By Nivi Shrivastava
For most people, the term ‘responsible luxury’ might be an oxymoron because one could never imagine using both the words in one sentence together. However, the ITC group of hotels not only coined the term among hospitality giants but has also followed it as a core philosophy in every ITC outlet across the globe.
My introduction to the concept of ‘responsible luxury’ happened in late 2016 and by early 2017 I was part of a selective luxury panel handpicked by the team ITC. As part of my association with the group, I worked on 5 videos where I experienced the ethos and projection of the responsible luxury across ITC hotels. At the end of the project, I was rewarded with five privileges that came with the project; and the world-class hospitality that was accompanied with each experience left me completely awestruck ( discussing the finer details in my next blog, do read).
To wrap it up for you guys, I have to tell you about the five best things I learned as a luxury panelist with ITC’s responsible luxury project.
1. Go green:
The farm to fork concept that emphasis on growing your own greens in your premises is followed in most ITC hotels, which reduces the carbon footprint of every ingredient that is served on your platter. So, you don’t feel bad about munching that leafy green salad because chances are that it was grown in the backyard of the property!
2. Recycle, reuse:
Although, it’s not odd to tell people to stop wasting water or reuse towels while they stay in a hotel. But who wants to think about waste when you are holidaying or partying in five-star property? So, to handle it intelligently, at ITC Maurya hotel the used water is recycled with an in-house filtration system. The recycled clean water is used to water plants, generate steam and other activities like washing linens and towels.
3. Solar power:
At ITC Maurya, a huge solar panel is installed to generate power that fuels a lot of important activities in the hotel. From heating water to producing electricity every day — the hotel saves a lot on outside electric supply by using solar power. And, trust me it requires a lot of electricity to keep every appliance working in a big, busy property so every unit counts.
4. Promoting arts and crafts:
If you ever visit any ITC property, you are bound to notice an ongoing central theme in the art collection of the hotel and the uniforms of the staff. From promoting local art and crafts to choosing handwoven textiles – each ITC hotel had a special flavor by pushing and supporting local arts and crafts.
5. The revival of good food:
The most important aspect of a good hotel is its food, and with ITC chain of hotels that’s a mandate. Almost all the luxury properties under the group swears by local ingredients and homegrown material for food preparations. The chefs also lay emphasis on revival of ancient food techniques and preserving the local flavors with authentic food preparations.
There are a lot more other things that you can experience for yourself if you ever stay or have a guilt-free luxury meal at an of the ITC hotels, and if you want to know what we curated in the videos then watch below.
Xx