The topic of bottled water has people running hot and cold, so some hotels are making varying degrees of change to find the right product offering for guests. In restaurants, bottled water appears to be on the wane, with some customers leaning toward what they perceive as eco-friendly products like filtered or plain tap water. Bottled water remains a staple, however, within many hotel service areas such as poolside, minibars, lobby outlets, and snack bars, where convenience and portability are paramount.

The water solution for a hotel is neither simple nor immediately obvious. Here are examples of how hotels across the country are handling this environmental consideration.

BEST OF BOTH WORLDS
The convenience of the grab ‘n’ go nature of bottled water still speaks volumes statistically. According to the Beverage Marketing Corporation, U.S. residents consumed 29.3 gallons of bottled water per capita in 2007; this year, per capita consumption is predicted to be only marginally less. In answer to these statistics, companies like Luxury Resorts & Hotels (LXR), are giving what they consider the best of both worlds by offering bottled water brands with a green approach.

“Water filtration is a great initiative, but it can be a bit of a labor trap,” says Doug Zeif, VP F&B, Hilton-Americas (former VP F&B, LXR), “especially when using it for banquet functions. You have to pay someone to fill those bottles. In an à la carte restaurant setting, it can make sense, but for now, LXR is giving guests the guilt-free convenience of bottled waters like Icelandic Glacial.”

Icelandic Glacial is touted as the world’s first bottled water company to attain a carbon neutral status for its product and operations. A company becomes carbon neutral by calculating its climate-damaging carbon emissions, reducing them where possible, and balancing the remaining emissions, often by purchasing a carbon offset (planting trees or investing in technologies such as solar and wind power). With this ecological sensitivity, however, come slightly higher costs.

“LXR doesn’t want to jump on the green bandwagon to its own fiscal detriment, but it really is a company with a conscience,” says Zeif. “There are sometimes higher prices associated with green consciousness, but if it costs the company just a little more in the grand scheme of things, they do what they can.”

LOCAL SOURCES
At the Ballantyne Resort in Charlotte, North Carolina, bottled water represents a marketing advantage as well as an opportunity to lessen their stamp on the environment. Upon opening in 2001, the resort began branding bottled water from a source in the Midwest.

“We put our name on the label, as well as a drawing of the hotel, because we feel it’s a special touch that will bring guests back,” says Peter Grills, F&B director. “It also reminds them of who and where we are.” The water is available in the restaurant, guestrooms, exercise room, banquet functions, and even the hotel shuttle. Because of this convenience and resulting high consumption, Ballantyne recently changed water providers and began using Table Rock Spring Water, a company with an aquifer and bottling facility approximately 75 miles from the resort.

“We love the taste of the water, but the deciding factor was that its source is right here in North Carolina, reducing its carbon footprint,” adds Grills. “Even with the expense of labeling, the water is a lot cheaper for us than buying other bottled waters, and that makes it a win-win.”

FINE DINING
Properties like Four Seasons Hotel Westlake Village, California, are answering guest requests for green consciousness by installing water filtration systems. Thomas Hoffman, director of F&B, says Four Seasons purchased the Everpure Exubera Pro system last July because it was time to offer an earth-friendly alternative for today’s greener consumer. The hotel’s restaurants serve the filtered sparkling or still water in custom-branded carafes at $4 per carafe.

“We want this to be an enhancement to the guest experience,” says Hoffman. “It’s an added option for those who might otherwise order tap water or something in lieu of bottled water. Since adding Everpure to our menus, guest feedback has been very positive in terms of both taste and presentation.”

Pina Purpero, F&B director at Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, Chicago, has gotten similar responses from guests at the hotel’s M/X Lounge and Shor Restaurant. In April 2008, McCormick Place entered a pilot phase with Natura Water filtration system and four months later bought it outright.

“We’ve heard from guests regarding the nice taste and presentation of the water [in Natura carafes], but it’s especially popular because it’s a conscientious choice for the environment,” says Purpero. “And because it comes from our own water resources, it’s an investment in a more ecofriendly way of running our overall business.”

Likewise, in Marriott Downtown New York City’s Roy’s Restaurant, Natura advantages manifest in the back of the house as well as the front. “Using this system increases storage space because we’re not storing so much bottled water,” says GM Anthony Mardach. “It reduces the heavy lifting associated with unloading and storing crates of bottles, and we don’t run the risks associated with breaking bottles while they’re being moved. The best part is, since it comes from the tap, we never run out.”

The investment in Natura has proven beneficial from a profit standpoint according to Purpero, who says there is a higher profit margin associated with the filtered water. Sales of Natura water have eclipsed sales of bottled water brands at both restaurants. Though marketing may have something to do with this (both cite Natura on the menu as their preferred water), Mardach says there has been little struggle over brand loyalty.

“Our clients are responding positively to this green effort,” adds Mardach. “But for those who don’t want to pay for filtered or bottled water, we have water straight from the tap that’s free.”