People – Social Sustainability | MAp Boutique Consultancy

FACTS: Why Social Sustainability Matters

Social sustainability helps you to attract more employees and retain them due to increased morale and productivity.
Social sustainability leads to happy guests who come back again and again.
Social sustainability connects you to those partners who can best support your hotel’s growth.
Social sustainability fosters community support in your hotel.
Social sustainability boosts brand image and reputation.

Why it is worth to focus on your People

People matter - it’s that simple. And in order to emphasise just how much they matter for the sustainable success of your hotel, let’s look at these three important reasons:

3

1/

Only team work makes the dream work

If you follow our work, you know that we are strong believers that goodness, kindness and gratefulness go a long way.

Taking care of your team members might be one of your most important strategies, because they take care of your guests and your business.

2/

Money always comes from People

Unfortunately, the last decades have been heavily influenced by a “Profit over People” mindset. So let’s turn this around and put People over Profit.

Your People will feel that you care about them, and they’ll be more loyal and good to you in return. And secondly, more People will be inclined to do business and build partnerships with you.

3/

People will make or break your brand

And that’s all there is to say, isn’t it?

Because who is talking about your boutique hotel to others? Who is writing reviews? Who is supporting you? Who is taking care of your guests? In whose hands lies your future success? Exactly, the People (once again).

Your handbook to creating a hotel for the People

We’ve created a practical handbook to guide you in implementing social sustainability measures that benefit all People – and your business in return.

MAp Boutique Consultancy, The Sustainable Hotel, People - Social Sustainability

Discover The Sustainable Hotel Handbook: People

People make or break your business, and therefore treating them right should be a top priority.

The People handbook outlines how to act responsibly toward four of your most important stakeholder groups: employees, guests, partners and local community members.

Most businesses operate with a Profit-over-People mindset. But who books with your hotel? Who writes your reviews? Who takes care of your guests? Who supports your growth? That’s right: People. So it’s best you do what’s best for them!

102

action steps

8

exercises

5

scorecards

As seen on:

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"Sustainability" was not tangible for me - it was always distant, and I didn't know how to efficiently implement sustainability into my hotel. The Sustainable Hotel opened up a new world for me, and with each handbook, I understood more about what I can successfully implement step-by-step and what truly makes a difference. Because it's of no use to talk about Mount Everest if you can't manage to climb the first hill.

"Sustainability" was not tangible for me - it was always distant, and I didn't know how to efficiently implement sustainability into my hotel. Just by reading the introduction to the handbook collection, which provides a clear definition (What is sustainability? What is a sustainable hotel? What does it mean for me?) and a clear breakdown of sustainability areas, sustainability became tangible.

I am a technician, a practitioner, and this clear division has helped me immensely. It opened up a new world for me, and with each handbook, I understood more about what I can successfully implement step-by-step and what truly makes a difference. Because it's of no use to talk about Mount Everest if you can't manage to climb the first hill.

RENATO BOTTE, OWNER OF LOCANDA MISTRAL (PIEDMONT/ITALY)

MAp Boutique Consultancy - The Sustainable Hotel

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The Planet handbook (by the way, my personal favorite) provides easily-understandable yet practical steps to save energy and water in general. The handbook helped me shape communication with our guests to motivate them to minimise their personal ecological footprint. The "Waste Action Plan" in the handbook helped me adapt our culinary offerings to minimise overall waste (food, packaging, plastics).

In terms of sustainability, the hotel industry faced a significant challenge, particularly in the areas of energy and water consumption. Hotels often consume large amounts of energy for lighting, heating, cooling, and operating facilities like swimming pools and spas. This leads to substantial greenhouse gas emissions, contributing to climate change.

One personally significant ethical concern that also affected our hotel group was waste management. It was painful to observe how much waste a hotel generates, from packaging to food. No matter how well-designed it is, a buffet will always result in a certain amount of food waste.

The Planet handbook (by the way, my personal favorite) provides easily-understandable yet practical steps to save energy and water in general. The handbook encouraged me to seek technological support in South Tyrol, so I reached out to myGekko, a company from Bruneck that optimizes energy consumption using AI and other technologies.

The handbook also helped me shape communication with our guests to motivate them to minimise their personal ecological footprint. Saving a towel when washing or understanding that the sauna starts two hours later can have a significant impact when thousands of guests visit every month.

The "Waste Action Plan" in the handbook helped me adapt our culinary offerings to minimise overall waste (food, packaging, plastics). We eliminated the bi-weekly evening buffets in the hotels, and the breakfast buffet now only includes products that can be cleverly reused. All hot dishes are now prepared à la minute. Although we are not completely "zero waste" yet, as some adjustments are still needed in South Tyrol, we are definitely on the right path.

In conclusion, I must honestly say that we do not yet have the means to measure our ecological footprint or exact savings accurately. However, when it comes to electricity and water, simply looking at the bills shows an average savings of about 12% compared to the previous year. The almost daily trips to the recycling center have now been reduced to just two times per week. Overall, some noticeable changes have already occurred with open eyes. But most importantly, since the introduction of The Sustainable Hotel Handbook, I am proud of the willingness of our staff and guests to drive sustainability forward and to realise that each individual can make a difference.

THOMAS KERSCHBAUMER, HEAD OF BUSINESS UNIT HOTEL & GASTRO, SENFTER HOLDING (SOUTH TYROL/ITALY)

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The Sustainable Hotel platform stands as an indispensable ally in our professional toolkit at Sainha, thanks to its rich library of insightful and actionable guides, and handbooks.

Whether it is about minimizing carbon footprint or waste, embracing circular economy principles, or optimizing supply chains for sustainability, The Sustainable Hotel unravels the intricate complexities in a refreshingly simple manner.

JEREMY TRAN, FOUNDER OF SAINHA

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What I particularly appreciated was the way the content was presented. The diversity of formats, including checklists, interviews, and success stories, made the content very accessible and engaging. The visual design of the handbook, featuring images and quotes, also contributed to my enjoyment of reading it. Overall, I can wholeheartedly recommend The Sustainable Hotel Handbook: People.

Unfortunately, the available literature on sustainability in the hotel industry was quite limited, but I was happy to find that The Sustainable Hotel Handbook: People proved to be a highly-valuable resource.

The handbook lists the various hotel stakeholder groups separately and provides deep insights into each one. Additionally, it elucidates the needs of these stakeholders and how hotels can fulfill them in a sustainable manner. Furthermore, I was able to learn more about the subject through Tatjana's success story and interview, gaining intriguing insights.

What I particularly appreciated was the way the content was presented. The diversity of formats, including checklists, interviews, and success stories, made the content very accessible and engaging. The visual design of the handbook, featuring images and quotes, also contributed to my enjoyment of reading it. Overall, I can wholeheartedly recommend The Sustainable Hotel Handbook: People. It not only provides a comprehensive approach to the topic of social sustainability in the hotel industry but also serves as a helpful resource for students like me who are exploring this subject.

LUISE WEINERT, BACHELOR'S STUDENT AT FHGR CHUR (CHUR/SWITZERLAND)

MAp Boutique Consultancy The Sustainable Hotel Mich Bondesio

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The Sustainable Hotel Handbook - Collection is an exceptional and timely resource to help hotels align their business goals with a triple bottom line that supports people, purpose, and most importantly, the planet.

Each beautifully-designed guide in the collection is jam-packed with helpful educational info, visual references, and relevant prompts to help you develop a more sustainable business model step-by-step.

With the environmental challenges we face, this responsible approach to doing business is now non-negotiable, and I’m encouraged to see such a valuable and innovative resource and service being offered to the hotel industry by MAp Boutique Consultancy. Investing in these guides and implementing the recommended systems and practices will not only differentiate your hotel business, but enable it to thrive, too.

MICH BONDESIO, AUTHOR, COACH & BUSINESS CONSULTANT, CREATING CADENCE (UNITED KINGDOM)

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Defining our own purpose, our own identity, is a challenge, but it makes our story tangible, credible, simplifies many things, and helps us use financial and personal resources wisely and purposefully. The Purpose handbook helps us tackle this challenge step-by-step, and starting with our own motivation is powerful.

I consider the ability to shape our environment and tell a story as a special gift. Especially in the hospitality industry, we must harness it. Defining our own purpose, our own identity, is a challenge, but it makes our story tangible, credible, simplifies many things, and helps us use financial and personal resources wisely and purposefully.

The Purpose handbook helps us tackle this challenge step-by-step, and starting with our own motivation is powerful. Purpose, a guiding principle that directs our decisions and actions throughout the entire customer journey.

LILIAN ROTEN, FOUNDER OF DESIGN JOURNEY AND HOTEL DE LONDRES IN BRIG (SWITZERLAND)

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The Sustainable Hotel Handbooks are very user-friendly and therefore perfect for entrepreneurs looking to facilitate their entry into sustainable tourism development. I view it as a well-structured, comprehensive, and visually-appealing guide.

Particularly valuable are the numerous practical tips, concrete action steps, and expert interviews. This adds an additional layer of depth to the information and facilitates direct applicability.

HEIDRUN STOISER, LEAD GREEN EXPERIENCES AT PIZ (MONTAFON / AUSTRIA)

The Shop for Hotel Sustainability

To create a hotel for People.

Create a thriving hotel business and learn more about holistic hotel sustainability with our practical handbooks, tools and resources. Let’s get started on the road to a more hospitable and purposeful Planet – together!

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