SALES & MARKETING
The Hyatt Cartagena in
Colombia created a market where family members of inmates at the local women ’ s prison sell handcrafted purses . Pastry makers also sell their goods here .
GIVING BACK ,
GETTING BACK
HOTELS HELPING LOCAL COMMUNITIES THROUGH SOCIAL PROGRAMS MAKES FOR GOOD BUSINESS AND A GOOD STORY – AND GUESTS ARE RESPONDING .
Contributed by LAURA KOSS-FEDER
When the Hyatt Cartagena in Colombia opened its doors in December 2016 , giving back to the local community was part of its mantra . It created a market at the pool , where family members of inmates at a local women ’ s prison sell the prisoners ’ handcrafted purses and send the proceeds back to them . The market also welcomes Cartagena pastry makers to sell their goods .
“ The goal here is to give these women a second chance and to help and encourage them to have their own businesses when they get out of prison ,” says Juan Salgar , culinary experience director at the 261- room oceanfront property . “ We want to help them become a part of the greater society one day , and we are ‘ selling ’ the story of these women to our guests , as we work to help them at the same time .”
GOOD BUSINESS The movement in hospitality to foster local wealth by helping individuals launch and maintain businesses is growing . Hoteliers know that being socially active is smart business . On a global basis , the industry is besieged with historically high labor costs and turnover rates . According to a Deloitte hospitality report , the average U . S . hotelier spends 33 % of revenue on labor costs ; that ’ s 34 % in the United Kingdom . By being a good local citizen , hotels may be able to lower turnover and associated costs , since employees will want to remain at employers that they truly admire .
“ By investing in and demonstrating commitment to the local communities , hotels demonstrate to their local workers that the hotel owner is committed to the long term ,” says John Challenger , CEO of Challenger Gray & Christmas Inc ., a Chicago-based global outplacement and career transitioning firm . “ These community-based investments help foreign hotel owners become more local , more trustworthy and more safe for potential employees ; this shows that the hotel owner is not just trying to pull profit out of the country .”
It also provides marketing opportunities for hotels . “ Millennials have now surpassed baby boomers in hotel stays annually , and they are passionate about both corporate sustainability and corporate responsibility ,” says Warren Marr , managing director in PwC ’ s Hospitality and Leisure group .
GREATER MISSION It is this clever meshing of corporate responsibility and personal service that has helped the 28-room Egerton House Hotel , a Victorian townhouse in London , boost occupancy by as much as 20 % and lower employee turnover by about 5 %, General
November 2017 hotelsmag . com 59