CSR and Sustainability

💪 Mandela Day on 18 July saw City Lodge Hotels' 59 hotels engaging in charity, including cleaning, painting, and donating food to Johannesburg Children’s Home, maintenance for Ikholwa Hope Children Home, soup for Rose Happy Times Elderly Home, cupcakes and juice for Aruka Foundation, an Amazing Race with Reach for a Dream Foundation, and contributing to Chefs With Compassion’s #67000L Soup Drive. George team packed 30,888 meals, while Cape Town hotels provided lunch, activities, and essential items to farm workers’ children. Used hotel linen and soap are recycled into school shirts and new soap bars, with plans to expand these initiatives. COO Lindiwe Sangweni-Siddo emphasises the hotel group's year-round commitment to charity, especially on Mandela Day.

💰 Nashville-based Twice Daily, a Tri Star Energy brand, saw a 225% sales increase from January 23 to December 22, 2023, after integrating Paytronix Order and Delivery with its loyalty program. The integration also led to a 55% monthly increase in online orders and a 95% rise in unique customers. Tri Star Energy, established in 2000, operates over 200 convenience stores and supplies fuel across 17 states. The company also owns 20 White Bison Coffee shops in Tennessee and Alabama.

📈 Noida, India-based RateGain Travel Technologies announced Q1 FY2025 financial results on August 12, 2024. Revenue surged by 21.2% YoY to INR 2,600.1 Mn, with operating margins growing to 19.1%. Profit After Tax (PAT) skyrocketed by 82.2% to INR 453.8 Mn. The company boasts a robust pipeline of INR 5,553.1 Mn and an all-time high Annual Recurring Revenue of INR 10,400.4 Mn. RateGain continues to outperform with a 15.7x LTV to CAC ratio and INR 13.0 Mn Revenue per Employee. The global team of 801 maintains a low attrition rate of 10.9%.

📈 Palantir Technologies Inc. partnered with Wendy’s Quality Supply Chain Co-op to boost digital transformation and AI uptake. QSCC, serving over 6,400 Wendy’s in the U.S. and Canada, aims for a fully integrated Supply Chain Network with AI-driven workflows. Initially, QSCC will employ Palantir’s AI Platform for improved decision-making, followed by supply chain management and waste prevention applications. This collaboration is set to enhance sales, operations, and provide Wendy’s a competitive edge, leveraging Palantir's success in enhancing food industry operations with AI.

🏨 As of May, the U.S. faced 8.1 million job openings with only 6.6 million unemployed persons to fill them. Hotel wages have increased by over 15% post-pandemic, yet 76% of hoteliers report being short-staffed. With 61% of Americans planning overnight leisure travel this summer, hotel staffing shortfalls persist. The AHLA pushes for expanded H-2B visas, an initiative backed by President Biden's March legislation, and advocates for more visa allotments, extended durations, and quicker work authorizations for asylum seekers. Concurrently, the AHLA Foundation invests in workforce development, including a Department of Labor-funded apprenticeship program and over $1 million in hospitality scholarships annually, targeting nearly two million hospitality employees and 200+ career opportunities.

🏠 Dorothée Meilichzon transforms London's Henrietta Hotel restaurant into a Parisian bistro with chef Jackson Boxer. Offering classic French cuisine with British twists, such as grilled snails and raclette burgers, the interior features art nouveau, oakwood panelling, and leather, mixing the essence of British pubs with French brasseries. Meilichzon creates a cozy space with red Coralito marble counters, bulbous brass lights, forest-green paint, and bespoke seating banquettes. Henri celebrates Covent Garden's historic market with dim lighting and continues Meilichzon's collaboration with the Experimental Group.

💸 Vueling, part of IAG, published its 2023 environmental, social, and governance report, achieving a 9.5% reduction in CO2 emissions per passenger/km from 2019 levels. The airline used 1,285 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel, a fourfold increase over 2022. Vueling's operations contributed to 167,736 jobs and €10,741 million to GDP in key markets like Spain, France, Italy, and the UK. The management committee was 57% female, with 44% in top management roles, achieving gender parity throughout the workforce. Onboard waste was cut by 59% since 2019. The carrier transported 156 organs in 2023, leading organ transport in Spain, and supports humanitarian causes, including aid for natural disasters like the Turkey and Syria earthquakes.

🍴 IHG Hotels & Resorts partners with Action Against Hunger to combat global food insecurity, announced in London. Their pledge aims to impact 30 million people through their Journey to Tomorrow plan, covering over 100 countries. IHG will focus on malnutrition screening and treatment, especially in children, and raise awareness among guests, offering donations via IHG One Rewards points. This partnership complements IHG's efforts with local food banks, No Kid Hungry, OzHarvest, and Too Good To Go.

🏨 Post-pandemic hotels and resorts face increased costs in labor, energy, food, and supplies, with service levels challenged by worker shortages. Prior stability from 2011's economic recovery has been disrupted, leading to cuts in services like daily room cleaning and customer desk services. Key profitability strategies for 2024 include competitive vendor bidding, joining purchasing groups, and focusing on energy use. Energy costs have spiked in the last 36 months, urging hotels to implement preventative maintenance and energy management systems. Operational efficiency and guest services can be restored by incentivizing staff, investing in training, and applying industry best practices. Jeff Brainard, VP at Southern Management Companies, emphasizes cost containment through efficiency for long-term success.