Whatley Manor, luxury that does not cost the planet

This week, I thought Id give you a break from telling you my opinion on something or other and instead, I wanted to highlight a business that is walking the walk and talking the talk when it comes to their Green Programme.

Dating back to the 18^th century, Whatley Manor is a beautifully restored manor house and spa nestles in 12 acres of gardens. Apart from their impressive award winning restaurant, what most attracts me to this property is their sustainability programme, which kick started in 2019.

Last week I had the pleasure to find out more about how they began their journey from Sue Williams, General Manager.

“The owners of Whatley Manor and I were discussing the subject of our operations impact on the environment and it was evident that we all had strongly held views that we wanted to focus hard on becoming more ethical operators both on property and in the community. We very quickly got underway as all parties were aligned.”

Having the owners and top management invested on a Green Programme, is the first step towards running a more sustainable business. A culture of sustainability need to be embedded into all aspects of the business, and most importantly, your team, needs to also believe it.

Change is never easy, I asked Sue if they found any barriers from their team at the start of their Green journey

“I can not say that it was easy at all. We have 100 staff and very quickly a good 75% of the team jumped on board and ran with the subject straight away but as always it takes longer to get 100% to fully engage. The barriers would be the fact we work in an old, listed building plus being a very busy hotel, occasionally the temptation is to cut corners, but through constant talk about the subject it keeps us inching forward. We include the subject at the point of interviewing new colleagues, letting them know this is one of our values from the beginning. It is then part of our induction and then the Green team keep working on new measures and communications.”

While these barrier might put some other business owners off from getting started, there are many benefits to running an environmentally conscious business

“Many of our guests have commended our actions, especially on occasions such as World Earth Hour, and World earth Day which we participate in at the hotel and this gets noticed by the guests and engenders discussion on the subject. Pre COVID we were proud to say we were 100% single use plastic free in our bedrooms, from the contents of our Mini bar to our tea trays etc, and our guests certainly commented on this in a positive way. We have slightly regressed since we reopened the hotel but only to ensure reduced contamination risk. As soon as we can, we will be going back to 100% single use plastic free.”

According to a study released by the Travel Agent Central Statistics in 2019, 87% of global travellers want to travel more sustainably, what is most interesting, is that 78% of global travellers would pay more to stay in Green Certified accommodation.

Whatley Manor is a prime example of a business that has sustainability at the forefront of their activities. 

“One of the very first steps we took was to put 3 team members on “Waste Champion” training. I put my Head of Maintenance, Head Chef and our Sustainability co-ordinator through this training. This is a certified piece of training. Beyond that it really is woven into our daily activity. It is always tricky getting the team gathered for training whilst the hotel is operational, so it is better to make it a part of everyone’s daily routines.” 

Devoting time to train your team is a key component for a successful green programme, that can bring many rewards to your business, the planet and also the individuals involved.

“My favourite part is with out question the new community of like-minded people that we have made along the way. Once you start the research around the topic you start to make all sorts of new contacts. These are all people who want to help you along the way. The good news is that there is an army of people with useful experience and knowledge that can help you at ever turn. It makes it enjoyable and interesting.”

I’ve always been a firm believer that if one business can achieve something great, so can all others. Last year, we saw the amazing Hotel Doolin become the first Carbon Neutral Hotel in Ireland, so I asked Sue “What are your top tips for any other Hotel Manager that is thinking of starting a Green Programme?”

“Do not hesitate, get underway as soon as you can. Do not be deterred by thinking that “we can not afford this” that simply is not the case, there are so many incremental wins along the way and many of them actually save you money. The sooner you make some positive changes the sooner you can share the stories with your guests, and you can start marketing your good works. There is a whole new generation of travelers out there looking for ethical travel and experiences. It is a future market to embrace.”

I could not agree more! 

Thank you Whatley Manor, you are an inspiration to others, your employees and your community.

Raquel

https://www.whatleymanor.com/sustainability/