Hotel Indigo launches programme allowing locals to borrow everyday items – Business Traveller
IHG’s Hotel Indigo brand has launched a new programme enabling locals to borrow everyday items such as sugar, olive oil, salt and pepper, and tea and coffee from its hotels.
Borrowed by Hotel Indigo, inspired by its latest marketing campaign ‘The World’s Neighbourhood Hotel, invites people who live in the same zip code or postcode to “borrow” everyday necessities.
Participating hotels will have display signage at check-in, outlining what’s available to borrow, and items will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis – they are not available to reserve or hold.
Staff members will assemble and package the items in a tote bag for them to take away. There is no cost to borrow the items, nor a requirement to return the items.
The programme is in place at select properties in the US and UK, with UK hotels included located in Bath, Durham, Stratford upon Avon, York, Chester, Liverpool and Edinburgh.
Each hotel will also offer a special, locally sourced item to guests staying at participating properties, with products ranging from honey to hot sauce, grilling rubs and seafood seasoning.
Carol Hoeller, VP global brand management for Hotel Indigo, said:
“When our hotels join a neighbourhood, we become a part of the fabric of the community. We put it at the heart of everything, and we welcome the neighbourhood and its people into our spaces – it’s how we create an authentically local experience for our guests.
“Everyone knows the adage of ‘borrowing a cup of sugar’ from your neighbour – with this program, we want to embody this idea of being a good neighbor and strengthen social connections with those inside and outside of our hotels.”
The initiative aims to foster connection and build community, with a recent survey from the brand revealing that people interact with neighbours less than before. The survey showed that 59 per cent have never asked to borrow from their neighbour, with 29 per cent saying it’s because they’re too shy, 25 per cent due to a lack of relationship with their neighbour, and 23 per cent not wanting to be an inconvenience.
