Home Publisher's Point of View Good News for Charities: Kind Traveler Site Up & Running

Good News for Charities: Kind Traveler Site Up & Running

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Glenn Hasek

It was about two years ago at a conference that I first met Jessica Blotter, CEO & Co-Founder of the just launched booking website Kind Traveler. At the time I was impressed by her idea and still am—a booking website that allows one to donate funds to a charity local to the hotel in which one will be staying. I know it took a lot of hard work and patience to get www.kindtraveler.com up and running. I encourage you to check out the website and to work with Kind Traveler to get your property listed.

I did a test run at the site, as if I were going to be staying in New York City for a couple of nights. Evidence that the site still needs to bulk up on properties, I was offered just one hotel—The Benjamin (1 Hotel Central Park to be added soon). I chose The Benjamin and was shown a page listing the hotel’s various wellness factors, green features and community impact activities. I was also shown a list of the hotel’s green certifications and given the option of donating $10 per night to a charity in order to get $62 off a night. After a log-in procedure I was taken to a page where I was given the option of increasing my donation. I could also choose to give without getting the discount. A list of charities was presented. Overall, a great idea.

Kind Traveler site visitors can now book hotels in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Miami, Palm Springs, Los Cabos, Acapulco, Manzanillo, and Turks and Caicos, with more destinations to come. Early site supporters include hotel partners such as Virgin Hotels, 1 Hotels, Denihan Hospitality Group, COMO Hotels & Resorts, Solmar Hotels & Resorts, Grupo Brisas, Hollywood Roosevelt, Two Bunch Palms, Colony Palms, Hotel Angeleno, Hotel G, Serrano Hotel, Kensington Park, and The Mosser.

All of Donation Goes to Charity

According to Nicole Huertas, Director of Business Development for Kind Traveler, 100 percent of the charitable donation goes to the charity. “Every time we bring a hotel on, we bring them together with a local charity,” she says. A goal is to have hotels known for their sustainability achievements on the site.

According to Kind Traveler, it is different than an online travel agency (OTA), primarily because of the booking process. In terms of booking, the Kind Traveler development team created unique technology that sends the traveler’s information from Kind Traveler’s site directly to the hotel’s booking engine to complete the transaction. This direct booking provides a significant value for the hotel and traveler, allowing them to communicate directly with each other—before, during and after their stay.

“The actual room reservation takes place on the hotel website,” Huertas says. “We are generally going to be offering rates lower than those offered by OTAs. We are always working off of the hotel’s lowest rate.”

According to Blotter, “Our win-win platform offers solutions for everyone. For travelers, they become warriors for good and support hotels that are making a positive impact in the world—while receiving exclusive hotel rates. For hotels, they cultivate new relationships with cause-minded consumers and take another step towards corporate social responsibility. For charities, they receive 100 percent of donations and a new, sustainable channel for fundraising.”

Interested in learning more about Kind Traveler? Go to www.kindtraveler.com or e-mail Nicole Huertas at nhuertas@kindtraveler.com.

Green Lodging News Welcomes RieNu by Riegel as Founding Sponsor

Green Lodging News welcomes RieNu by Riegel as a Founding Sponsor. RieNu by Riegel is the first to market recycled table linen product. Made from recycled water bottles—the process includes collection, sanitizing, melting and extruding that molten material into yarn which is then woven and dyed to make RieNu. Riegel is one of six divisions under the Mount Vernon Mills, Inc. umbrella. Riegel is the division and brand name that services the hospitality industry. Riegel has earned the brand standard for every major North American hotel chain in the table linen category with products ranging from high-end all cotton DiRoNA to the spun polyester product on the market, Premier. Riegel’s sheeting and terry offerings include cotton and polyester blends up to high-end all cotton products. Call (800) 845-2232, e-mail sales@riegellinen.com, or click here for more information.

Green Lodging News Adds Glasdon, Inc. as Directory Partner

Green Lodging News, welcomes Glasdon, Inc. as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Glasdon has significant experience providing tailored and effective waste management solutions to a number of organizations both large and small. From reception spaces to guestrooms to dining areas, Glasdon’s range of capacities, styles and colors can accommodate any lodging environment. Glasdon can personalize bins. The company also supplies coordinating trash containers and ash receptacles. Call (855) 874-5273, e-mail info@glasdon.com, or live chat at www.glasdon.com.

Green Lodging Survey

The Green Lodging Survey, a joint effort of Green Lodging News and Greenview, is now ‘live’ and open through August 31. Be sure to complete the survey and have others do the same. The survey is geared toward those who own and operate lodging establishments anywhere in the world. Click here to access the survey.

Who is Your Sustainability Champion?

Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Looking for Guest Columnists

Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Planning Advertising for 2016?

Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2016. Many excellent spots are available on the website, in the weekly e-mail newsletter, and just-announced Green Lodging Survey. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2016 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.

Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation

The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight currently stands at 4,956. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There is a “subscribe” form in the upper left area of the Green Lodging News home page.

Green Lodging News & Social Media

Green Lodging News now has 1,701 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 780 Facebook followers.

As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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