Industry-leading Valor Hospitality Partners, and Veldskoen Shoes, an innovative South African Shoe Brand, have announced a strategic partnership to provide reliable, comfortable and sustainable footwear to 'Hotelitarians' serving at Valor Hospitality properties across the United States.
Veldskoen Shoes is committed to 'taking in the view and leaving only footprints." The brand focuses on ethical production made with consciously sourced material to continually work toward a more sustainable future by using innovative and out-the-box thinking to reduce their impact. This is an initiative that is mirrored at Valor Hospitality. With eco-friendly properties such as The Lodge at Gulf State Park and the recently announced net zero carbon Zeal Hotels partnership in the UK, Valor Hospitality's overall mission is to become the leading global hospitality brand in sustainability. Through impactful initiatives, Valor has reduced single-use plastic items down by over two million per year with a target of five million fewer items per year, offers 5% vegan menu options across properties, offers a wine list with 18% organic options and more.
"This is an innovative partnership that reflects our goals and mission as an organization while also showcasing our commitment to our staff and the overall guest experience," said Euan McGlashan, founder and CEO of Valor Hospitality Partners. "This is a huge step—literally—in the right direction as it pertains to company culture and sustainability in our trade while also having a lasting impact on the local community. We have already begun our journey in some of our South African hotels & lodges and my goal is to see Veldskoen shoes on as many global Hotelitarian feet as possible."
Yesterday, the organizations hosted a joint event at The Harpeth Hotel in Franklin, Tennessee—one of Valor Hospitality's 90+ global properties. Front of staff 'Hotelitarians' received a pair of handcrafted shoes from Veldskoen's Heritage range—the brand's first and most popular product, designed to be durable, comfortable and reliable. This event celebrated the inaugural launch of the partnership with several additional Valor properties to receive Heritage shoes in the coming months.
"We are honored to be the first Valor property to receive Veldskoen shoes as part of this larger initiative," said Justin Foster, general manager of The Harpeth Hotel. "Hospitality professionals are on their feet all day long and these shoes will enhance our team's appearance and comfort level—from the front office team to the food and beverage teams. Additionally, we are thrilled to be able to support the local community and provide Veldskoen shoes to children in need right here in Franklin."
In addition to distributing pairs of shoes to The Harpeth 'Hotelitarians,' Veldskoen Shoes has made a charitable donation of 60 pairs of shoes to One Generation Away. The local nonprofit rescues high-quality, surplus food from grocery stores, restaurants, farms, and caterers and redistributes that food to individuals and families experiencing food insecurity. This summer, the organization will donate Veldskoen Shoes to Franklin families in need during regularly scheduled food distributions.
"We've always said that it's our responsibility to craft shoes that are not only ethically and responsibly made but feel comfortable and provide you with an effortless daily style," said Nick Dreyer, founder and CEO of Veldskoen Shoes. "We have chosen Valor as our only hospitality partner due to their shared commitment to excellence, sustainability and ethical practices. It is a privilege to see our principles and products being used to positively impact the lives of hospitality workers and children in middle Tennessee."
ABOUT VALOR HOSPITALITY PARTNERS
Valor Hospitality Partners is a leading global full-service hotel underwriting, acquisition, development, management, and asset management company. With over 90 hotels in its international portfolio, Valor Hospitality offers an array of services, including site selection, product and brand selection, entitlements, financing solutions, conceptual design, construction and project management, procurement, technical services, pre-opening, and operations management. Valor also provides consulting services on a wide range of project scenarios, including working with new or existing ownership groups on reviewing site selection, assessing feasibility studies and project budgets, compiling project budgets, and underwriting. For more information, visit valorhospitality.com connect with Valor on Facebook and LinkedIn.
ABOUT VELDSKOEN SHOES
Veldskoen Shoes was started in 2016 by best friends Nick Dreyer and Ross Zondagh. All Veldskoen shoes are handcrafted in South Africa using some of the finest shoemakers in the country and each Veldskoen is hand-stitched with extreme care and attention to detail. The result of the process is a comfortable, durable shoe, that is 100% unique. Since the inception of the online shoe shop in 2016, Veldskoen has expanded into a global brand stocked by chain and independent retailers in 32 countries.
ABOUT THE HARPETH
The Harpeth Hotel, a Curio Collection by Hilton, is Historic Franklin's first hotel, located in the heart of the charming historic downtown, just south of Nashville, Tenn. Offering 119 spacious and unmatched guestrooms and suites, The Harpeth is just steps away from the Franklin Square and Historic Main Street. Hotel guests and locals can dine at 1799 Kitchen and Cocktails, an upscale, chef-driven restaurant and bar, and McGavock's Coffee Bar & Provisions, a European-style coffee bar, named after the McGavock family. The Harpeth offers more than 5,000 square feet of flexible event space.