Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte | Clermont-Ferrand
Which eco-friendly hotel should you choose in Clermont-Ferrand? The local commitment of the Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte
At the Hôtel Littéraire Alexandre Vialatte, the CSR commitment goes beyond superficial eco-friendly gestures: it extends all the way to the plate. Short supply chains, local producers, reduced packaging... Muriel Imbert, the hotel's director for eight years, explains how this approach has been developed over time, and why it has become one of the most popular strengths among guests.
Why have local products become a central issue for the hotel industry today, beyond just a simple trend?
For me, local products are a return to basics. Working with short supply chains also means enjoying all the benefits that come with it: ultra-fresh products, real contact with producers, better quality. It's something we lost for years, back when everyone sourced from large distributors. Today, we're returning to those roots, and that's exactly what makes the difference.
How is this approach concretely implemented at Vialatte, particularly regarding breakfast?
Breakfast is a great example. The eggs travel about twenty kilometers before arriving at the buffet, the jam about thirty. The Auvergne cheese comes from local producers through our supplier, who is also based locally. The charcuterie is provided by a partner based in Clermont, the honey comes from Royat, about ten kilometers away, just like the yogurts, which are produced in the same place as the eggs. Only the tea comes from a bit further away, from the Lyon area. We can't say we're 100% local, but we're around 90 to 95%, which is already pretty good.
How do you select the producers and partners you work with?
It's really a matter of relationships. We often discover a producer at a trade show, through word of mouth, or sometimes even through personal recommendations: that's how we found our latest supplier, a local distillery. And there's probably also a bit of indulgence involved in this selection.
How does this choice fit into a broader CSR approach (short supply chains, seasonality, waste reduction)?
It is completely connected, and it goes very far into the details. As for packaging, everything is reduced to a minimum: the eggs arrive on reusable trays that are used from one week to the next, the yogurts in crates that are reused in the same way, and the fruits in plastic crates that are also recycled within the supply chain. And for everything that is not sold, we work with Too Good To Go to offer anti-waste baskets. The goal is really to take the short supply chain approach as far as possible.
How do guests respond to this focus on local products and your commitment during their stay?
This is the first year we've received so many compliments about breakfast. Almost all our guests mention it when they leave. Yet, the products haven't really changed compared to last year—we've been maintaining this level of quality for two years now, and word of mouth is clearly having an effect. We're even seeing more and more external guests coming specifically for breakfast, in addition to brunch. It's now one of the hotel's real strengths, especially since it's served with a magnificent view of the city.
What are the commitments of the Vialatte, and more broadly of the Société des Hôtels Littéraires, for the coming years on these topics?
The CSR approach has been very important to us for several years now: in fact, the hotel was recognized by Best Western about four or five years ago for this commitment. At the head office level, a lot of initiatives have been implemented: we are a purpose-driven company, and Axel, our CSR manager, is present every day to support us, bring us new ideas, and motivate the teams, who are truly engaged in this dynamic.
What do you think this vision brings to the customer experience in the long term?
This is our way of committing to becoming more responsible and taking care of our environment. Even when our clients come from far away (we welcome many international corporate clients), we try, in our own way, to offset these trips by staying as local and reasonable as possible. We have also implemented Lumiwave with Green Miles, an app that allows clients to earn points by forgoing daily housekeeping or the automatic changing of towels—another CSR initiative that aligns with this approach.
