Sustainable Hotels Podcast – Details, episodes & analysis

In this week's episode we're exploring the sustainability pillar; environment and I have the pleasure of sitting down for a conversation with the amazing Tommie Eaton.

Tommie is the founder of Bambu Brush, UK director of Clean the world and TED X Speaker. He joins us to share his story, and the remarkable experiences that have led him from backpacker to leading sustainability advocate

We explore the fundamental differences between the universal mission to Net Zero and the concept of building a circular economy to highlight the importance of building a sustainable future, not an empty one.

Tommie opens my eyes to the real depths of the plastic crisis, and questions whether we are the “plastic generation”.

Filled with insights and statistics, this episode is both eye-opening and empowering on our mission to build a more conscious future.

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… 

In this episode, we're joined by Raphaella, a sustainability consultant who shares experience in building measurable sustainability programmes and provides actionable tools for hotels to enhance their sustainability commitments.

Raphaella paints a picture of a hospitality industry that prioritises environmental, social, and economic responsibility. Drawing on her experience, she explores the potential for hotels to become hubs of sustainability innovation, working with peers and partners to push the boundaries of technology.

Recognising the challenges faced by hotels when adopting sustainable practices, Raphaella offers a toolkit of practical strategies and resources. From 0 chemical technology to food waste measurement tools, she highlights actionable steps that hotels of all sizes can implement to improve their sustainability performance and ROI.

Sustainable transformation requires collaboration across the entire hospitality ecosystem. Raphaella talks about her role within the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance and the importance of fostering partnerships and sharing experiences, to amplify impact and drive positive change.

Finally, Raphaella talks about the importance of driving behaviour change from the top down, inspiring teams to join the movement and build better hotels together.

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Partners recommended by Raphaella

Winnow - Waste solutions

d2o - Hospitality Performance Management Technology

Klimato - Carbon labelling 

Enozo - 0 Chemical technology

Raypath - Nanosilver Technology cleaning products

Silo - 0 waste restaurant

Sustainable Hospitality Alliance

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Connect with Raphaella 

With a wealth of experience in the industry, Linden shares insights on the importance of empowering your team, getting started on your sustainable journey, optimising supply chains, and utilising natural resources.

Linden discusses the pivotal role of team empowerment in achieving excellence in hospitality. From fostering a culture of trust and collaboration to providing opportunities for professional growth, Linden emphasises how investing in your team can enhance guest experiences and drive overall success.

We discuss the journey to Sustainability and Linden provides practical advice on how hotels can get started. Linden highlights the importance of setting achievable goals and gradually integrating sustainable measures into daily operations.

Sharing his great initiative of consolidated procurement, Linden discusses strategies for identifying sustainable suppliers, reducing carbon footprint through responsible sourcing, and streamlining procurement processes to minimise suppliers and optimise efficiency. He also emphasises the importance of building strong partnerships with suppliers who share the hotel's commitment to sustainability.

With a sprawling 110-acre woodland and a thriving kitchen garden, Down Hall Hotel has an abundance of natural resources at its disposal. Linden shares how the hotel leverages these resources to grow fresh, seasonal ingredients; from foraging wild herbs for their house gin to cultivating produce in their kitchen garden.

Join us as we explore these topics and more in this insightful conversation with Linden, offering valuable insights for hospitality professionals and sustainability enthusiasts alike.

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Partners recommended by Linden

Essex Spirit Company 

Glow Wellness Events

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Connect with Linden

Visit Down Hall Hotel 

An introduction to Sustainable Hotels from our host, Grace Greensitt.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Follow Langham Hospitality Group

Connect with Tate

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?

Follow Treeapp

Connect with Richard