High-end travelers prefer hotels with green practices

MANILA, Philippines - An unlikely group of travelers may push hotels and resorts, especially in Asia, to adopt more sustainable practices. According to Mike Turvill, whose firm, Hotel and Spa Essentials, provides guest amenities to top resorts in the Philippines, luxury travelers are now providing the impetus for key hotel players to go green.

Turvill, a former Unilever senior manager, is encouraging resorts and spas throughout the Philippines to use shampoos, body washes, lotions and other bathroom amenities packaged in biodegradable plastics. He says, “All things being equal, the guest will choose the hotel that supports sustainable practices over the hotel that doesn’t,” he says.

A new technology from the US now allows an additive called Ecopure, a registered trademark, to accelerate the biodegradation process in plastic products. Turvill, who has a doctorate in organic chemistry from the University of Nottingham in the UK, points out that Ecopure attracts and initiates the growth of microorganisms that break down the plastic into water, methane and humus which can be used as fertilizer. Plastic shampoo bottles that would take over 450 years to biodegrade can now do so at a much faster pace.

Going green: Mike Turvill with ecoknit towels that dry 30 percent faster than ordinary towels

Hotel and Spa Essentials distributes several ranges of guest amenities like soaps, hair and body wash and accessories like shower caps, dental and shaving kits. Those from Concept Amenities based in Australia proudly display a logo indicating that its packaging is biodegradable in landfill. Turvill discloses that Hotel and Spa Essentials can deliver as little as a single carton of the products to cater to smaller hotels and resorts.

Another green product being pushed by Hotel and Spa Essentials is a guest towel that dries 30 percent faster than ordinary towels. “This means 30 percent less energy is used to dry the towels. If you are setting up a new hotel and you decide to use Ecoknit towels, you can buy 30 percent less drying capacity leading to an equivalent reduction in fixed asset investments,” he says. The towels are also uniquely constructed so they don’t snag or fray easily at the edges.

For information, call 838-0073 or email info@hotelandspaessentials.com.