Preserving a Sense of Place is the easiest piece of sustainable hotel operations, but often overlooked.
“To travel well, we believe, is to soak up authenticity. And where we spend the night is part of the picture. Does the hotel incorporate—and share—the soul of its location? Are resources respected and conserved? When possible, is the food put on the table local? Does the property play a vital role in the community, sharing some of its profits with local causes?”—National Geographic’s 2008 Stay List
Every hotel operates within a unique setting, comprised of its surrounding landscape, culture, history, people, native foods and natural environment. This medley of characteristics, or “sense of place” can be a property’s most efficient and powerful tool for generating revenue, but this most important piece of sustainable hotel operation is often overlooked. A hotel’s sense of place should be as well integrated into operations as its communications or property management systems.
If Alvin Toffler is correct and people collect experiences as enthusiastically as they formally collected possessions, hotels can capitalize on the trend by simply preserving and marketing that which is truly distinctive to their location.
Creating Barriers to Competition
The International Tourism Partnership defines destination protection as: “to maintain a ‘sense of place’ that supports the geographic character of the place—its environment, culture, heritage, aesthetics, and well-being of its citizens.” Destination protection is not only vital to sustainability; it can also help a hotel with barriers to competition. After a decade of rising consumer expectation, properties have been hard pressed to keep up with the constant introduction of new amenities. By preserving an area’s unique characteristics, barriers to competition fall into place naturally.
People travel to hotels for many reasons, but even the most hardened road warrior will agree that a hotel that integrates the area’s best features, exposing the “soul of its location” and creating a truly distinctive, memorable guest experience, will generate repeat visits or great word of mouth. Getting on board by protecting an area’s environmental systems, and adding value to a guest stay around local food, people and focal points also quietly speaks volumes about a property’s commitment to sustainability.
On the flip side, if hotels do not protect their sense of place and the regional icons travelers expect, there will be no incentive to travel, according to Greg Dugal, executive director of the Maine Innkeepers Assn.
“People travel to the state for the Maine experience,” says Dugal. “They expect to eat fresh seafood and lobster, to enjoy pristine beaches, rocky coastlines or trek through the Maine woods. Tourism is the largest industry in the state, so it just makes economic sense for innkeepers to take an active role to protect the character of the state by preserving its diverse environmental systems, and supporting local causes that help Maine people.”
‘Hospitality for Habitat’
A great example of a hospitality program that helps local people is “Hospitality for Habitat.” Every spring participating members of the Maine Innkeepers Assn. slash their rates in half for any guest who will write a check for $35 to Habitat for Humanity, which helps Maine families earn homes.
Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, has found an effective way to support the hotel’s sense of place and its coastal environment by tying its sheet and towel program to a local environmental cause. While AHL&A reports that more than 80 percent of hotels have sheet and towel programs, polls show they are still not popular with guests.
“Unless they are very eco minded, travelers tend to view sheet and towel programs only as a way for hotels to save money,” says Inn by the Sea general manager Sara Masterson. “Our grounds are a certified wildlife habitat with masses of monarchs on property in the late summer. The butterflies add to the guest experience, but are endangered. By letting guests know we donate savings back to initiatives that support the butterfly biosphere, it softens the sheet program, raises awareness and supports that special sense of place.”
The Cost of ‘Sense of Place’
Real advances in greening hospitality throughout New England have been made in the past few years. Properties have added green design features to building projects, and implemented programs to reduce water, energy, solid waste and chemicals. Health benefits for staff and guests, cost savings and new avenues for revenue have all been realized but sometimes at significant capital expense. Preserving a sense of place and sharing its unique qualities with guests is probably the least costly and easiest piece of sustainable hotel operations.
TripAdvisor’s new Trend Report predicts travelers will be more environmentally conscious in 2009. But hotels shouldn’t have to exaggerate their green initiatives or invent hard-to-implement programs to appeal to the growing numbers of green travelers according to Michele Veasey, New Hampshire’s Sustainable Lodging & Restaurant Program manager.
“Lodging properties are in a unique position to share sustainability with their guests and the community,” says Veasey. “Developing a sense of place with your guests through the uniqueness of your corner of the planet—such as local walks, journals of wildlife sightings, farms or crafters—all help them to see your place through a different lens. Sharing your passion for your area and its people provides the opportunity for a rippling effect in advancing sustainability in a quiet, but effective way.”
Rauni Kew is a consultant on innovative eco programs. She works with Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth Maine, which was selected as a Top Ten Green Hotel worldwide by TripAdvisor. Kew also works with the Maine Innkeepers Assn. She serves on the advisory board of EcoRooms.com. She can be reached at kewr@glance.net or by phone at (207) 602-8500.
