user to log back into our website to access information from the newswire, without having to log in each time using the required username and password.

If you do not want to receive email from us in the future, please let us know by following instructions included in our communication with you. Users who supply us with telephone numbers online may receive telephone contact from us regarding their account, or informing them of new products and services available on the HotelExecutive website. If you do not wish to receive such telephone calls, please edit your account and remove your phone number from your account profile. This can be done from your user account menu.

Ad Servers: We do not partner with or have any relationship with any ad server companies. From time to time, we may use customer information for new uses not previously disclosed in our privacy notice. If our information practices change at any time, we will post the policy changes to our website to notify you of these changes and provide you with the ability to opt out of these new uses. If you are concerned about how your information is used, you should check back at our website periodically.

Upon request we provide site visitors with access to all information (including proprietary information) that we maintain about them. Users can access this information by logging in to their account.

Security: We always use industry-standard encryption technologies while transferring and receiving user data exchanged with our site. We have appropriate security measures in place in our physical facilities to protect against the loss, misuse, or alteration of information that we have collected from you on our site. We do not store credit card information in our systems.

If you feel that this site is not following its stated information policy, you may contact us.

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The Strategic Seven: Your Hotel's Secret Weapon

By Bonnie Knutson, Professor, The School of Hospitality Business/MSU

By now, most hoteliers have heard Joe Pine’s rallying cry: “The Experience is the Marketing.” But how many of us have really learned its meaning beyond introducing a signature scent that subtly fills the lobby. Or offering infused water, seasonal teas or locally roasted coffee. Or even displaying unusual local artifacts, vintage postcards, or rotating trivia about the hotel and the area. Pine’s mantra is not just a clever tagline. It is a strategic imperative, especially in an age where guests are less interested in thread count and more obsessed with Instagramable-worthy moments. If your hotel is not...

The Art of Personalization

By Jamie Bruce, President, Teneo Hospitality Group

In today’s rapidly evolving meetings and events landscape, personalization has emerged as a critical element in ensuring successful, impactful gatherings. No longer is it enough to offer a one-size-fits-all approach – clients and attendees now expect tailored experiences that reflect their specific needs, preferences, and goals. Hotels and meeting planners must work collaboratively to curate events that go beyond logistics, fostering deeper engagement and delivering lasting impressions. From integrating advanced technology to refining service touchpoints, personalization in events is redefining how meetings are designed and executed. At Teneo Hospitality Group, we leverage insights from our client advisory board and facilitate...

Breaking The Perception of an All-Inclusive With Hilton Cancun

By Felix Schlokat, General Manager, Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort

Conveniently situated just 15 minutes from Cancun’s International Airport, Hilton Cancun, an All-Inclusive Resort (Hilton Cancun) offers seamless access to both tranquility and adventure. While the resort enjoys a serene, secluded beachfront location, it remains close enough to the energy of Cancun’s Hotel Zone for guests who want to explore the area’s shopping, nightlife, and cultural attractions. This duality, privacy without isolation, is one of the many ways Hilton Cancun sets itself apart from the typical resort experience. Hilton Cancun offers a wide range of accommodation options tailored to meet the needs of every type of traveler. Whether hosting a...

Holistic Well-Being: Trends in Health and Wellness Offerings at Boutique Hotels in 2024

By Jennifer Barnwell, President, Curator Hotel & Resorts Collection

The past few years have certainly affected our health and well-being. From somewhat constant concerns about being exposed to and catching COVID ourselves, or having it affect our family members, to long hours working from home offices and worry about childcare, the pandemic left many people feeling depleted and in desperate need of vacations that offer relaxation and recharge. Wellness tourism aims to reduce stress by focusing on mental, physical and, in some cases, emotional well-being. It’s a chance to power down and recharge. In the ever-evolving landscape of hospitality, boutique hotels are redefining luxury by prioritizing the holistic...

Are Journalists Ghosting You? Try These 2 Ways to Secure More Media Coverage

By Jennifer Nagy, President, JLNPR Inc.

Based on my 16+ years of experience in the hospitality industry, the press release is one of the least effective public relations tools, and marketers should be using other more effective ways to share their news and secure coverage by media outlets. Top journalists receive hundreds - if not thousands - of press releases by email every day, many of which don’t offer any newsworthy Information; given that, how many of those hundreds of press releases are read by journalists from start to finish? The correct answer: "Not many!" In addition, the corporate acquisitions of...

Harnessing Emerging Technology for Enhanced Hospitality - from AI to Iot

By Jim Abramson, Vice President of Product Management, Cvent

It’s been a very good year for meetings and events. Industry conferences like IMEX experienced record-breaking numbers (often in both attendance and meeting space required), Cvent recently reported a 21% year-over-year growth in room nights sourced through the Cvent Supplier Network, and ‘healthy’ group business demand has bolstered hotel performance as leisure demand slowed. With a new year right around the corner, early signs point to the continued growth of the sector in 2025, with 40% of planners planning to produce more events and expecting higher attendance next year. With more events, more attendees, and most certainly higher expectations...

How Can Luxury Hotels Adopt Sustainability Practices Without Losing Quality Control?

By Andy De Silva, Co-Founder & CEO, Hotel Emporium

The modern customer is not shy in their clear expectations of a luxury hotel experience. After all, when investing in that caliber of a stay, there is an understanding that they will enjoy far more than a simple good night’s sleep. And with the rising interest in sustainability, not just to support the environment but also to meet the demands of the new eco-conscious consumer, luxury hotels are seeking ways to pivot their operations. However, as to be expected, activating on ideas and plans outside of normal operations can bring about a bit of fear. How does a...

HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW MAY FOCUS: Eco-Friendly Practices

Greening The Supply Chain: How to Make Simple & Impactful Changes for The Planet

By Robert Stoney Director of Sustainability & Environmental Development, Valor Hospitality | April 2023

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HOTEL BUSINESS REVIEW
MAY FOCUS: Eco-Friendly Practices