ROOMS DIVISION: CLEAN & GREEN

CLEAN AND GREEN

AS HOTELS STRIVE FOR HIGHER SUSTAINABILITY STANDARDS, AMENITIES BRANDS ARE RISING TO THE OCCASION WITH ECO-FRIENDLY SOLUTIONS THAT IMPRESS. RUTH HOGAN REPORTS.

An eco-revolution is underway in the hotel amenities space with brands big and small taking action to reduce their environmental footprint.

Groupe GM, a global leader in hotel amenities, is a primary example, having recently redesigned its popular Clarins hotel line to better reflect the company’s sustainability goals.

The relaunched Eau Dynamisante range features 100% recycled plastic bottles in 30ml and 60ml sizes, as well as a larger 300ml Ecopump version, while a refillable packaging solution known as Ecofill will be rolled out in the coming months. Furthermore, the soaps are certified by the Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil (RSPO) and the range is packaged in the Forest Stewardship Council’s (FSC) white and red cardboard boxes.

Groupe GM CEO Laurent Marchand said the revamped range reflects the standards and beliefs held by both companies.

“Groupe GM is dedicated to innovation, quality, and sustainability and both of our companies share an important commitment to the environment,” Marchand said.

“This collection of amenities is consistent with our Care About Earth program and we believe that it is ideally suited to guests’ needs.”

REFILLABLES ON THE RISE

Large-format, refillable solutions have become a preference for hoteliers globally as they seek to reduce their impact on the environment.

“With some states internationally already mandating a move from single-use amenities, the future of hotel amenities will be large format amenities in sustainable packaging,” said Buzz Products Regional ClientService Director, APAC, Janet Gibson.

No longer considered a low-budget approach, refillable amenities have evolved to cater to the luxury guest with sleek designs and floating or ‘invisible’ dispensers that secure the bottle to the wall discreetly.

“Brands are choosing better materials, quality pump dispensers with brackets, and taking a more considered and responsible approach to manufacturing practices,” said Hunter Amenities Australia Managing Director, APAC, Michael Matulick.

“Most excitingly, we’re seeing brands use technology initiatives to activate a holistic, fully immersive in-room brand experience for guests.”

Lessons learned from the rise of sanitising stations during the pandemic are also informing manufacturing practices, according to Swisstrade Director, Peter Weingartner.

“The initial pump dispensers adopted from the retail sector have demonstrated major hygiene flaws as well as high labour costs due to the refilling process, nullifying the initial savings from purchasing bulk refills,” he said.

Swisstrade has mitigated these challenges through factory-sealed dispenser systems Press and Wash, Smart Care, and the recently launched SHAPE – short for Sustainable, Hygienic, Aesthetic, Pump, Evolution – which has been engineered to dispense the exact amount of product required.

Swisstrade recently launched SHAPE to help hoteliers reduce plastic and product waste

“All three systems are factory filled and sealed and supplied with attractive wall brackets at no cost to the operator, making them the safest tamper and pilfer-proof dispensers in the market today,” Weingartner said.

In order to make refillable amenities appear more luxe, hotels may opt for brands that are well-known to their consumers.

“Guests love walking into a hotel bathroom and recognising or discovering a renowned haircare, beauty, skincare, fashion, lifestyle or fine fragrance brand,” said Vanity Group Vice President - Sales and KeyAccounts, Nick Mina.

“It builds immediate trust with the guest, enhances the overall value position, and unlocks a myriad of marketing opportunities.”

EXCLUSIVE EXPERIENCES

In some instances, luxury hotel collections are invited to have global exclusivity over specific amenity ranges. Vanity Group, for example, has partnered with QT Hotels and Resorts across Australia and New Zealand on their exclusive Kevin Murphy Angel collection and has collaborated with boutique hotel groups to create bespoke solutions includingCrystalbrook Collection’s waste-free amenity program, Immersion, and Ovolo Hotels’ environmentally friendly OMG bathroom amenities across Australia, Hong Kong, and Bali.

To extend the experience beyond the hotel room, some hotels are encouraging guests to enjoy the amenities after their stay through a ‘room to retail’ program with their amenity partner.

“This could come in the form of an exclusive discount when a guest of the hotel visits a flagship store, a value add when booking a skin or hair appointment as a guest of the hotel, or a bespoke discount code that’s shared as part of post stay communications, allowing the guest to access local benefits reserved exclusively for them,” Mina explained.

ECO-CONSCIOUS CHOICES

Beyond refillables, there has been a raft of eco-conscious innovations to support the sustainability movement across materials, packaging, and formulations.

“We’re seeing a rise of more conscious product – whether that’s with considered eco-friendly packaging, certified organic local ingredients, or native botanicals – as well as clean, natural and non-toxic formulations that are free from parabens, silicones and not tested on animals,” said Hunter Amenities’ Michael Matulick.

Vanity Group recently introduced the world’s first 100% sustainable amenity program incorporating aluminium tubes and woodchip bottle caps.

“This allows hotels to pursue a mini tube amenity program without contributing to the 450 million tonnes of plastic produced in the world annually,” Mina said.

Post-Consumer Recycled material, repurposed Ocean Bound material, sugarcane, corn-derived plastics, and biodegradable additives are also being used in packaging to help hotels create a sustainable stay for guests.

Luxury guests now expect premium bulk amenities

Each decision a hotel makes about where the products come from also has an impact.

Mina advises hoteliers to align with suppliers who have attained global accreditation from the likes of PETA and The Vegan Society.

SUPPORT LOCAL

According to Mina, the APAC region is becoming incredibly patriotic and eager to support local brands.

“Hoteliers are seeking homegrown brands to partner with in the bathroom – both established and emerging – in order to deliver an authentically local experience to guests,” Mina said, pointing to Australian-founded professional salon brands Kevin Murphy, Mr. Smithand O&M haircare, esteemed spa and wellness brand La Gaia Unedited, and leading skincare brands Hunter Lab and Appelles.

“Locals and tourists want to build an emotional connection to the destination they’re in,” Mina added.

“By aligning with a home-grown partner, the shower ritual becomes an unforgettable, hyper-local, experience for guests.”

This trend towards local brands was echoed by Swisstrade’s Peter Weingartner.“Australian-made brands are increasingly popular,” he said.“LEIF, Olive Oil Skincare Co. and our lifestyle brands NaturalRemedies and soon-to-be-launched Fair CosmEthics are rapidly gaining popularity as hoteliers prepare for another strong domestic travel boom.”

The added benefit of sourcing from local suppliers is a reduced impact on the environment.

“Hotels want to give back to their local communities and reduce their carbon footprint by buying locally sourced items,” Gibson said.

SHARED VALUES

Often hoteliers are looking for fresh new brands with great stories, according to Gibson.

“They want their guests to learn something new and enjoy different experiences while staying at their properties,” she said.

“I think this is interesting for our product lines because they are not all mainstream but certainly have great backstories.”

Many hotels are also seeking brands that align with their values,for example, Australian-made, eco-friendly, those who use native ingredients, and/or participate in community givebacks. These brands can act as an extension to a hotel’s corporate social responsibility.

“A growing number of operators in our region no longer view guest amenities as a cost, but as an extension of their marketing strategy, using toiletries brands for storytelling and to create memorable guest experiences that last,” Weingartner added.