Sustainable Hotels Podcast

Eugene Gilkes, Business Growth and Leadership Development Consultant at IncludeMe

We’re changing things up a little this week and focussing on one of our key sustainability pillars; people. To me, your people are your biggest asset, and there’s no one better to tell us how to care for our people than diversity equity and inclusion expert, Eugene Gilkes.

 

Following his success as a professional decathlete, Eugene used his experience and expertise to build a leadership consultancy focusing on DE&I.

 

Eugene shares with us his approach to DE&I, why the current system is failing us, and how we should be leading with inclusion.

 

Our conversation explores the importance of trust in the workplace and how that trust disseminates through the chain, from internal teams right down to guests and customers

 

So, if you’d like to increase your understanding of DE&I, learn how to foster an inclusive culture and ultimately build trust in your teams, this ones for you… 

Philip Steiner, General Manager at Bankside London

Philip shares his journey so far; from his love of hotels at a young age, to being appointed as General Manager and subsequently opening The Moxy and Residences, Slough in the midst of Covid, to joining the team at Bankside in 2022.

 

Bankside is nestled in the heart of London’s Southbank and pays homage to it’s local arts and culture scene. As part of the Autograph Collection, Philip talks of Bankside’s “mark” being their seamless connection to art at every touch point. With a passion for art himself, it’s clear that Philip has found himself at home in this gorgeous property.

 

We discuss the three pillars that makes Bankside so unique and explore the ways that Community, Art and Sustainability are seamlessly integrated in everything that they do.

 

Awarded HSMAI young hotelier of the year in 2022 and top 25 hotelier in the 2023 Brit list, Philip shares his inspirational leadership style and ways of empowering his team to create lasting memories for every guest.

Samantha van Exter, Head of Hotels at the Montcalm Collection

Welcome to this week’s episode of Sustainable Hotels Podcast where I have the pleasure of sitting down the Samantha van Exter , Head of hotels for the Montcalm Collection.

We’re meeting at the collections newest concept hotel; Inhabit in the heart of Bayswater. Named the “urban retreat”, Inhabit is a series of seven homey Victorian townhouses come together with wellness at their heart, creating a tranquil retreat in the heart of the city. 

As part of Design Hotels, and recently awarded B-Crop certification, inhabit is forging the path of Montcalm Collection’s Sustainability journey.

Samantha shares her journey so far, her passion for supporting small business and entrepreneurs and her mantra to give everyone time for their elevator pitch, as you never know what you will learn and what new partnerships will grow because of it.

We discuss the importance of storytelling, taking your guests on a journey and enhancing their experience at every opportunity. Whether that’s through their interaction with the building, your team or the community. By offering stories to elevate each moment you have the opportunity to share knowledge and create memories that will last a lifetime.

Paul Walters, General Manager at London Edition

To kick off this season I’m at the iconic London Edition in the heart of London’s Fitzrovia district.

 

Edition hotels are the perfect blend between historic architecture and modern interior design. As the home of the Edition brand, their London property is the epitome of effortless luxury. It’s hard to put your finger on what’s so fabulous about this hotel, but in this episode General Manager Paul Walters shares the secret of what’s going behind the scenes to make this hotel feel “just right”

 

As with all Marriott Hotels in London, Edition have committed to the Green Key sustainability standard and Paul talks us through how their accreditation keeps them accountable and encourages them to strive to continuously improve their impact on the planet.

 

It’s an exciting time for the Edition brand with several new openings in the pipeline, and its fantastic to see they are making a true difference in building a better future for generations to come.

Tate Husband, Director of Sales and Marketing at The Langham shares the story of their London property

Today I am at the beautiful Langham London with Director of Sales and Marketing, Tate Husband to learn about the stories behind their London property and the sustainability journey of the Langham group as a whole.

 

First up, Tate shares his background in Hospitality; taking him to all corners of the globe and landing his feet here in London – at least for now!

 

We talk about the importance of storytelling in hospitality, and the concept of ultimate luxury being an experience that money cant buy. Tate and his team tell guests stories to share anecdotes of the hotels history throughout their stay, making it personal, relevant and memorable.

 

Tate refers to likeness between hospitality and showbusiness; always being on stage and putting on your best performance, he shares ideas and initiatives to ensure that your guests or audience have the best possible experience whilst they are with you.

 

Finally we explore the Langham groups Sustainability journey, and having partnered with Earthcheck for over 25 years, it’s a long - well established path. Tate shares the importance of measuring their impact, partnering with technologies to constantly improve their sustainability, and collaborating with the communities around each hotel to ensure that they are always giving something back .

 

It’s a great insight into one of London’s most prestigious hotels, I hope you enjoy it.

 

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Richard Muggeridge, Head of Sales at Treeapp joins me to discuss the wider sustainability agenda

Rich is a sales guru but he is also a passionate sustainability advocate. In this conversation we discuss the world of Sustainability outside the walls of a hotel. Sharing stories from their projects in Nepal and Ethiopia, we explore the impact that trees have on not only our planet, but our people and our communities too.

 

We explore the concept of sustainability natives and recognise importance to educate and onboard all generations on this journey. Not only through jobs and opportunities, but by building an industry that is attracting top talent and offering ground-breaking advances to drive a more sustainable future

 

Finally, we recognise the commitment from the EU to restore their forests and challenge the UK government to take action. What does that look like? Is it feasible and how do we set about it?

 

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Connect with Richard

 

Joao Pinto Coelho shares the story of his family business: Onyria Group

In our first international episode I welcome João Pinto Coelho from Onyria Group, home to a collection of hotels and venues including Onyria Quinta da Marinha Hotel and Onyria Marinha Boutique Hotel.

 

Alongside his father and 5 siblings, João shares his passion of creating dream experiences for their people and partners to create value for everyone who is part of the Onyria family. 

 

Having embedded Sustainability within the core of their brand from the beginning, it is now very much a part of who they are ensuring that every decision that is made contributes to a better world  for our future generations.

Lisa Lernoux Dock, Sales Director of Iconic Luxury Hotels joins me to talk all things Chewton Glen and discuss the importance of social in the ESG model

Off the back of a two day ESG advisory meeting at Chewton Glen, Lisa and I sit down to reflect on the rich discussions we have had with our peers and industry experts.

For anyone that doesn't know, Lisa is an iconic figure herself, having worked for the collection for over 20 years and sitting on the board of Meeting Needs charity, she is real pioneer for good. Not only is she an absolute powerhouse when it comes to driving our industry forward but she's one of the loveliest people you will meet.

As well as the history of Chewton Glen, and the formulation of Iconic Luxury Hotels, we delve into what Sustainability means for them on their mission to create unforgettable experiences for their guests.

Lisa shares the core values of the hotel, focussing on the importance of their people and creating a culture where everyone feels valued and included giving them the confidence to share ideas and collaborate to always exceed expectations. 

Finally we discuss the importance of integrating with the community, whether thats through partnerships and supporting local suppliers, or sharing the land and harvest from their kitchen garden, Chewton Glen is a real home from home.