Hotelier Finland Issue 24 by Editor Helsinki Oy

THE GREEN Issue

ISSUE NO. 24 - 2015 Finland edition

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INSIDE

ISSUE NO.24 The green Issue - 2015 VOice with the editor-in-chief ........................................... 4 CONCIERGE A hotelier’s help desk .................................. 6 Schindler kuljettaa tehokkaasti..................................... 7 THE CONSULTANT By hospitality consultant Peter Venison ................................... 12 Q&A WITH HOTELIER Hervé Houdré Talking with the champion of sustainability in luxury urban hotels................................................................................... 14

HOTELIER INTERNATIONAl.COM Tecniche Nuove Spa, VIA ERITREA 21 - 20157, MILAN, ITALY TEL: 02 / 39090440

Q&A WITH Hotelier Hans Pfister Lessons from Costa Rica on downplaying sustainability, finding the right partners, and putting people first...................................... 22 Q&A WITH Architect Hitesh Mehta Talking with the guru of eco-planning and eco-design. ................. 28 THE BEST: Green Bathroom Designs............................................................... 34 Living Walls .................................................................................... 44

Publisher: IVO NARDELLA Editor-in-chief: Sarah Andrews ART Director: ERIC WITHAM DESIGNER: ALISTAIR SMITH International Advertising: SIMONA ABAGNALE simona.abagnale@tecnichenuove.com International Licensing: Karl-Henry Edström karl.henry@tecnichenuove.com LocaL Advertising: Titti Myhrberg Editor helsinki oy, +358 45 111 39 33 titti.myhrberg@editorhelsinki.fi CONTRIBUTING WRITERS: Boyd Farrow, Peter Venison, GEORGE SEMLER, ETHAN GELBER, MEG NOLAN van Reesema, NICK DALL, ANJA MUTIĆ

Valaistuksen ohjaksella isot säästöt.......................... 50 PROFILES: Prague’s Adria Hotel............................................................. 54 A pioneer in sustainability, the Adria knows that what’s good for the community is good for guests. Majorca’s Castell Son Claret.......................................... 60 The challenges of creating an authentically local experience. Tavoitteena maailman parasta kahvia............................. 66 LAST LOOK ................................................................................. 68 Next Issue ................................................................................ 70

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VOICE

Could 2015 be the year that the hospitality industry reaches the green tipping point, abandoning mere ‘green washing’ and committing — really committing — to sustainability? The stories in these pages make a convincing argument affirming so. From India to Spain, Costa Rica to Prague, hotels have built imitation-worthy business models that are grounded in eco-consciousness. It would be wishful thinking to assume that this is due entirely to the heartfelt environmental conservatism of either guests or hoteliers. No, as usual, the numbers rule. As eco pioneer Herve Houdre tells us, “sustainability is about the triple bottom line – profit, people, planet.” Even simple initiatives like installing LED lightbulbs, low-flow showers or drought-resistant plants

(what Houdre calls “tackling the low-hanging fruit”) make a big difference, as hotels across the world confirm. The hospitality industry has more ways to go green than ever before, but keeping up with the new technology and new ideas is a daunting task. Who better to help than the torch bearers on sustainability’s front lines? We’ve sifted through a myriad of worthy green initiatives from around the world to find ideas that can help hoteliers improve on their own eco-friendly projects. Architect Hitesh Mehta shares the ways urban hotels can learn from eco lodges. And from Spain, Björn Spaude of Castell Son Claret talks about the importance of cultural authenticity and building local relationships. As always, we hope you are inspired by the people and stories in this issue of Hotelier International.

SINCERELY,

SARAH ANDREWS — EDITOR-IN-CHIEF — EDITOR@HOTELIERINTERNATIONAL.COM

VOICE

Kevättä kohti kestävällä kehityksellä! Tämän vuoden ensimmäinen numero käsittelee kestävän kehityksen tilannetta maailmalla. Saamme seurata inspiroivia tarinoita vihreän ajattelutavan ajajista, heidän haasteistaan ja ratkaisuistaan hotellipuolen jatkuvasti muutoskykyisyyttä vaativalla kentällä. Pääsemme seuraamaan kuinka kestävän kehityksen strategia on muuttumassa puhtaasta moraaliajattelusta konkreettisiin toimenpiteisiin sekä rahallisiin säästöihin. Tässä lehdessä käsitellään erityisesti energiatehokkuutta ja pääsemme kurkistamaan isojen hotellien kestävän kehityksen projektien kulisseihin. Saamme seurata, kuinka investoinnit vihreään ajattelutapaan ovat lyhyessä ajassa maksaneet itsensä moninkertaisesti takaisin.

Julkaisussa käsitellään sekä tunnustettuja ekoystävällisiä kiinteistöjä, että myös perinteisempiä hotelleja jotka ovat yhdistäneet vihreitä innovaatioita toimintatapaansa. Edelläkävijät maailmalta jakavat isoja ideoitaan siitä, miten toimintaa voi muuttaa vihreäksi, sekä miten myös pienemmät käytännön askeleet voi vähentää toimijan hiilijalanjälkeä.

Toivotan täten inspiroivaa ja oivallustäyteistä lukutuokiota – green can also be lean! Titti Myhrberg – Sales Director – Hotelier International Finland

CONCIERGE ISSUE NO.24 2015 A HOTELIER’S HELP DESK

SiNK OR SWIM BY NICK DALL

Floating hotels have long been disregarded by serious hoteliers as gimmicks, but if the success of Finnish company Sunborn is anything to go by there may be a future for the concept. Sunborn’s 180-room yacht hotels offer the ‘super-yacht experience’ to non-billionaires. Their rooms are more like hotel rooms than cabins, and the bespoke service is equivalent to that in a 5-star hotel. They currently have hotels moored in London, Gibraltar and Finland, and Barcelona is next on the list. Sunborn

has shown that simply mooring a luxury cruise ship in a harbour will not cut it. Floating hotels can be easily relocated for economic reasons or when a location becomes politically unstable, and they can be positioned where there is no available land – next to a luxury marina for example. According to Sunborn’s executive director, Hans Niemi, they are also very green: “As movable hotels, there is no long-term impact on the environment, our hotels discharge nothing into the water, and we have created our own version of a water heat pump system, which provides green air-conditioning and heating from the sea water.” Apart from the ‘flotels’ used by the oil and gas industry, Niemi is

not aware of similar products currently in use, although there are numerous projects in the pipeline. Dutch Docklands is set to open floating hotels in Tromso and the Maldives, while Qatar plans to use futuristic floating hotels to house visitors to the country during the 2022 FIFA World Cup. The Burmese capital Yangon will also welcome a floating hotel sometime soon. Niemi believes there is definitely a future for the concept: “Floating hotels can take advantage of market opportunities where a permanent hotel would not be possible,” but, he warns, “This requires quick deployment and flexibility in business models.”

Schindler kuljettaa tehokkaasti • ilmoitus

Ainutlaatuisen kerroskohdeohjauksen ansiosta Schindler-hissit kykenevät kuljettamaan enemmän ihmisiä kuin kilpailijansa. Käyttäjän valittua kohdekerroksen aulan ohjauspaneelista kohdeohjaus opastaa samaan hissikoriin ne, jotka ovat matkalla samoihin kerroksiin.

Schindler kuljettaa tehokkaasti Rakennusprojektin suunnittelussa hissikapasiteetin optimointi voi vaikuttaa ratkaisevasti hankkeen kilpailukykyyn ja kannattavuuteen. Liikerakennuksiin ja hotelleihin tulee kuljettaa huomattava määrä ihmisiä lyhyessä ajassa. Hissit eivät saa viedä rakennuksessa liikaa tilaa. Samalla hissin käyttäjien odotusaikojen tulee pysyä optimaalisen lyhyinä. Kerroskohdeohjaus Ainutlaatuisen kerroskohdeohjauksen ansiosta Schindler-hissit kykenevät kuljettamaan enemmän ihmisiä kuin kilpailijansa. Schindlerin PORT-kerrosk ohdeohjaus (Destination Control) tunnistaa hissin käyttäjän jo rakennuksen aulassa ja ehdottaa todennäköisintä kerrosta, johon käyttäjä on matkalla. Tunnistaminen tapahtuu esimerkiksi älypuhelimella tai kulunvalvontalaitteella. Käyttäjän valittua kohdekerroksen aulan ohjauspaneelista kohdeohjaus opastaa samaan hissikoriin ne, jotka ovat matkalla samoihin kerroksiin. Käyttäjän

aikaa säästyy ratkaisevasti perinteiseen hissijärjestelmään verrattuna ja sama matkustajamäärä kyetään siirtämään aiempaa pienemmällä määrällä hissejä. Uusin teknologia Schindlerin uusi hissikoneisto toimii vaihteettomalla teknologialla, joka on hyöty suhteeltaan parempi ja hiljaisempi kuin perinteiset koneistot. Erillistä konehuonetta ei enää tarvita. Hisseissä on vaihteeton koneisto, jossa vaijerit on korvattu hihnoilla. Hyvän hyötysuhteen ansiosta moottori on aiempaa pienempi ja äänettömämpi.

Luotettava ja ympäristöystävällinen Schindlerin hissitöiden johtaja Tapio Härö kertoo, että uusi hissityyppi on erittäin luotettava. Uuden tyypin hissejä on asennettu Suomeen jo noin 1500 kpl. Schindler on panostanut ekologisuuteen erityisesti energiatehokkuutta hakemalla. Uuden tekniikan ansiosta hissin kuljettamiseen tarvitaan 30 % vähemmän energiaa, hissin valmiustilan virrankulutus on 40 % alhaisempi ja LED-lamput kestävät 20 kertaa pidempään kuin perinteiset ratkaisut ja ovat samaan aikaan myös energiatehokkaampia.

Pitkät perinteet ja edelleen matkalla ylöspäin Schindler on perustettu Sveitsissä vuonna 1874. Schindlerin historia Suomessa alkaa jo 1950-luvulta, jolloin se teki yhteistyötä Valmetin kanssa ja tunnettiin Schlieren nimellä. Schindler Hissi Oy perustettiin vuonna 1987. Eurooppalaisen yhtenäisen hissisäännöstön voimaantulo 1990-luvun lopulla avasi markkinat Schindlerin jo muualla Euroopassa myydyille hissimalleille myös Suomeen. Tällä hetkellä noin 20 % myydyistä hisseistä on Schindlereitä. Schindlerin hissit on tähän saakka totuttu näkemään lähinnä asuintaloissa. Uusinta tekniikkaa toimitetaan nyt myös korkeisiin tornitaloihin ja liikerakennuksiin. Konehuoneettomilla ratkaisuilla ylletään tarvittaessa jo 150 metriin ja 50 kerrokseen saakka. www.schindler.com

CONCIERGE

SHAKEN STIRRED AND DETOXED BY BOYD FARROW

W ith millennials drinking less than older generations and embracing healthier lifestyles, a new range of platforms is offering alcohol-free hedonism, such as yoga raves and Redemption, a hip new alcohol-free bar in London. As part of this movement, cold-pressed juice bars are popping up

all over the place, and this is proving to be a refreshing new revenue stream for hoteliers. London’s fashionable new Ham Yard Hotel has included an outlet of Press, where “cleansing” juices are cold pressed not blended, ensuring essential active nutrients, minerals and enzymes don’t disappear. Across town in Shoreditch, the Ace Hotel—whose LA outpost opened a concession of popular indie brand Moon Juice last year—has opened Lovage, which it describes as a farm-to-street juice kitchen abiding by the principles of healing natural remedies. Lovage offers cleansing juices and shakes, teas and herbed waters, all made fresh in-house. The concept enables seasonal shifts, with ice creams, sorbets and granitas appearing in hot weather. Currently, expect to find this season’s trendy ingredient kale alongside fennel, squash, lettuce, apple and wild greens. The trend inevitably arrived from the US, where many hotels, particularly those in the growing “wellness” sector, have realised its potential. And it is becoming popular in not just the obvious places. Take Las Vegas’s popular Reliquary Spa & Salon, where the Juice Bar offers a range of a protein-filled, vitamin-boosted drinks. This particular temple to the body is part of the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino.

BOOKING GREEN GAINS GROUND BY ETHAN GELBER

There’s been an upsurge in the number of greenleaning, online hotel-booking and review tools. Nearly twodozen websites, including a couple associated with major brands like TripAdvisor and Booking.com, have entered the fray, lending legitimacy and momentum to a rising tide of travel industry eco-consciousness. Interestingly, this is happening despite a paucity of economic data justifying the expansion. “The figures I could give show that it’s fed by the aspirations of the Millennials generation,” remarked Alexandre Tsuk, Founder of BookGreener, a startup website dedicated to helping travellers find green hotels worldwide. “It’s mainly based on analysis of new customers and their profile, rather than trends in sales and volume.” The elephant in the room is the TripAdvisor GreenLeaders Program, which showcases eco-friendly hotels and B&Bs. Launched in 2013 to assist TripAdvisor’s community of 315 million travellers in arranging greener trips, GreenLeaders has become “the largest green hotel program of its type in the world,” reported Jenny Rushmore,

who oversees the initiative. It presently counts nearly 8,000 participating properties and over 40,000 “green” user reviews across North America and Europe. Expansion is now underway into Australia, New Zealand, Latin America and the Caribbean through partnerships with Ecotourism Australia and Rainforest Alliance. Other operations responding to and inspiring consumers’ ethical travel desires include reservation services like BookDifferent (now in league with Booking.com), Green Pearls, GreenHotels and Bedforest, with a more substantial collection of green-hotel listings such as Green Key Global, Eco Hotels of the World, environmentallyfriendlyhotels.com and market-leading responsibletravel.com. However, even with TripAdvisor’s prominence and the high hopes of sustainable-travel entrepreneurs, some people believe more should be done to actively guide change, especially by TripAdvisor. Comfort Hotel, in collaboration with the Rainforest Foundation Norway, has therefore launched a campaign, called Dear TripAdvisor, challenging the travelindustry titan to introduce sustainability as a rating choice.

CONCIERGE

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT BY ABIGAIL BLASI

Food waste costs the UK hotel sector alone £318 million each year, according to Green Hotelier. Innovative ways to cut down or reuse hotel waste are not a luxury, but a must. Many hotels are converting food waste into fertilizer, such as the Hilton Hotel in Athens, which uses a Dehydra food waste dewatering system to produce compost produced to nourish the hotel grounds. Even more significant are the systems turning organic waste into energy (anaerobic digestion), used by, for example, all the Disney World hotels, which are partnered with Harvest Power to enable costeffective production of electricity. Lancaster in London attempts to avoid generating food waste where possible, promoting ‘nose to tail’ eating in its restaurant. The approach is more ecological and a fashionable selling point in its own right. In countries around the world, food banks and nonprofit distributing groups make it easy for hotels to send in food surplus. In the Middle East, Hilton Worldwide, Crowne

ECO EDUCATION It’s standard practise these days to give guests the choice of fresh towels, with a gentle reminder about environmental friendliness. Some hotels proffer ‘don’t clean my room’ hangers, again allowing guests to take control of being green. However, some hotels go further, and all of the following have won awards for their efforts in sustainability.

Plaza and Style Hotels are all sponsors of the Food Banking Regional Network, which operates in countries throughout the region. In the United States, Hilton, Marriott, Starwood and other hotel groups have partnered with food bank networks including Feeding America. W ith food waste diverted from costly landfills, meals provided for the hungry, energy generation, compost creation, and cost savings from waste reduction, action on food waste makes perfect sense.

Sal Salis (Australia), is located on the shores of one of the world’s greatest fringing coral reefs. A key eco-initiative, alongside all the practical green solutions, is for hotel guides to help guests learn more about the local flora and fauna and understand challenges facing its precious ecosystem. Nikoi Island in Indonesia is a luxury private island resort where guests don’t have air conditioning or televisions in the rooms. The hotel takes care to educate guests on the benefits of the policy, and it also promotes sea-

9 The Sal Salis in Australia.

turtle conservation. The award-winning, feng-shuidesigned Inspira Santa Marta Lisbon takes a more obvious approach, with sustainability tips in the rooms and digital environmental messages in the lobby. In the Hotel Verde in Cape Town, customers are rewarded for sustainable behaviour and gym users work out on power-generating equipment that shows how much energy they’re pushing back into the hotel. - AB

CONCIERGE

LIGHTBULB MOMENTS The NH Collection’s flagship property in Madrid has not only enjoyed a recent design makeover, it has signed up to become part of the Living Lab, the industry-wide initiative to see how guests react to new technology. As well as 100-percent recyclable furniture materials, and other eco-essentials, the hotel features all-LED lighting. The good news for hoteliers seeking imaginative lighting to reduce energy costs and hit sustainability targets is that advances in LED field enable them to enhance their atmosphere as well as save money. The historic Hotel Adlon Kempinski in Berlin claims to have reduced energy consumption by 80 percent after

YOU KILL, WE COOK Getting the freshest food from farm to fork has become a competitive sport at some hotels, and activity breaks are on the rise, so it’s not too surprising that visitors are increasingly urged to gather their own food. Celtic Manor, the Welsh retreat best known for golf courses, now allows guests to catch salmon and trout to be cooked in its restaurant. Likewise, the K CIub in Kildare, Ireland encourages guests to go fly-fishing for trout, pike and perch on the three lakes in its 550 acres. If warmer climes are preferred, the Hyatt Regency Sarasota is one of several hotels in Florida currently offering “You Catch ‘Em, We’ll Cook ‘Em” offers. For $40, the hotel chef will grill, blacken, sear or fry a fisherman’s cleaned and filleted catch and serve it as part of a three-course meal. If shooting holds more appeal, the Viceroy Snowmass, near Aspen, Colorado, has just added a “you kill/we cook” option to its menu of leisure activities. Guests can hunt pheasant, duck and goose

switching over to LED two years ago, and new projects are increasingly integrating LED lighting into designs. For the ME London, the first hotel to be fully designed by Foster + Partners, LED light sheets illuminate various features and surfaces in the hotel’s funky bar area. One practical benefit for surfaces, says the hotel, is that as well as being versatile the material stays as cool as it looks. The “wow” factor is something the just-opened Kempinski Beijing has definitely gone for, with the circular hotel’s exterior lit up entirely with LED for maximum impact. Of course, this low-cost technology can be applied to any hotel. Architects and lighting designers at the new Hyatt Place hotel in Portland, Oregon, for example, used LED lighting outside the property simply to make it stand out from the surrounding buildings, giving it a kind of glow. - BF

with specialist guides. With foraging so trendy in European restaurants, many hotels organise truffle and mushroom hunts, but this practice is spreading further afield. The luxe Nita Lake Lodge in Whistler, British Columbia, helps visitors find edible plants, shoots and lichens in Canada’s great outdoors. The Fat Hen in Cornwall is even more ambitious. Its Gourmet Wild Food Weekends allow guests to select their own pigeon, squirrel or deer, or create rock samphire fritti, nettle ravioli and seaweed panna cotta. - BF

TAPPING INTO THE CHINESE TRAVEL BOOM BY RON GLUCKMAN

The author of “The New Chinese Traveler: Business Opportunities from the Chinese Travel Revolution”. journalist Gary Bowerman shares tips on how hotels can better appeal to Chinese travellers.

Wifi without cost or conditions: Hotel-wide free and fast W iFi is not just a desired amenity; it’s considered an essential part of the travel experience for Chinese guests. Hotels failing to offer unlimited W iFi access will miss out.

Destination presentation: The coveted demographic is young independent travellers, particularly couples in their late 20s and early 30s. Unlike in Chinese group tours, these are increasingly experienced travellers, more eager to explore museums, art galleries, and local sites. They relish authentic local dining, wine, history and culture. Hotels can offer Chinese guided tours to wineries and food markets, or visits to see local craftsmen and galleries with up-and-coming artists. Guided limo city tours (particularly for honeymooners) are a fast-developing trend.

More creative Chinese and fine dining: Guests want authentic Chinese regional dishes and restaurant settings that mirror their expensively designed counterparts at China’s best hotels. For international dining, drop the unfocused “Western menu.” Better to have recognisable inhouse Japanese, Italian or Korean restaurant brands. And highlight wine-pairing options not only at dinner but brunch, too.

Shop till they Drop: Shopping is a key part of the Chinese travel experience. Many travellers want to visit the “it” store (ie, Harrods in London, Gucci in Rome and Hermes in Paris). But quirky, chic local brands appeal as well. Hotels can partner with small brands to create bespoke shopping visits for Chinese guests. Offer discounts for UnionPay cardholders, private in-store showings or brand showcases right in your lobby or lounge.

Show-stopping ‘selfie’ opportunities: Create Instagram-friendly backdrops all over the hotel, like art installations in the lobby, historic detailing, VIP imagery or a festive Chinese New Year tapestry. Focus on clever touches (a bottle of Chinese wine, or an in-room Xiaomi smartphone with Chinese apps, perhaps?) to make guests feel at home. Postings on Weibo and WeChat – with more users in China than Twitter – will provide invaluable word-of-mouth buzz.

CHEAP AND CHIC: The POSHTEL ERA In the emerging 10th Arrondissement, a once derelict office block is being transformed into a chic array of stylish rooms and private terraces. This activity marks the ninth and largest venture from Generator, the fastest growing hostel brand in Europe. The company, which aims to reach 12,500 beds spread across 15 properties by 2018, fits squarely in the booming category that has been dubbed the “poshtel”—a cross between the hostel of old and the small boutique hotel. Their small size often means these sort of properties can often offer incredibly central locations, which are more important to budget-conscious Millennials than large guestrooms. At the same time, they chime with design-oriented travellers who may not want the boutiques, which are often marketed as romantic boltholes. Tellingly, Generator Venice recently won the European Hotel Design Award in the lobby, lounge and public areas category, beating Ian Schrager’s boutique London EDITION. Another growing design-focused mid-market hotel chain, Meininger, plays up the social aspect of this new hybrid by saying it “combines the best that hostels and hotels have to offer.” W ith the Dutch chain CitizenM also planning to further roll out its well-designed room concept

throughout Europe and the US and enter Asia, and the UK’s capsule chain Yotel readying properties in Singapore, Paris, Miami, San Francisco and Miami (and negotiating for others in Boston, Los Angeles, Seattle and Toronto), it seems that this new sector will continue to expand over the next few years. - BF

THE CONSULTANT CONCIERGE

By Hospitality Consultant Peter Venison

One of the finest films to have ever come out of Hollywood was “On the Waterfront,” and one of the most impactful and gripping performances ever on the silver screen was given in that film by Marlon Brando. “I could have been a champ”, drawled Brando, bemoaning his wasted life. Well, Marlon, as far as I am concerned, you were a champ, although, sadly, you did not live long enough to receive the accolades – not for acting, but for being the brains and engine behind potentially the greenest hotel in the World. When Brando retired from acting he went to live in French Polynesia, where he purchased the island of Tetiaroa, a tiny atoll about twenty minutes flight from Tahiti. He fell in love with the nature which surrounded him and determined to do everything in his power to preserve and protect it. He saw himself as not a landowner, but a steward. The route he chose was to fund this preservation project beyond his lifetime by developing a resort dedicated to self-sustainability. Brando’s idea of a “green” hotel was not limited to cutting back on plastic wrappers or asking guests to re-use their towels; he wanted to think out of the box. He dreamed of using the cool water from the ocean depths to operate his air conditioning, he dreamed of relying entirely on renewable energy sources such as solar power and coconut oil. He dreamed of growing his own food and training his staff to think “eco-friendly”. Sadly, Brando did not live to see his dreams come true, but his inspiration and ideas have propelled his family into action and the result is the acclaimed Brando Resort, which opened for business in late 2014. The Brando, as it is simply called, is aiming to be the first campus resort in the world to obtain LEED Platinum, the organisation’s highest accolade. Firstly, the footprint of the hotel itself has had the lightest possible touch on the land, and most of

the building materials have been sourced locally. Operationally, the hotel is powered with renewable energy. The Sea Water Air Conditioning (SWAC) reduces the air conditioning energy requirements by 70 percent. This process, developed and installed by Pacific Beachcomber, is the world’s first air-conditioning system using SWAC. Solar energy produced from photovoltaic panels along the airstrip provide over half of the resort’s remaining energy needs, and the balance is provided by a generator powered with locally produced coconut oil. The flowbatteries for storage of energy are made primarily from recyclable materials. Many of the fruits and vegetables used in the hotel come from the on-site organic garden, and the resort has set a goal of net zero carbon impact. It is planned that hotel vehicles will be powered by the sun, and guest transportation is mainly by bicycle. An innovative waste water management system has been installed as well as a robust recycling and composting program. By all accounts this Brando-inspired resort is, to date, the champion of green resorts. All of this, however, comes at a steep price; accommodation charges are extremely high. Pioneering is always a costly business. Let us hope that the lessons to be learned at Brando will soon be filtering across the industry as the techniques become more common and more affordable. I, for one, can’t wait to pay the place a visit.

Peter Venison is the author of ‘Managing Hotels’ and ‘100 Tips for Hoteliers.’ A 50-year veteran of the hospitality field, he continues to work as a consultant to the international hotel and casino industry.

Valaisimet ja varjostimet hotelleihin, ravintoloihin, laivoihin, myymälä- ja julkisiin tiloihin, kotiin...

Valmistamme valaisimet kaikenlaisiin projektikohteisiin yli 30 vuoden kokemuksella, budjettikohteista glamour-kohteisiin. Toimitamme valaisimet valmiista mallistostamme tai teemme ne kokonaan alusta arkkitehdin / suunnittelijan luonnoksista. Olemme tarvittaessa apuna myös kohteen valaisimien suunnittelussa projektin alusta lähtien. Ota yhteyttä meihin mahdollisimman aikaisessa vaiheessa projektia, niin saamme parhaan lopputuloksen aikaiseksi.

Tervetuloa tutustumaan laajaan valaisinnäyttelyymme Kaarinaan. Esillä suuri määrä valmiita valaisimia sekä läpileikkaus projektivalaisimista.

2008-2015

Valaisin Grönlund - Voivalantie 22 - 20780 Kaarina, Finland info@valaisingronlund.fi - www.valaisingronlund.fi - Tel. +358 (0)10 820 8200

Q&A Hervé Houdré

Q&A with HOTELIER

HERVÉ HOUDRÉ Talking with the Champion of Sustainability in Luxury Urban Hotels.

AN INTERVIEW BY: ETHAN GELBER

14 14

Q&A Hervé Houdré

Hervé Houdré is the Regional Director of Operations of the InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) and General Manager of the landmark InterContinental New York Barclay, now closed for major renovation. As an award-winning luminary on integrating sustainability into large, luxury, urban hotels, Houdré is considered one of New York City’s greenest hoteliers and was instrumental in making the InterContinental Barclay an industry leader in responsible hospitality.

W idely published on sustainable hospitality, Houdré is chairman of the Hotel Association of New York City’s (HANYC) Sustainable Hospitality Committee, which recently announced the winners of its first Sustainability Awards, part of an effort to move New York City hotels toward a more sustainable future. Hotelier International: Why do you believe hotels should think about sustainability?

Hervé Houdré: Sustainability is about the triple bottom line – profit, people, planet. It’s about making money while taking care of the environment and the communities surrounding us. Hotels use lots of energy. Hotels create lots of waste – our own as well as what we collect from customers. Mitigating our very big carbon footprint is the “planet” part. For the “people” part, we also depend a lot on local communities, so it’s fitting to be socially responsible and give back. And, obviously, we have

Q&A Hervé Houdré

to deliver “profit” to be sustainable financially.

companies have sustainability.

incorporated

when we simply tackle the low-hanging fruit.

HI: How has IHG taken sustainability to heart? HH: IHG has Responsible Business as one of its four strategic objectives. It means we’re here to do business, but must embed the principles of sustainability in everything. Our internal sustainability certification, called GreenEngage, has 150 key indicators. Most other hotel management

HI: Has it been easy to push internally for sustainability? HH: The biggest issue is one of financial return on investment. The owners – and the financial world – don’t always see sustainability as a way to increase profit. I’m not blaming them. I think it’s up to us, the operators, to show them the value in being sustainable, even

HI: What is some of the low-hanging fruit? HH: Bulbs! In 2006, we changed to energy-efficient bulbs at the W illard InterContinental Washington. We saved $120,000 and it cost only $45,000. That’s the savings every year against a one-time cost. At the Barclay, after changing bulbs and being as energy efficient as possible since 2009, in

also

Q&A Hervé Houdré

Q&A HervĂŠ HoudrĂŠ

At the Barclay, a rooftop garden grew herbs, cherry tomatoes, and peppers used by the chef and mixologist. We also have beehives, which was copied by other hotels.

Q&A Hervé Houdré

2013 we saved $400,000 in electricity cost versus 2009 expenditures with the same occupancy. We saved $900,000 in five years. A huge return on investment! HI: Are there other initiative? HH: To be sustainable doesn’t mean spending lots of money. It’s opening your eyes and doing the right thing. At the Barclay, a rooftop garden grew herbs, cherry tomatoes, and peppers used by the chef and mixologist. We also have beehives, which was copied by other hotels. We wanted to show our concern about the city’s biodiversity and ecosystem. Breakfasts were based on organic, sustainable, and seasonal food, which was good for people’s health, the environment, and local farmers and producers. We donated whatever we couldn’t use to City Harvest. We were the first hotel to have an Enviro composter to convert organic waste to topsoil. The machine managed 40 percent on site, while the rest was

sent away for processing. We sent all used amenities to Clean the World, which processes it into soap bars for use in Africa. Of course, there were lowflow showers and toilets, 100 percent biodegradable keycards, and we purchased renewable energy credits to show our commitment to renewable energy. These are little things! You can go into bigger things like cogeneration and micro-turbines. We are always trying to find new ideas. It’s non-stop.

follow. Certifications are also marketing tools that draw attention.

HI: What would you counsel other hoteliers to do when grappling with sustainability? HH: Go through a sustainable certification process. If you have no clue what you should be doing, it’ll give you ideas. I recommend Green Key Global (there are others like Green Globe and EarthCheck) because it’s good return on investment. It’s not very expensive and even offers a great roadmap to

HI: How can we make the move to sustainability a speedier and more urgent process? HH: Unfortunately, at the nation-state level, we don’t seem to get along. Because governments can’t really settle, it’s up to businesses to make a big stride. This is why, when it comes to the hotel industry, I’m trying to do as much as I can to influence it in the best way possible.

HI: How has your work with HANYC’s Sustainable Hospitality Committee helped drive the sustainability agenda in New York City? HH: We created this committee four years ago because we are concerned about being good citizens. One of our initiatives was to create a sustainable hospitality website. Another was to establish Sustainability Awards, given last year for the first time.

Led it be! ENERGIATEHOKKAITA JA TYYLIKKÄITÄ VALAISTUSRATKAISUJA KAIKKIIN TILOIHIN

LedLinja Oy myy ja maahantuo laadukkaita led-lamppuja ja –valaisimia. Kauttamme saat kaikki mitä tarvitset nykyaikaisen led-valaistuksen toteuttamiseen. Palvelemme ammattitaidolla ja luotettavasti. Suunnittelija, arkkitehti, yrittäjä ota yhteyttä ja kysy lisää! Led-loisteputket, led-paneelit, led-highbay valaisimet, toimistovalaisimet, ulkovalaisimet..

Q&A Hans Pfister

Q&A with HOTELIER

HANS Pfister

Lessons f r o m C osta Rica on D ow n pl ay in g Susta in a bi l it y, Findin g t h e Ri g h t Pa rtne r s, a nd Puttin g Peo pl e Fi r st. AN INTERVIEW BY: Anja MutiC

Hans Pfister, president and co-owner of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality, a Costa Rica-based company that currently manages eight hotels in different regions of Costa Rica and Nicaragua, brings over 20 years of global experience in the hotel business. A frequent speaker at sustainability conferences, Mr Pfister shares his insights on how to develop a sustainable luxury hotel, make it stand out and make it thrive. Hotelier International: Sustainability has been such a buzzword the last few years. Do you feel it’s falling out of fashion as a given property’s selling point? Sustainability shouldn’t be used strongly in your promotional message. You should be doing the right things, and you can certainly

tell a story about them, but you shouldn’t go out and say: we’re a sustainable property. When you say you’re sustainable, it’s dangerous because there are always areas where you are not. In our case, sustainability being in fashion or not doesn’t affect the performance of our hotels. That’s because sustainability is not really that important to guests in their decision-making process. Once they’re at the hotel, they appreciate it; it’s an added value. But when they’re making a decision on where to stay, it’s not in the top five decision-making factors. People are more interested in location, activities, price, food and service. Regardless, we’ve done sustainability in the early 1990s, and we’re still doing it now. And, frankly, whether it’s in

fashion or not, I don’t care. HI: Can you think of any revealing moments you’ve had recently that made you realize you’re doing something right with your sustainable journey? There are two things that I’ve noticed over the years that make me think we’re doing the right thing. The first has to do with conservation. I’ve been doing this for 15 years, and I see a lot more wildlife than I did then - more scarlet macaws, agoutis and forest turkeys. Private reserves and conservation activities are really having an impact. What’s even more important and what makes me get up every day with a smile

Q&A Hans Pfister

is to see the development of the people. To see a receptionist promoted to general manager, to see someone who has worked in construction at one of our properties become middle management. When I talk to our employees, when I hear their stories, I know that’s what it’s all about, seeing how their lives get better. Another thing: There are a lot of people trying to copy us, and that’s good. For example, ten years ago we started offering sustainability tours at our properties and now a lot of hotels in Costa Rica are offering such tours to their guests. Also, we created a position of sustainability coordinator at Lapa Rios, someone in charge of sustainability at the hotel. Now many hotels have that position, too. That’s a good thing

because overall it moves us all in the right direction.

have that commitment to sustainability or it just wasn’t the right project.

HI: If you could start the endeavor again, what would you do differently and what would you repeat over and over again?

What I would repeat over and over again is our focus on human resources. We’re a people company. We talk to each other. We respect each other. We spend money on training and developing people. That’s something that has worked very well for us.

One of the things that we’ve done right is making sure we work with the right projects and the right owners. For example, we’ve been working with the owners of Lapa Rios for 15 years now and that’s definitely a great fit. The owners are committed to sustainability, to the community, to conservation. They have the right values, and we’re all on the same page. And that is the case with all of our current clients. Over the years though we got involved with some projects where either the owners didn’t

As for what I would do differently… I’d make us more tech savvy. A lot of how we do things is old fashioned. There are easier ways if you apply technology. It’s partially due to our locations in remote areas and in a country that’s not that developed technology-wise. That’s an aspect where we have a lot of room for improvement, and we’re working on it right now.

Q&A Hans Pfister

HI: What is your biggest dilemma and challenge as founder and torch-bearer of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality? It’s not easy to pick out that one thing, as there are many challenges. Something we’ve tried to do in the past two years is to remove Andrea (Bonilla, the other owner of Cayuga) and myself from everyday operations. But we’re probably still too involved and not taking a strategic enough role in the company. We’re still dealing with things that we really shouldn’t be dealing with at this point. For example, I’m running all the marketing at Cayuga, all the social media campaigns we do. And really, I shouldn’t be doing this anymore. Don’t get

me wrong, we’re hoteliers at heart, we love to take care of the client, to fix this and that. But at the point our company is right now and where it’s headed, we should refocus our attention on the more strategic big picture. HI: What advice would you give to hotel owners and developers looking to boost their performance while keeping a green focus? Invest in people. Offer training, boost motivation, give rewards. For example, we do training sessions where we bring all the employees to San Jose for two days of intensive workshops. But it’s not training

people how to clean a room or do checkin. It’s about more general advice they can apply in their work lives. This year we did a day called “Cayuga TED Talks: Expand Your Horizon,” where we invited seven people to talk about completely different things in 40-minute presentations. One was running an adventure race, another discussed healthy nutrition, yet another talked about finding your inner self. Hopefully these presentations get our people thinking and inspire them to make the right decisions on a different level. We find that these events have a huge impact on motivation, performance and development of our staff.

Q&A Hans Pfister

Hans Pfister in how to boost performance:

Invest in people. Offer training, boost motivation, give rewards.

Omnia on takuu osaamisesta ja asenteesta. Johtaminen, jatkuva uudistuminen ja asiakkaan arvostus ovat menestyksen avaimet. n Ammatillinen vuorovaikutus asiakaspalvelussa n Dieettikokin erikoisammattitutkinto n Majoitus- ja ravitsemisalan esimiehen erikoisammattitutkinto n Johtamisen/yritysjohtamisen erikoisammattitutkinto n Tuotekehittäjän erikoisammattitutkinto n Työtaitovalmentajakoulutus n Työvalmennuksen erikoisammattitutkinto n Työelämän passit ja sertifikaatit Panostus henkilöstön osaamiseen ja hyvinvointiin kannattaa. Suunnitellaan yhdessä juuri teille sopiva henkilöstökoulutus Omnian monialaista lisä- ja täydennyskoulutustarjontaa ja tutkintoja hyödyntäen. Lisätietoja henkilöstökoulutuksesta: Kati Vetsch, p. 050 303 4837, kati.vetsh@omnia.fi omnia.fi

Q&A HITESH MEHTA

Q&A with

ARCHITECT

HITESH MEHTA 28

Q&A HITESH MEHTA

Ta l k in g w it h t h e Gu r u o f Eco - pl a nnin g a nd Eco - desi g n. AN INTERVIEW BY: ETHAN GELBER

Q&A HITESH MEHTA

Kenya-born Hitesh Mehta is one of the world’s leading authorities on sustainable tourism and ecotourism physical planning, especially as they apply to the architecture and landscaping of ecolodges. He is President and Founder of HM Design, a Floridabased firm that has built projects and consulted in over 57 countries on six continents and received numerous international accolades for its accomplishments in architecture, landscape architecture, environmental planning, urban planning and design, interior design and photography. Mehta is the author of Authentic Ecolodges (Harper Collins), main editor of the International Ecolodge Guidelines, sits on the advisory board of The International Ecotourism Society, and has judged multiple major sustainable tourism hospitality awards. In July 2006, National Geographic Adventure magazine named him as one of the planet’s five Sustainable Tourism Pioneers.

Hotelier International: Are people more aware of what ecotourism represents today? Hitesh Mehta: A tipping point occurred several years ago. The percentage of people aware of environmental issues and degradation, and what the human ecological footprint is doing to the planet, has become huge. It’s great to see, but there’s still a lot of work to do. HI: As a result, has your worldview changed with regard to ecotourism? HM: Now that ecotourism is not being looked at as a fad, I am focussing more on Authentic Ecotourism and embracing the Jain concept of Ahimsa, or “non-violence to your fellow humans and non-human beings.”

Q&A HITESH MEHTA

HI: Has your work therefore gotten easier or harder? HM: Clients have become more conscientious and are doing their homework before they seek me out. I’ve made a very strong statement: I only work on eco- and socially friendly projects. I don’t have to convince anyone about what I’m doing.

room hotel in an urban location. The local community needs to be identified and consulted. And the physical and cultural context should be considered in both locations too. It’s like the foundations of a building; whether you’re in a pristine forest or an urban lot, you still have to lay the foundations properly.

HI: But you’ve set a high bar for yourself. HM: Yes, but that’s not a problem. Instead it’s protection against planners and designers who tout themselves as green when they’re really not, which is the equivalent of greenwashing.

HI: Surely there are differences too. HM: Of course. In pristine settings you have to be extremely careful about respecting what exists, but in urban areas, most natural things have been destroyed. Urban hotels also tend to be larger because of the demographics. For the utilities, that means everything is huge compared to what an ecolodge would have. But still, a lot of the basics don’t change no matter where you are.

HI: What are some of the challenges you face when working in urban versus rural environments? HM: The principles of design and planning are the same whether you’re building an ecolodge in a pristine natural area or a 200-

Q&A HITESH MEHTA

HI: How has the perception of ecotourism and ecolodges changed in recent years? HM: I look at today’s perceptions in a more positive light than those of the 1990s. Back then, ecolodges were thought of as rustic places where you slept on the floor and shared toilets. Eco-friendliness was valued over aesthetics. But today, now that eco-technology is better and cheaper, you can do ecolodge projects that are luxury and eco-friendly. The challenge is to make people aware that there are places for everyone, including affordable ones for the mainstream. HI: What can urban hoteliers learn from ecolodges? HM: I’ve said before that true green starts in the creation of the building. It’s not just about LED bulbs, low-flow shower heads and recycling programs. It means using low- or zeroVOC paints, chemical-free furniture, and natural cooling and heating systems. It means studying authentic ecolodges using alternative power, reclaimed-water systems and responsibly grown produce. Long-term sustainability is only viable if there’s a good balance between the financial, environmental, social and spiritual aspects of a project – a quadruple-bottom-line principle that all tourism accommodation should enforce in their design and construction phases. Then, in their operations, they need to

Q&A HITESH MEHTA

today you can do ecolodge projects that are luxury and eco-friendly.

provide guests with holistic experiences that connect their senses to urban ecosystems, local communities and their cultures. HM Design - www.h-m-design.com Authentic Ecolodges - www.authenticecolodges.com International Ecotourism Society - www.ecotourism.org

Terassir atkaisut Terassimark iisit, aurinkovarjot, k aihtimet. Yli 60 vuotta yhteistyötä suomalaisen sään k anssa.

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