Can National Parks SAVE Hospitality?

 This episode interviews Laura Sherman, VP of operations for Guest Services, a company managing food and lodging in national parks since 1917. Sherman discusses the company's journey towards sustainability, driven by their partnership with the National Park Service and a growing awareness of climate change, focusing on the Flamingo Lodge in the Everglades, which was rebuilt using shipping containers to minimize its impact. The conversation touches on the challenges and rewards of sustainable practices, emphasizing the long-term benefits and the need for both strategic planning and small, manageable steps for other companies to transition. The podcast aims to inspire listeners to adopt sustainable solutions for both environmental and economic benefits, highlighting that this is not a trend but an industry shift.
 
Key Takeaways: 

Guest Services' Historical Roots in Sustainability:
Guest Services was founded in 1917 and evolved from a food service provider for soldiers to managing contracts in national and state parks. 
Their involvement with the National Park Service 30-40 years ago instilled a commitment to conservation and preservation.


The Flamingo Lodge: A Model for Sustainable Accommodation:


Located in Everglades National Park, the lodge was rebuilt after being destroyed by hurricanes.
It's constructed from elevated shipping containers to minimize environmental impact and provide resilience against future storms. 
The lodge highlights the importance of stewardship in protecting fragile ecosystems like the Everglades.
Offers glamping options alongside traditional camping and RV spots.
Provides educational opportunities through partnerships with park rangers and interpretive programs.


Benefits of Sustainable Practices:Attracts environmentally conscious guests who favor properties with sustainable initiatives.


Improves operational efficiencies and reduces long-term operating costs.
Prepares businesses for increasing regulatory compliance related to environmental protection.
Future Trends in Sustainable Hospitality:
The industry will move forward as people adapt.
People moving towards energy efficiencies using geothermal heating systems.
Getting rid of styrofoam, plastics, and straws. *Regulatory compliance will be evident.
The industry is moving towards bulk amenities. *Colorado has eliminated single use plastics.


Quote: “You've got to set your goals. You've got to set that path and that journey that you want to follow. Because if you just start off and go blindly, it's going to backfire. How do you anticipate getting there and work towards that goal?” 

Transcript

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you you you you Welcome to the sustainable hospitality podcast where green practices meet profitable solutions Join us as we uncover the latest trends in eco-friendly hospitality that not only safeguard our planet but also drive down operating costs and boost revenue Every week we will bring you compelling conversations with industry leaders who are at the forefront of merging sustainability with economic success Whether you're a hotelier a resort manager or a passionate traveler This is your gateway to the future of sustainable hospitality Tune in and let's explore how going green is good for both the earth and your bottom line We're your hosts Amy walt and kathy mcguire Welcome back everyone to another episode of the sustainable hospitality podcast I'm amy wald one of your hosts and today we have the pleasure of being joined by laura sherman How are you today laura? I'm great amy. Thank you for having me today Absolutely so if you everyone out there doesn't know about Laura and her extensive experience in hospitality. She's the vp Of operations for guest services and we're going to get all into guest services and what they do But they're really really a unique company that's been around since 1917 And I can't wait to hear about really Where sustainability started coming into the picture and why it is such a foundational element of Everything really that you do right laura. That's correct. And um, yes guest services has been around since 1917 we were originally founded to feed the soldiers in world war one in Washington dc, so our office our corporate offices are in fairfax Fairfax virginia And so from that we evolved as a food company and from there we acquired management contracts in state parks and national parks schools and universities as well as government dining throughout dc Some of the more well known locations that we manage would be mount renear. We've been there for 40 years We manage all the food service and lodging there We manage all of the kiosks on the mall in washington dc with food service and then in Flamingo everglades national park and we have been there since 2017 And then numerous state parks throughout california, florida, new york, minnesota um Colorado we own a hotel as well Yes, I did see and we're going to talk a lot about flamingo, but um, I did see that you operate in big sir One of the most magical places I think on the planet. So I bet that's fun when you get to go out there Oh, and it's just breathtaking and you really I mean you're close to caramelamana right about a half an hour away But the views are breathtaking. Um just in the middle of the woods and overlooking the beach. So it's spectacular It is spectacular there my that's on my vision board maybe one day Somebody will drop a bucket of money on me and i'll get to live there Okay. Yes a big bucket of money a big bucket, right? But laura you have been in hospitality for a really long time You were a general manager for many many years in many different um hotels And you have worked in operations and now you find yourself the vp of operations So tell us a little bit about your journey in hospitality and what's made you stay in it, you know all these years Well, I guess my journey. I mean really quickly my dates back to my dad who was a hotel general manager So I grew up in it. So I had my whole career has been focused in hospitality in hotels and lodging Throughout i've spent a good Part of my career with double tree hotels and hilton hotels and then the early um, well 2010 Guest services had a double tree that we own to manage down in naples florida They approached me to join the company and I took over some responsibilities here in or the orlando florida market and since then have evolved from overseeing one property to four and then moving up to Vice president of our hospitality division in the company Wow, that's incredible You know, I have to ask because I just read an article this morning on linkedin about how important the role of a general manager Is and that really if that higher up Um, if they don't value that position as much You know, they really bottleneck Uh and and inhibit the The organization from thriving at the property level What do you miss about being a general manager? Well, I you know even in my role now, you know I oversee a number of different locations and I'd much prefer being on location being with the staff being with our guests being with our visitors It's that people contact and over and seeing the operation and being engaged And engagement is such a focal point of hospitality No matter what level you're at whether it's you know with your housekeepers Whether it's with the cook in the kitchen or it's with your director of sales and marketing and it's engagement and it's engagement with your guests because You're representing that hotel at all times and I think that's what I miss the most is that onsite 24 and it but it is 24 7 But you know, you never really is in this industry. You never really measure your hours you can't Uh, this is true. Yes You can't be in this business If you want a nine to five, right? Correct exactly But usually that passion for what you do overshadows all those hours I I hope not not to dismiss how hard everyone works, but right so Let's talk a little bit about How did sustainability just start to become really a core? part of the business model For the company, you know I did a bunch of research on the website and I was reading about the history and it's evident That this is not just a you know, a siloed initiative This is something that really drives every decision That guest services make so where do you think that came from? I think it really emanates, you know back from our earlier days And when I say earlier 30 40 years ago when we became involved with the national park service, they've always been Concerned with conservation preservation whether it's wildlife flora Uh fauna in all those aspects and just the land that we live on in and conserving in that natural beauty Whether it's the beaches as we talked about or it's the mountains or it's waterways and that's always emanate But so in partnership with the national park service we had to piggyback on that and how Can in our operations can we become more sustainable? Can we participate, you know, whether it's Energy use whether it's food, you know What we use in food what type of products we use to clean with what type of products we use To serve food in and all those things play into that And you know on the other side From our perspective, you know in the lodging industry it probably started It was much later, but then it's grown and it's evolved You know, we started with recycling in our rooms to energy efficiency with replacing to led lights to Energy composting your food and eliminating waste and it's just compounded and it's become something that we see that our guests are looking for Too and they may favor our properties based on those types of things I agree. I mean certainly if you're going to a national park You're probably thinking about something like that, but then looking for Accommodations, you know, it just goes hand in hand You wouldn't be going to those places and not probably think about how can I make sure i'm taking care of them as well? Correct so laura, you know, I first Met you and came across Your great work at the independent hospitality show and you were on a panel Talking about the flamingo lodge in the everglades And I love this. This is definitely on my bucket list is such a unique property And you know, it's really one of those unspoiled places that is so fragile and really needs Stewardship and looking after and the flamingo lodge is doing so much to do that Tell us about the lodge and um, you know What is it like to spend a day at the flamingo lodge? well, let me just Start a little bit before that the everglades national park became a national park in 1947 And probably in the early 60s um, there was a lodge that was built there had a swimming pool had a restaurant and You know expanded upon that and it existed and survived many storms until the early 2000s then when Kind of climate change changed a little bit. We were seeing more and more Hurricane or tropical storm type weather, you know, we're in the everglades. We're at the tip of florida. It's a The very bottom of florida. It's a million acres And we were impacted so all that infrastructure that was there from the lodge to the restaurant to all the Plumbing all the electrical was lost to um Wilma was in 2009 was the one that really did everything in and everything was demolished at that point in time Then the national park service recognized the fact how important it was to bring people To the everglades and the everglades are really the only ecosystem in the world um that has the attributes that it does and the systems and the conservation and the waterways and We house a number of different Animals that are near extinction with the american crocodile so how can we preserve that and keep away the pollutants and that from um our rivers and That are flowing into florida bay. So they wanted a partner to join them and rebuild the lodge So we were awarded the contract in 2017 and we made um decision to rebuild the lodge on the Existing footprint, but again, we had to put all the infrastructure back in So we just decided to build this lodge It's all elevated at 18 feet above ground and they're all made out of shipping containers so Each room is an individual shipping container and then we have um A lot a restaurant 4 000 square feet that is made of four shipping containers Um that are added together. We've had an arcade. We have a full service kitchen in there We have a bar and seating for about 65 people as well as a deck Wow And you know, I find it really interesting because as we are moving You know further and further Towards a place that we're recognizing the climate changes It really is so important to take a stewardship approach To protecting these places and that you know, I think in the past we thought about stewardship just from a destination Standpoint, but it's so important that we are partnering and forming these relationships between the accommodations partners And you know the land and that's when you can really have impact i'm so glad to hear You know That you guys first of all congratulations and i'm sure your company is so incredibly proud To be a part of this because you're going to single, you know, maybe not single-handedly But you will have a huge role to play in in preserving this spectacular one-of-a-kind ecosystem That's correct And then you know, there's and there's an area for us to expand and that was the plan to add more the other thing that we did too at the same time is Flamingo is a very large area for camping We have over 300 different rv spots as well as primitive camping and tent camping But we added another aspect to flamingo we added glamping so we have tent tents that are elevated completely furnished That you can rent on a daily nightly basis as well, which is you know, great Different amenity for that person who may not be the true camper But once they experience the camping once they experience the night skies that flamingo presents and to overlook florida bay Which is just spectacular and some of the best fishing in the world Oh, wow okay, so What type of guests do you get that comes to the flamingo lodge? We We go the game and honestly, you know, we really attract we attract You know, we attract a lot of the florida market. We attract um everybody coming to florida for the wintertime anybody who wants to you know, The ones to experience the outdoors the autobahn societies people that were coming to look for different birds and that type of thing As well as the international market And the international market changes, you know as to time of year's to who's traveling when so we have germans We have asians. We have a lot of south america coming there as well. So we reach out and attract everybody Um, and it's fascinating to see people from other countries come and have so much information about Our everglades and what we have to offer and what and the ecosystems that are there And it's just surprising because they've researched and they have a passion to come there and just experience it Yeah, it just sounds so incredible. I'm a huge nature lover huge animal lover So it is right up my alley But what I think is interesting is as you're mentioning, I don't think you have to be a die hard To want to come and you have many different accommodation types To suit everybody's needs Uh, but let's talk about i'm sure the audience is probably thinking. Okay, the american Alligator, um, why would I go spend the night? In a place that I could possibly get eaten and that's not the that's not the case, right? That's not the case plus plus our lodge is elevated No, but it is the only place in the world. Honestly where crocodiles and alligators cohabitate together So you don't necessarily necessarily see them all the time, but they are there they we they're really, um Not near the lodge area, which is close to the water. They're typically more around our marina area Okay So what are some other animals that live in that? You know ecosystem Oh the florida panther, of course manatees are there as well And the birds the bird species I could go on for Hours, you know ibis heron egret And we actually we have taken all the names of the birds that are inherent to that area and named each of our buildings after those birds so that people are aware as well as all of our All of our watercraft is named after Birds or that would be in the area that you could expect to see while you're visiting Okay, how cool? Yeah, I love that. You know the ability to use You know use it as an education arm as well. So speaking education Someone comes and i'm sure they have the ability to just relax and take in nature But are there educational opportunities as well? Yes, there are there. Um The visitor says so the where the lodge is from the entrance to the main entrance from the everglades national park You still have to drive another 40 miles before you get into the lodge. So you are driving 40 miles on park property Um, so all along the way there's interpretive locations where there'll be signs to educate you But also our park rangers are fully educated and they provide tours night sky tours. They provide hiking tours Uh, they and then our staff we do all the uh boating so we do we have boat rentals as well as boat tours that go out into florida bay and then our Staff will provide the interpretive is so you might what you might see out there whether it's dolphin or manatee Or what type of birds so and we spend a lot of time developing those programs so and training our staff So they're well aware Absolutely, and and so that they can probably Tell the guests about them, right? Right and the special thing about that is those tours that the national park service provides there There's no charge for that. It's free and they have also Rebuilt the visitor center that's adjacent to the lodge. The visitor center too has been closed since 2009 because of storms So that has been completely rebuilt on donations from the alliance and other organizations Um to have it open and operational and just has a phenomenal displays in there That's incredible that those are free of charge Wow, that that's really really great and it just shows the commitment To really, you know preserving Um that area so, okay, so you have this big beautiful Lodge in the middle of nature and you are an authorized concession Is it a concessionaire concessionaire? Correct. Okay with the park service, correct and um So why you you recently certified to green key global sustainability certification? and Or you're in the process, right? We're in the process. We're in the process. It's not a quick process. So we're in the process Okay, but so, you know, i'm curious you already have this ability to market this natural wonder and you have the You know the backing of the national park service Why did you feel it important to even take it a step further? Because the way I mean honestly, it's the way the world is turning and what's important to everybody. We take it personally We recycle at home. We're trying to be energy efficient at home We want to preserve this beautiful area and if we don't do it collectively as a team where you can't be successful And I think yes, we can market. Is it also a marketing tool? Yes, but I don't think that's truly what the importance of it is for our company It is important that we are preserving and conserving The natural areas left in this in in florida and throughout the country. I mean, i'll just go on a side note I mean we have also had in lake minimal hobby. We were in the national park there in the national recreation areas We have six locations, but we have the only leads Certified marina that operates in the country So we built the guest services built that in partnership with the park service But again to continue to build on the state sustainability initiative And you know, I have to ask do you feel as though because of guest services deep roots in sustainability? Do you feel as though you get? People that want to come work for you because of that I think I mean it does have an impact. There's no question people are looking for that And they also like partnering our employees like partnering partnering with someone that also has their same beliefs and thoughts about conserving You know one of the challenges it is a very seasonal job At flamingo because of the summers are brutally hot We are still open all year but and But we don't need as much staff because we don't have the same visitation as we do in the winter Um, so challenging. So we also are educating people every six months and reeducating and growing on to what our programs is and what we have developed Interesting, okay. So so what did the different seasons do they bring? Different opportunities i'm assuming to see different things based on the time of year that they're there They do bring different different things to see, you know in the It's not as it's it's humid in the summer. You won't see as much wildlife out in the summer But you will see the birds. They'll still be there and they'll be throughout And then in regards to it's just honestly It's just more pleasant to be able to experience to go out in the water But in the summer all of our boat tours and boat rentals operate Um, the only thing that we do have to do with our glamping tents, we do remove all the furniture In case of a hurricane and unfortunately There have been last summer last summer. We year we had three hurricanes. So we have to completely evacuate which is Laborious really and we have staff that lives on us off on site. So then we have to relocate them as well So it's a process when those hurricanes come Um Not only a process, but it's really you know, I think it says so much about your company And you it is a commitment to be there Um, you know in a lot of places would not would not take on that responsibility. So I think it says even more About the values Um of guest services. Oh, well, thank you. And that's true You know the other I didn't always speak about it, but they you because of the park service They were all their water was heated solar heated with you know in our restrooms that were in that are in the campgrounds But they too got destroyed because they're outside So we had to replace all that and we just continue to build upon that and improve What was their existing and or replace if necessary? So, you know you make a good point as far as you know The work that goes into being deliberately sustainable and making sure that it's really part of the dna So let me ask you this laura for for someone listening to this who maybe has a more traditional Hotel business or works at a management company and is thinking to themselves. We don't have a park service Partner we don't operate in a place like this This isn't for us, you know Certifying whatever certification although I do love green key. There are many good ones out there um What would you say to them is the reason why it it works and it should work for every every kind of hospitality business? Is it a change in practices? Yes, this is a change in practices may cost you a little bit In some different areas. Yes, but the long-term operational efficiencies will pay out after five ten years I mean when you look at so an initiative and honestly, this is from to the national park service Their initiative is by 2026 Um to eliminate all single-use plastics bottles within the park service So we are we're ahead of the game. We want to be ahead of the game So we are going to start with moving to aluminum. We'll start with water first Refillable bottles aluminum bottles and then we'll move on forward to our sodas But what we've also done is like well if we can do it in a national park then we can do it in all of our locations So let's make this part of our program and part of guest services standards So if we're take on a new property a new location It's easier then because you start out clean, but we're in the process of changing things over and again, like I said Does it take time? Yes, but in the long run the long-term effects will be so much more rewarding And as you mentioned, you know earlier in our conversation This is not a trend anymore. This is where the industry is headed So I really do believe that the time is now to start adopting these these things and not not playing catch-up, you know in a couple of years when Almost everybody's going to be certified and you're going to have to be innovating more to figure out How do you stand out and be really competitive? Correct Yeah, so okay laura so what do you see the future looking like speaking of innovation and Of sustainability or just hospitality in general. You've got so much wealth in this business and now you're working Really deep in sustainability. How do you see the industry moving forward? Well, some of the I mean, I think the industry itself will move forward as more and more people adapt uh people are moving have been moving to Energy efficiencies different systems using geothermal heating for pools or for buildings themselves From a food and beverage perspective getting rid of all the styrofoams getting rid of the plastics getting rid of straws Going to compostable materials again compostable materials a little bit more expensive But as we eliminate the paper products or the styrofoam products Those compostable will have become more because they'll be producing more. They'll be become more efficient or In not inexpensive reduce their cost because of production levels So in the long run everything will reduce one of the challenges I will tell you that we do have Because we're in a remote location We pay a lot more for waste removal that type of thing because Before they hit any trash can or any dumpster they have now traveled 40 miles to get there So we so we have to be we may have more receptacles to compensate for the number of times things happen But you also are thinking outside of the box and what you can do and I do think the other you mentioned it as As this continues to evolve there's going to be regulatory compliance across the country and you're not really going to have a choice I can give you a couple examples So we moved in all of our relogy products and most a lot of hotels have done this as well Is to bulk amenities but the state of california Mandated that by the end of 2024 you couldn't use single-use plastics anymore So we were proactive and did that ahead of time because it was we operated big sur in california. We need to do that Colorado as another one has eliminated single-use plastics So our hotel in colorado, we've eliminated all of our single-use plastics and then we're rolling that out elsewhere So we continue to see you know, either whether it's a local level a state level regional level It's going to that compliance is going to become more and more evident That's a really good point. And you know, I think about instead of scrambling Being able to take your time and really there's so many different if we're going to use bulk amenities as an example So many different types kinds really finding the one that aligns with your brand the best way instead of scrambling at the last minute Just choosing something to choose it and then maybe regretting that choice So so many reasons to get ahead of it Okay, one last question for you laura. So You were a hotelier out there and you really you haven't started your journey. It's looming You're not sure what to do first. What kind of advice would you give them? What kind you're not sure where I mean you honestly you start at the easiest the quickest fixes that you can And then you build from there when you look at changing an energy system That's a little daunting, but there's little pieces that you can do. But if you want to put in recycling Receptacles in all your guest rooms easy done. Now you have to train your staff and everybody recycles So you take and it's baby steps and follow The leaders follow the people that are are forward thinking are a little bit ahead of you and get advice And before you and then it becomes habit and when things become habit, it just becomes easier It does seem daunting at the beginning, but you just take a little piece at a time so you can achieve that goal And what do you think about because that I think that's great advice, but I think Making sure that you put together a strategy or at least some long-term goals and then chunk those out What do you say to that? I agree with that and honestly, you know not just with this but with anything that you do You've got to set your goals You've got to set that path and that journey that you want to follow Because if you just start off and go blind go blindly it's going to backfire But if you have a chart and you know what those charts are always meant to be changed and adjust But you adjust from your learning experiences, but have the end goal in place. How do you anticipate getting there and work towards that goal? Great advice and so well said by somebody who is Has seen them the the change be possible right you're you're living and breathing that right now So if we can't take advice from you, we can't take advice from anyone, right? well I believe that I mean you're you're like I said you have You know, you've probably worked in organizations that weren't doing anything because it wasn't that's not what the industry was doing then So now you've got in the budget, you know, yeah. Yeah, and now you've seen it come full circle so Well, laura, I can't thank you enough for spending your time with us today telling us about your journey um, we'll link not only guest services, but of course flamingo lodge in the show notes and We can't wait to follow along and see what other great things that you and the company are doing To really protect these beautiful places in the world. So thank you Well, thank you so much And I hope everybody takes the opportunity to get out into nature and to visit these places because it's truly Peaceful relaxing and it just gives you a whole nother aspect Absolutely. This is the week. We're upon the weekend. So this is your chance to get out in nature There you go. Exactly I hope you have a great weekend laura and thank you everyone for tuning back in remember We cannot bring you this podcast without you liking subscribing and leaving us a comment and as always Find me on linkedin amy wald and let me know who would you like to see on the podcast? Until next time everyone. We will see you soon We want to thank you for tuning back into the sustainable hospitality podcast Keep the conversation going and visit the contact page at green lux inc Dot com and sign up for our monthly newsletter where we will bring you the latest developments and breaking news in sustainable hospitality and tourism that's Www.gr een l u x e inc dot com And if you're ready to start your sustainability journey and would like some help on knowing what that could look like Book a complimentary call with us today Until our next episode Remember Sustainability is your ticket to a healthier planet And a healthier bottom line Don't forget to like subscribe and leave us a review