Social value is being widely recognised and acknowledged by the hotels industry in a bid to create more inclusive spaces for the people using them and the surrounding communities. Supported by recent studies including the 2022 Booking.com Sustainable Travel Report, 81 per cent of the global travelling community indicated that sustainable and responsible travel is important, therefore not an acute trend but rather becoming an industry standard and one that is certainly here to stay.
Hotel developers are waking up to the importance and value-add of embedding social value from the onset of a development, looking at how people will use the hotel, engage with its spaces (both internally and externally) and the impact the hotel will have on the wider community through the planning, delivery and operational phases.
By considering social value strategy through the planning and design phases of the development, social value can even influence the design of hotels with different product types offering varying physical capabilities of creating social value, for example a full service hotel compared to a lean rooms-only serviced apartment product and the opportunity to provide dual access to areas such as gyms or meeting rooms to create greater use allow for community use and that consider the needs of neurodiverse guests.
Another way to incorporate social value at the development stage is through its interior design. Hotels will usually require art work, furniture in communal areas, stationery etc, and there could be local social enterprises that can provide these items. This is a great way for hotels to support local talent and also boost the local economy. An example is room2 at its Chiswick asset in London, which sourced the majority of its loose fixtures and fittings from within a 10 mile radius, supporting and celebrating local artists and producers as well as reducing its overall carbon footprint.
Operators themselves play a key part in delivering social value. Travel restrictions owing to the pandemic fuelled the number of people seeking authentic cultural experiences that add value back to local communities. Despite the power of social media, the Booking.com 2022 report found that travellers still find it difficult to access information on activities and tours that enable them to do this. This presents a key driver and a prime opportunity for hotels to collaborate with local enterprises and serve as a hub connecting local communities to the global travelling community, in turn promoting greater social opportunities for both sides.
Mirroring the rise of consumer consciousness, both the staff and investors in hotels are increasing focused on understanding the social consciousness of hotel companies. A growing number of hotel groups are investing in socially-minded projects, from volunteer hours to conservation and charity work. One of the obvious areas for hotel groups to create social value is through the employment and skills requirements that hotels offer. Some groups work with ex-offender and rehabilitation of offender programme, such as The Clink in Brixton Prison, which trains prisoners in skills required to work in commercial kitchens. Another area is procurement strategies with some hotels buying their bakery goods from places like the Bread Maker in Rosemount, who work with apprentices, focusing on adults with learning difficulties.
With social value becomingly increasingly embedded through both the pre and post development stages of hotels, the key to creating greater levels of social value is to engage early with local communities and stakeholders to understand the needs and opportunities within the hotel and local area.
Further information
Contact Wesley Ankrah or Phoenix Chow
.jpg)
