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Case Study: How Sage Hospitality Group Turns Locality into a Guest Experience Advantage

Key Takeaways for Hotel Operators:

Locality as a Differentiator in Guest Experience
Sage Hospitality embeds local culture, sourcing, and community partnerships into each property to create authentic, place-based guest experiences that feel unique to their destination.
Sustainability Integrated Into Operations and Storytelling
From food-waste digesters and rooftop gardens to ESG programs and certifications, Sage makes sustainability visible to guests while aligning with traveler demand for environmentally responsible hospitality.
Scalable Procurement Enables Local Flexibility
Avendra International provides the data, supplier network, and procurement structure that allow Sage to balance enterprise efficiency with localized customization, while improving risk management and ESG decision-making.

For more than 40 years, Sage Hospitality Group has operated with a clear mission: to enrich lives, one experience at a time. Today, that purpose is increasingly expressed through a deep commitment to locality—bringing the character, culture, and community of each destination directly into the guest experience.

Across its U.S. portfolio, Sage designs properties to be immersive introductions to the cities and neighborhoods they inhabit. Through inclusive sourcing, sustainability programs, and community partnerships, Sage creates hotels that feel meaningfully connected to place.

For two decades, Avendra International has helped scale that vision. Strategic sourcing expertise, data transparency, and robust support enable Sage to maintain local flexibility while operating with enterprise‑level consistency.

“Enriching lives means being thoughtful stewards of the places where we operate,” says Jan Lucas, Vice President, Strategic Sourcing & Partnerships. “Local sourcing and responsible practices help us create experiences that feel truly rooted in the community.”

Sustainability as Part of the Guest Experience

For Sage, sustainability has evolved from an internal initiative to a visible and valued part of the guest journey.

Energy‑efficient systems—LED lighting, low‑flow fixtures, smart HVAC—are now foundational. But Sage goes further by integrating programs that let guests see sustainability in action.

One standout example is the use of food-waste digesters, which convert food waste into organic, nutrient-rich fertilizer without using water. That fertilizer nourishes onsite gardens—often rooftop installations—where herbs, greens, and produce are grown for hotel restaurants.

“It’s a full-circle approach—waste becomes fertilizer, and that fertilizer grows the ingredients we serve guests,” Lucas explains.

Culinary teams reinforce this ethos through:

Whole‑ingredient utilization
Locally sourced produce
Vegetarian recipe variants
Menu items inspired by regional flavors

“More travelers—especially younger generations—want a smaller carbon footprint when they travel,” notes Neil Colclough, Vice President, Risk, Compliance, and Audit, Sage Hospitality. “They seek hotels that align with their values.”

A Framework for Company‑Wide ESG Excellence

Sage’s sustainability platform is supported by a mix of enterprise standards and property‑level ownership.

Key initiatives include:

ESG committees at each property, guided by a corporate steering group
Green Key Global certification, targeted across the portfolio
Clean the World partnership for hygiene‑product recycling
Hotels for Trees, linking opted‑out housekeeping to tree‑planting
A 7,000‑hour Procure Impact goal, supporting suppliers employing people overcoming barriers to work

Sage is strengthening measurement, too. Utility usage is tracked per occupied room, waste‑diversion analytics, and a centralized repository will soon streamline ESG reporting.

“We have an incredible story to tell,” Colclough says. “The data allows us to tell it with credibility and clarity.”

Where Avendra International Makes the Difference

Supporting local individuality within a diverse portfolio requires both flexibility and structure—capabilities Avendra brings through its at‑property and above‑property service model. In‑market field support and customer relations managers visit properties regularly, advising on best practices and connecting teams to Avendra’s extensive supplier network. Executive‑level account managers provide enterprise procurement strategy and operational guidance.

Procurement Scale with a Local Touch

Avendra’s national and regional suppliers give Sage the scale benefits it needs while still enabling local customization, including:

Consistent pricing
Quality assurance
Access to local and inclusive suppliers

“The support is incredible,” Lucas says. “If a property wants something unique—like a specific fish or even caviar—Avendra helps us find it.”

Risk Mitigation Through Supply Chain Stability

From tariff shifts to supply disruptions, Sage’s risk team credits Avendra with helping the portfolio navigate volatility.

“If we weren’t partnered with Avendra, who knows what we would have faced over the last year,” Colclough says. “They’ve insulated us.”

Data That Drives Sustainable Choices

Avendra takes a consultative, data‑driven approach, pairing deep sourcing expertise with advanced analytics to help Sage translate ESG goals into informed purchasing decisions. Through Avendra’s reporting tools and the Mosaic AI Supply Chain platform, powered by integrated MaetaData, Sage gains clear, actionable insight into how products and suppliers align with priority sustainability outcomes.

Through the Avendra for Good framework, Sage is supported by Avendra’s subject‑matter experts in evaluating supplier practices and assessing item‑level sustainability attributes—such as animal‑welfare certifications, deforestation‑free commitments, and packaging profiles—enabling confident choices that advance sustainability goals while maintaining operational flexibility and brand integrity.

“Avendra collects an incredible amount of data,” Lucas notes. “With ESG committees at each property, we can now put that information to work.”

Together, Sage and Avendra continue to strengthen sustainable growth—without compromising the guest experience.

“We want guests to feel like insiders, not tourists,” Lucas says. “Sustainability storytelling is part of making that possible.”

Explore more client success stories in the Spring/Summer 2026 edition of Edge Magazine – North America. Download your copy here.

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CASE STUDY: HOW SAGE HOSPITALITY TURNS LOCALITY INTO A GUEST EXPERIENCE ADVANTAGE

FAQs

How does Sage Hospitality incorporate local culture into its hotels?

Sage designs each property to reflect its surrounding community through local sourcing, regionally inspired cuisine, and partnerships that connect guests to the neighborhood’s culture and character.

What role does sustainability play in the Sage guest experience?

Sustainability is embedded in both operations and guest-facing initiatives, including energy-efficient systems, food-waste-to-fertilizer programs, and on-site gardens that directly contribute to restaurant offerings.

How does Avendra International support Sage’s procurement and ESG goals?

Avendra provides sourcing scale, supplier access, and data analytics tools that help Sage make informed, sustainable purchasing decisions while maintaining operational consistency and mitigating supply chain risks.