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Engaged in Green: Crowne Plaza Vientiane
How does IHG implement its strict Green Engage global guidelines in Laos? “It’s hard work to get to where we want to go,” said Crowne Plaza Vientiane General Manager Patria Puyat, “but it can be done.” “Sustainability is the right thing to do,” Ms Puyat said. “It’s part of our daily business.” And topping Crowne Plaza’s list are reducing its carbon footprint and managing its environmental impact. The hotel’s Chief Engineer Adrian Holcombe added, “We implement Green Engage guide-lines as best we can to achieve the carbon footprint benchmark.” And their efforts are paying off. The hotel targeted a 6% reduc-tion in 2019, “but our Green Team managed 17.6%,” Mr Holcombe noted. The Green Team consists of various depart-ments: housekeeping, kitchen, engineering, human resources, and sales and marketing. Their 2020 goal is another 2.2%. To accomplish this, Crowne Plaza cuts energy use across the board: electricity, diesel, gas. “We adjust systems where possible without effecting the guest experience and staff welfare.” Mr Holcombe credits the hotel’s computerized Building Manage-ment System. “It allows us to monitor and adjust temperatures, as well as lighting and air-con programs in meeting rooms, public space, and the back of the house…it comes down to setting thermostats.” Green Engage also comes down to details. The 197 guest-rooms feature energy-saving minibars, hot water delivery, air-con settings, and LED lights. High-pressure showerheads and aerators, alongside reduced flush settings, save water. “We recycle waste water for our landscaping sprinklers via tanks and filters,” Mr Holcombe said. “We then inspect its quality, store it, and pump it. Ms Puyat added, “By 2021, we’ll have our own drinking water bottling plant.” The Green Team attends to recycling. “We follow best practices and implement a series of actions. Every bit counts,” she explained. They use colored bins for speci-fic recyclables – plastic, paper, cardboard, and glass – that are sold. Local pig farmers buy food waste. All this adds up to the Lao government awarding Crowne Plaza their Environmental Certificate. Further, Green Engage prioritizes developing local talent. “Laos has a treasure of passionate people…a young generation open to new ideas. We employ the right people, and they grow,” Ms Puyat noted. “We also have four local colleagues on our management team.” Crowne Plaza supports the local supply chain as well, but purchas-ing in Vientiane presents a hurdle. Ms Puyat cited gaps such as no garden market, few certified food vendors, and a lack of recyclable, bio-degradable, and non-plastic products the hotel must import from Thailand. However, they use Lao décor, Southern Lao coffee, and soaps and hand lotions from Lao Natural. “We also promote local arts and crafts through our recently opened Gift Gallery,” Ms Puyat said. “And, we give IHG members a welcome gift from the Lao Disabled Women Development Center.” Crowne Plaza Vientiane continues climbing the four-tier Green Engage ladder, and is closing in on Level 3. “It’s hard work…but it can be done.” Covid Clean & Safe “We were way out in front of Covid when it hit, as safety and cleanliness are part of our culture,” Ms Puyat said. The Crowne Plaza already had IHG Way of Clean measures in place, and launched the IHG Clean Promise on 1 June, 2020. “Our vision is to ensure our guests’ and staff’s safety, not just for Covid, but even more enhanced,” she said. “We reached hospital-grade cleanliness by the end of the year.” CROWNE PLAZA VIENTIANE Website: Crowne Plaza Vientiane crowneplaza.vientiane@ihg.com +856-21-908888 Download “Engaged in Green: Crowne Plaza Vientiane” .pdf Visit Sustainable Tourism Laos *** Media and Interested Showcase Partners Contact: WeAreLao Bernie Rosenbloom Email: Bernie@WeAreLao.com Tel/WhatsApp: +856 20 5613 3479
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“Sustainable Tourism Laos: Showcase” to Soft-Launch Next Week
WeAreLao announced it will soft-launch its “Sustainable Tourism Laos: Showcase” campaign on 8 February, to globally promote Lao businesses, and the destination, as safe and sustainable, and continually keep Laos on the worldwide tourism radar screen during the pandemic. The Showcase campaign will spotlight individual sustainable businesses through magazine-like feature stories, as WeAreLao feels this is a more engaging method that puts a “face to a place”. They aim to publish one or two stories per month during the pre-launch, “Interviews with those operating sustainable tourism businesses form the backbone of each story,” said WeAreLao Senior Partner Bernie Rosenbloom. “Rolling out stories over time is a cost-effective way to maintain Laos’ presence on stage alongside some-200 other destinations waiting for opening day.” Several countries currently run tourism campaigns to remain in the minds of travelers. The idea for the Showcase dates to December 2019 on the heels of WeAreLao’s well-received second “MICE Guide to Laos 2020” brochure. “Rather than a one-off annual brochure for the Showcase, we decided to run an ongoing campaign for longer-lasting exposure. It can also serve as part of the participant’s marketing mix,” Mr Rosenbloom said. Then Covid crept in and the strategy changed almost every day. “We remained steadfast in moving ahead and made several adjustment to the project,” he said. WeAreLao started testing the waters in October 2020, and received positive feedback from major hotels and DMCs. “They liked the concept, but most are running on a bare-bones budget with staff as a main concern.” However, Crowne Plaza Vientiane jumped in, and will kick off the Showcase series next week with “Engaged in Green”. “Going Local: Riverside Boutique Resort, Vang Vieng” and Luang Prabang View’s “Green Way of Life” will follow during the trial phase. Mr Rosenbloom said a major asset for the Showcase is direct email reach. WeAreLao’s database and support from Global Travel Media and The “Good Tourism” Blog among others can land the story in 100,000-plus travel agents’ email boxes, while social media channels attract FITs. The campaign currently moderates the Sustainable Tourism Laos Facebook Group, and a micro-site in WeAreLao.com is possible. Stories will be available and linked to WeAreLao.com News & Events and Downloads (.pdf) site pages.
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Luang Prabang Hotels: The Tough Keep Going
By Bernie Rosenbloom An early January survey of 116 Luang Prabang hotels shows more than 25% remain open. Many suggest the domestic tourism market in the country of 7 million stands at just 150,000 people. Yet, Luang Prabang’s hotel open rate is an achievement considering the country remains closed to foreign tourists. Pullman Luang Prabang As expected, big brands stand tall on the open list, but plenty of standalone properties are holding their own. How are they staying alive with locked borders and a limited domestic market? Denis Dupart, General Manager of Accor’s Pullman Luang Prabang, said the hotel has remained opened since the beginning of the pandemic, with heightened safety precautions. “We did not suspend business operations despite much lower demand; however, we have implemented cost efficiency measures to continue operating.” The Belle Rive Boutique Hotel, an upper-end standalone also never fully closed down. “There are always staff on site to make sure the property is well-maintained,” said General Manager Damian Killer, who noted reception is open, and the restaurant began a delivery service. The Belle Rive Boutique Hotel Maison Dalabua spent three months after the provincial lockdown to refurbish the hotel. “We renovated all the rooms, and constructed a new pool deck and bar,” said Laos Hospitality Consulting’s founder Rodolphe Gay. He added the Manda de Laos restaurant performed maintenance work. Maison Dalabua “Our lone target since the beginning of Covid has been to operate and keep our business alive as much as we could, without losing money. “Luckily so far we are succeeding,” he said. Sengmany Chaila, general manager of the Luang Prabang View said the hotel was temporarily closed from April through July, for maintenance, “We reopened on 1 August, as we needed the hotel to come alive, though occupancy remains between 5-15%…the revenue does not cover all expenses.” Luang Prabang View Hotel It’s likely most other open hotels are also spilling red ink, but they opened or never closed. Why? Mr Killer said The Belle Rive remained open, noting predictions in April trended towards a late-2019 recovery. “Looking back, financially we would have saved some money if we had shut down. Fortunately, our fixed costs are reasonable and mostly consist of salaries, prepaid lease, and depreciation.” He added that occupancy did not justify keeping the hotel and restaurant open. The main reason for staying open was, “For our team members who have been supporting us for many years, helped us grow, and did a fantastic job before the crisis.” He compared running a hotel to a marathon. “At The Belle Rive, we believe that the team is one of the biggest assets….each individual team member can make a difference, (so) we decided to keep the hotel running…In the long term, we will finish on top.” Mr Gay holds a similar sentiment. “Our Team is a major key to our success, and we wanted them to have a job.” He also noted predictions of a late-2019 recovery, but, “We are in a new normal when the survival kit is a whole new recipe with a lot of flexibility, high tenacity, and a pinch of luck.” Accor is known for staff loyalty, and they identified the best solution for each hotel. They decided Pullman Luang Prabang would remain open. “This allowed us to take care of foreign travellers who were not able to leave the country.” Many visitors have now left. Only Lao citizens and expats remain. Those with disposable income make up the current travel market. On 11 September, the public and private sectors launched the Lao Thiao Lao campaign to boost domestic travel. Luang Prabang hotels embraced the domestic drive, and the “12 Days in Luang Prabang” campaign over the holiday added to the push. However, hotels are reporting mixed results and opinions. Mr Dupart said these campaigns promote domestic travel, with travel agents and DMCs bundling packages such as hotel and flights. However, “Domestic demand has not been strong enough to compensate for the loss of international travel, and most demand has been for weekend stays.” He said The 12 Days was a great provincial promotion engaging many businesses to hold, “fun and festive activities…Unfortunately, it is difficult to track business impact from this campaign.” Mr Killer agreed it is tough to tell how many visitors The 12 Days attracted, but a post-survey of 25 hotels shows positive results. He noted his occupancy went from some 25% to about 40% during the campaign. “This is positive, and we saw a lot of families at The Belle Rive, and (they) often extended their stay…So, we were very happy with The 12 Days as it definitely brought us an extra amount of room nights.” He added that the Lao Thiao Lao initiative appears to be successful for participating businesses. “When (the campaign) launched, it was still the hot season and travellers were looking for a hotel with a pool.” The Belle Rive’s non-pool UNESCO location dimmed occupancy, but drew diners to their restaurant. “We changed our menu to adapt more to domestic needs.” Mr Chaila stated the initiatives received positive feedback from the local hospitality businesses, as more Lao people travelled to Luang Prabang during The 12 Days. “Luang Prabang View ran almost full capacity on 31 December to 2 January…from 3 -10th January we had good occupancy, but now we only have a few bookings a day.” Mr Gay agreed, saying Lao Thiao Lao and The 12 Days have been good to Laos Hospitality Consulting. “However, we now feel the level of visitors is diminishing,” noting the pandemic is running longer than expected. “It is time for a new chapter to start and we hope 2021, will bring stability and traveller flow to Laos.” All agree Lao Thiao Lao has brought positive results, but they still have questions about the campaign’s sustainability. Seeking to integrate seasonality, holidays, and the limited market all come into play. Mr Gay was blunt. “Domestic travel is the only reason why we are open today, so (Lao Thiao Lao) is paramount for the survival of the hospitality and travel business.” Mr Chaila believes the campaign is sustainable, though only a small percentage of Lao have a tourism budget. As for seasonality, “Most will only travel on weekends and during school or public holidays.” Mr Killer added, “Some hotels might be able to sustain their businesses with domestic travellers.” He said the focus should be on groups who come for meetings, staff retreats, and return official visits. “Hotels who focus on individual tourists will rely on school holidays, special events such as Pii Mai Lao…but this definitely will not be enough to make money.” Mr Killer pointed out that all hotels want a slice of the pie, and this is a great opportunity for domestic travellers to get a nice place for a very reasonable price. Locals and expats know about the $150 per night rooms, but campaign discounts put them inside. Mr Dupart summed up the sentiment. “Lao Thiao Lao is aligned with a demand calendar, and there are limited target groups of local tourists who can afford to travel during this time.” He added, “We will need tangible travel subsidies from the government to support the campaign.” Given the facts, guesses, and sentiment, can these Luang Prabang hotels stay open? “The Pullman remains operating seven days a week,” Mr Dupart affirmed. The L’Atelier restaurant, H2O bar and Junction bar are adjusting their operating hours. Laos Hospitality Consulting is following suit. “We have adjusted our opening days and hours based on the business levels that arrive…Maison Dalabua is constantly open though,” Mr Gay said, admitting the restaurants and bar close once or twice a week, depending the seasonality. The Luang Prabang View plans to remain open every day, but if they decide on a big renovation, they may temporarily close. The Belle Rive also plans to remain open for now, with a focus on the riverside restaurant. “We want to keep our main staff and give them work. Depending on how things develop, (we might) only open on certain days, but no such plans have yet been made.” Remaining open requires bookings, and many Luang Prabang hotels had counted on the booking.coms of the world. The reliance has now shifted. “Definitely direct bookings,” said Mr Killer. He points to Facebook and recommendations from those have previously stayed at The Belle Rive. Mr Chaila also points to direct bookings. “The best booking source during Covid is social media, the Luang Prabang View’s Facebook page, WhatsApp, and walk-in guests.” According to Mr Gay, “We are gathering an important number of bookings through the social media campaign we have launched.” He said the best source for Laos Hospitality Consulting bookings varies, and is mainly from returning guests. The Pullman picks up the domestic market, “from public channels (both direct and indirect) and small and medium MICE groups from the government and corporate segment,” Mr Dupart said. In 1953, a Texas football coach, John Thomas, motivated his team, which was losing, by saying “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” They went on to win. Perhaps some Luang Prabang hotels are listening to that pep talk.
