During the summer of 2014, the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Washington DC ran a reward scheme, where guests received a free upgrade in return for volunteering in a community project.
The guests were first given a tour of the DC Central Kitchen, a community kitchen engaged in food recycling and meal distribution, and then volunteered at the organisation. In return, they were then given access to the sports complex, breakfast for two and valet parking. The hotel donated $100 to the project on behalf of each guest who participated.
Similar schemes have also been run by the Fairmont hotel chain to encourage interaction between guests and local communities. For example, guests were invited to assist hotel staff with a project to grow healthy vegetables for a school cafeteria, and to clean beaches.
Image credits: Geoff Livingstone / Flickr
