Small Luxury Hotels of the World Launches ‘Considerate Collection’ and Joins GSTC

Small Luxury Hotels of the World Launches the ‘Considerate Collection’ and Joins GSTC

4 October 2021 – Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) announces today the launch of Considerate Collection, a community of ‘actively sustainable luxury hotels’ going the extra eco mile to prove that luxury is compatible with longevity.” The hospitality brand renowned for its diverse portfolio of boutique properties also announces new sustainable initiatives forming part of a renewed strategic vision to mark its 30+1year anniversary, including formally becoming a member of the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC).

Spotlighting Sustainable Luxury Boutique Hotels

Daniel Luddington, VP of Development, Small Luxury Hotels of the World said “We’ve carefully curated the Considerate Collection to spotlight luxury boutique hotels exemplary in their sustainability efforts, making it easier for customers and the travel trade to make better-considered choices. Staying in small, independent hotels goes hand in hand with travelling sustainably and all SLH hotels are already steeped in the many facets of sustainable hospitality, so we haven’t had to look far outside of our portfolio for the launch collection. We also have an exciting pipeline of new hotels to add in the coming months.” He adds, “This is not about creating a new brand, but rather building on the strong brand values that have existed within SLH since inception – independent spirits, community-centric, questioners, storytellers and the ultimate belief that Small is beautiful and a better way to travel.”

Considerate Collection hotels are featured within a specific section on the SLH website www.slh.com/considerate. The hotel pages are also stamped with a sage leaf and include dedicated content outlining their notable sustainability initiatives.

Sustainability Pillars and Luxury Hotels

SLH has collaborated with respectable sustainable travel and luxury hospitality players to create a trusted and transparent framework. These include Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) – the international, independent, not-for-profit body established by United Nations agencies; and Greenview, whose platform is the only GSTC-Recognized sustainable tourism management tool.

Criteria for the Considerate Collection align with the GSTC Criteria across three key pillars. The sustainable luxury hotels are Community Minded (GSTC Criteria Section B), Protectors of Cultural Heritage (GSTC Criteria Section C), and Environmentally Conscious (GSTC Criteria Section D). These pillars are all underpinned by a strong Sustainability Management System (GSTC Criteria Section A). Each hotel in the Considerate Collection has either been certified by a GSTC-Accredited Certification Body, certified to a GSTC-Recognized Standard, or has passed an assessment by the SLH Sustainability Advisory Panel with review by the GSTC.

Randy Durband, CEO of GSTC, said “SLH has impressed us with their dedicated support of their member hotels. We’re delighted to collaborate with them to devise a robust framework consistent with GSTC measures but uniquely matched for all luxury boutique hotels. We are sure it will be a huge success.”

SLH Approach to Sustainability

Currently, with a luxury hotel portfolio of over 520 hotels in 90 countries, SLH has taken a holistic approach to sustainability to complement its long-term brand vision – a future where people explore the world with intention, experience its intensity, and protect its integrity. Over the last two years, SLH has worked with hospitality sustainability consultancy, The Considerate Group, to develop bespoke toolkits to support its member hotels and plans to continue this approach to “help our hotels walk all this sustainability talk”, adds Luddington. H2 Sustainability Consulting, headed by former legendary hotelier Hervé Houdré, is among the consultancies SLH is collaborating with to support hotel members.

SLH’s quality inspection reports, carried out annually by its international mystery hotel inspectors (all SLH hotel guests), has also been revamped and is currently being trialed to include a 60-point Considerate module focusing on customer-facing, front of house initiatives.

The company has also turned the microscope on itself to update its corporate head office policies making sure to practice what it preaches to hotel members. These include implementing volunteer days for staff and the launch of a partnership with social change and reforestation charity, Tree Sisters, among other initiatives.

About Small Luxury Hotels of the World

Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) is a global community of independently minded travellers and independently spirited hotels. With a luxury hotel portfolio of over 520 hotels in 90 countries, SLH has taken a holistic approach to sustainability to complement its long-term brand vision – a future where people explore the world with intention, experience its intensity, and protect its integrity. By their very nature, the member hotels are deeply rooted in their locality and many have long been key supporters of their local community and environment. Every single hotel has been visited, verified and vetted by SLH – each one is anti-chain and anti-same.

The GSTC Criteria

The Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) was created jointly by UN agencies, prominent international conservation NGOs, and leading hospitality and tourism companies to develop global baseline standards for sustainability in travel and tourism – the GSTC Criteria. The Criteria are used for education and awareness-raising, policy-making for businesses and government agencies and other organization types, measurement and evaluation, and as a basis for certifications. They are the result of a worldwide effort to develop a common language about sustainability in tourism. There are two sets: Destination Criteria for public policy-makers and destination managers, and Industry Criteria for hotels and tour operators. Both sets are arranged in four pillars: (A) Sustainable management; (B) Socioeconomic impacts; (C) Cultural impacts; and (D) Environmental impacts (including consumption of resources, reducing pollution, and conserving biodiversity and landscapes). Since tourism destinations each have their own culture, environment, customs, and laws, the Criteria are designed to be adapted to local conditions and supplemented by additional criteria for the specific location and activity.