LODGING LEADERS
190 | Responsible Luxury and Sustainability with Franck Droin
LODGING LEADERS
Franck Droin is the hotel manager at The Mandarin Oriental Bangkok, and his 19 years of hospitality industry experience includes working with big brand hotel chains across various destinations in Europe, The Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
Franck is passionate about promoting the concept of responsible luxury and has fueled ground-breaking conversations and initiatives. Some of the successful projects he is leading with his team include giving back to local communities, and ending the plastic waste catastrophe that the country is facing.
Franck believes education, technology and the right mentorship is what luxury brands need to reduce waste, become eco-friendly, and to empower employees to create a more sustainable future.
In This Episode, Franck reveals …
- What terms like responsible luxury, sustainable luxury and sustainable tourism mean, and the business case for why they’re important.
- How hotels can combine luxury and sustainability without compromising on quality or value from the guest’s perspective, as well as their profitability.
- What to do when implementing sustainability programs, including how to get everyone’s “buy-in.”
- Why giving back to local communities is important, and how to go about getting started.
Resources & Links
Franck Droin
LODGING LEADERS
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330 | Youthful Perspective: Industry leader Bijal Patel mourns the loss of ‘an entire generation’ of hospitality workers
Bijal Patel, 31, is CEO of Coast Redwood Hospitality and the youngest chair of the California Hotel & Lodging Association. He’s made even more history at CHLA by agreeing to serve an unprecedented second term as the lodging industry emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Patel is a third-generation hotelier. Being so steeped in hospitality at such a young age is not new for members of the Indian American hotelier community, but Patel fears the pandemic has drained the industry of emerging talent. Lodging Leaders spotlights Patel, who represents a leadership demographic that is fighting for the life of the hospitality industry as they watch their peers veer toward other career paths.
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329 | Ruff and Ready: ADA gives hotels a short leash when accommodating guests with service animals
Many hotels these days have made room for guests with disabilities. Hotel managers and staff should also know what the Americans with Disabilities Act says about accommodating guests with pets. During the pandemic lockdowns, a lot of people added a pet to their household and now they’re bringing Fido along on vacation. Hotel employees need to know how to cater to both consumers who are pet owners as well as guests who travel with a trained service animal. Episode 329 of Lodging Leaders podcast reports on how the ADA defines a service animal and how a hotel is legally obligated to serve a guest who comes with a dog or any other animal.