Making sustainability memorable

Memorable guest experiences = the epitome of great service + personalization + a dream come true for the PR department. Every employee, service item, sequence of service... every single aspect of a hospitality operation contributes to the goal of providing the ultimate guest experience. But what about a sustainable guest experience? Kal Wellman at the USGBC was kind enough to introduce me to USGBC's Green Destination Challenge, which got me thinking of the opportunity to provide a memorably sustainable guest experience. Especially since the goal of the Challenge's Pilot Program in Orlando is "a total sustainable EXPERIENCE - from the moment a visitor steps off the plane in Orlando, to the transportation to their hotel, to their stay at local lodging, to daily activities, and all the way back to the airport." Orlando's mission is to become the most sustainable tourism and convention destination in North America. 

Great service has the power to bring guests back, the power to gain positive reviews and comments of "Best Vacation Ever!" on facebook and twitter.... but what exactly is a memorable guest experience and how can we translate that into a sustainable guest experience?

Can a view or destination make a memorable experience?



What about great amenities that let you spend quality time with your family and friends?



Or a unforgettably delicious meal?

 

delicious drinks?

or a celebrity sighting? I mean who doesn't love Magic Johnson?!



...or great service from an award winning bartender (Fred Sconfienza)



Truthfully, all of these contribute their part to a unforgettable vacation. If sustainability was inherent in all of these aspects and services, guests could go home with at least a sense of the hospitality of sustainability. A guest-driven, sustainability-driven service model would also build guest loyalty, enhance brand value, and increase positive word of mouth.  So I look forward to the outcomes of USGBC's  Green Destination Challenge and am moving forward in this project to see how I can inject sustainability into brand culture and the service DNA inherent in hospitality.

(Photos courtesy of The Westin Maui Resort and Spa)