With its apartment-style accommodations located in destinations such as New York, Dallas and Denver, Mint House, Inc. is proving its approach to hospitality can result in a much lighter environmental impact. According to Mint House, it produces, on average, 23 percent less CO2 emissions daily compared to a traditional mid-scale hotel and 56 percent less waste compared to an upscale hotel with food & beverage and conference space.
Mint House, which recently added properties in Washington, D.C. and Madison, Wis., takes care of 10 percent to 100 percent of the apartments in the buildings it manages. For the 20 properties that it manages, it handles everything from cleaning to revenue management to screening the guests that it welcomes.
“A lot of what we do is in partnership with the landlord,” says Christian Lee, CEO of Mint House.
When possible, Mint House recommends sustainable materials, appliances, and technologies. Lee says guestroom energy management systems with smart thermostats keep HVAC systems at a moderate temperature when guests are not in their rooms. When a guest checks out of a property, a notification is sent from the PMS to the smart thermostat to put the residence into a low-energy use state until right before the next guest is set to arrive. The systems reduce the heating and cooling runtime by 23 percent. Sometimes apartments are shut entirely to further save energy. At least two properties offer EV charging and Mint House has partnered with Duke Power for renewable energy.
Progress in Waste Reduction
From a waste management perspective, Mint House has made significant progress in recent years.
Plastic keycards have been phased out and phones and codes provide entry into apartments. Dispensers eliminate the single-use plastic bottles still pervasive in the lodging industry. When guests are offered water, it is in aluminum cans. Optional room cleaning saves on energy, chemicals, labor and more.
“Because it is more residential style, as a practice, we are not cleaning the sheets,” Lee says.
Overall, Lee says, “We try to infuse [sustainability] in everything we do. It should be something we think about every day.”
Mint House’s board and investors include former chief executives from Four Seasons, Disney, Club Med, Starwood Hotels, St. Regis Hotels, JBG Smith and Travelocity.
“At Mint House, we lead with strong real estate expertise and focus on delivering sustainable and outsized returns for owners at the properties we manage,” the company says. “We collaborate with our partners to craft flexible and highly profitable deal structures that seamlessly implement our proprietary blend of tech-enabled apartment-style accommodations into your building.”
