How Did My Socially Responsible Hotel in Cambodia Stack Up?
The Jaya House Delivers… In Hearts!
The primary purpose for my trip to Southeast Asia this month was to visit my mentor and dear friend, Lynn Stewart, who had moved to Chiang Mai, Thailand at the onset of the Covid shutdown. I hadn’t seen her in three years until her recent visit to Santa Barbara in July 2022, and I was worried that difficulty with travel might keep us apart again. Not wanting to take the risk of another few years going by, I made the choice to brave the 26-hour journey halfway around the world in spite a year-long hardship with an injured hip. It also seemed like a good idea while there to include a visit to Angor Watt, Cambodia, a destination on my bucket list for at least the last twenty years!
As I mentioned in last month’s article, after weeks of searching for the right hotel in Siem Reap, Cambodia, I finally happened upon something I hadn’t been looking for but probably should’ve been: a socially responsible hotel! After exploring every button and page of this hotel’s website, I knew that this is where I wanted to be. I wanted the experience of giving my money to a business that was consciously doing commerce in a way that creates positive impact with every choice it makes. I’m so happy to report that Jaya House delivered in hearts. I wanted to say spades, but it really is all about heart at the Jaya House. It is one of the most conscientious, caring business experiences I’ve ever had.
With a four-hour delay from Bangkok, I didn’t end up arriving at the hotel until 11:00 pm. This late arrival didn’t seem to faze the owner, Christian de Boer, a Dutch ex-pat, who greeted me at the lobby and ushered me into their beautifully curated dining room. A gourmet club sandwich was delivered, and I was asked if I preferred a glass of wine or a cup of tea. Christian explained that it’s important to them that their guests feel welcome…. as though they were arriving at someone’s home…. and that they feel like family. I hardly knew what to say. I felt like everything I strive for in my personal and business life in terms of bringing more kindness to every interaction was being mirrored back to me, with me on the receiving end of a similar intention. It felt surreal…almost dreamlike.
The other thing that got my attention when I arrived was that no one had asked me for my credit card. When I asked Christian about this, he said that they start from the premise that their guests are trustworthy and that this trust will be honored. And according to him, payment has never been a problem. When was the last time you arrived at a hotel and were not asked for your credit card until the very end? It was such a beautiful way to start my relationship with these people and this experience.
The week before I arrived, Christian had shared in a phone conversation that he had been invited to speak at the UN about being a plastic-free hotel and that he might not be available to visit with me while I was here. Thankfully, in spite the late hour, he could not have been more gracious, open and passionate about sharing his vision and mission for the Jaya House with me. We must have spoken for over an hour! Christian explained that the single most important thing to him and the Jaya House is its people. For example, some of the people he has hired have had unfortunate backgrounds that have rendered them less marketable from a traditional vetting standpoint, making it more difficult for them to find jobs. But because he’s always looking for people with a kind, sincere heart, he feels that he can teach them the rest. He genuinely believes that it all starts with kindness!
Another inspiring business practice that focuses on taking care of their people has to do with the benefits included in their nightly rate. In addition to a buffet and full breakfast, coffee throughout the day, tuk-tuks into town, daily massages, free laundry, bug spray and wet jasmine towels on every return to the hotel, Christian decided that a free mini-bar should also be included. When I asked about that he explained that if there were a misunderstanding over a mini-bar charge, in order to avoid creating a problem for a guest, the staff would likely allow it to be written off. This write-off, however, would adversely affect the bottom line and potentially reflect poorly on the staff, which ultimately could negatively affect the relationship with management. Christian was clear that he didn’t want such a thing to come between him and his people. Imagine that! Being willing to incur a cost to protect the relationships with his employees! This is the kind of behavior I have encountered with our kinder brand partners in Santa Barbara: a genuine and deep level of care for everyone who contributes to the success of the business. Beautiful!
I was also deeply moved by several initiatives launched by the Jaya House. They are the first plastic-free hotel in Cambodia and leading the way with their “Refill, Not Landfill” campaign as a signatory of the Global Tourism Plastic Initiative. “Refill Not Landfill” aims to reduce the millions of plastic water bottles discarded each year by encouraging the use of reusable drinking bottles, replacing millions of single-use plastic water bottles, and offering free water refill stations at participating businesses and partners around the world.
You know you are participating in this initiative when you arrive at the hotel and are given their signature “Refill Not Landfill” water bottle!
The team at the Jaya House Hotel also actively supports 3 different NGO’s by donating a portion of their proceeds each month. The Green Gecko supports local families by providing their children with comprehensive quality education and opportunities for development. The Cambodian Landmine Relief Fund supports the Cambodian Self-Help Demining team in order to save lives. Their goal is to provide Cambodians the opportunity to live safely, without the constant threat of danger from weapons left behind after nearly 35 years of conflict, including a civil war, the brutal Khmer Rouge regime and genocide, American bombings, and Vietnamese occupation. And the Small Art School (SAS) is a self-financed school that provides art education to its enrolled students.
The Jaya House also started the “Made in Cambodia Market” over 9 years ago with the sole aim of creating jobs and enhancing lives and incomes. When I asked if there was a fair-trade market I could visit, they directed me here. I didn’t know at the time that it was started by the Jaya House! It felt so humbling to support artists who had been injured by the land mines or who were using environmentally friendly products in the creation of their wares. The Jaya House also supports their community by hiring local artists to grace the walls of their hotel and planting mango & hardwood trees along the river corridor to create needed shade and food for those who do not have enough food to eat.
Throughout my stay, the staff called me by my first name and always asked me how I was doing. And I knew they weren’t just asking and hoping I would say “fine” and go on my merry way. They genuinely wanted to connect and engage with me, and it made me want to get to know them as well. It just all felt so authentic, loving and kind.
When it was time to leave, I found myself feeling rather emotional. When I explored the intensity of what I was experiencing, I realized that I was feeling profound gratitude and that I needed to communicate this to Chris, the manager. Chris had been my host every day, greeting me and making sure I was “feeling at home.” So I asked for a meeting with him. “Chris” I said, “I just wanted to take a moment to properly acknowledge what a beautiful job you and your staff have done in making my stay so memorable.” I listed for him everything I admired about the beauty of the hotel, its meticulous maintenance, constant cleanliness and spectacular breakfast buffet. And most importantly, the unforgettable experience created by him and his staff…from their kindness and attentiveness to their sincere desire to not just provide incredible service but to truly be “of service.” By this time I had tears streaming down my face, and he was asking one of his staff to bring me a box of tissue! There was simply no end to the degree of kindness and thoughtfulness present at the Jaya House. This is why many of their guests come back year after year, telling their friends and family, the way I have felt moved to do with this article.
Cambodia is a beautiful country that has experienced much suffering and trauma; yet its people, primarily Buddhists, seem to have an endless well of loving kindness and a sincere desire to connect and be of service.
This experience has had a profound impact on me and has taught me much about traveling more consciously so stay tuned as I reflect next month on what it means to be a kinder traveler.
To learn more about the Jaya House and its socially responsible initiatives, visit: www.jayahouse.com.
To learn more about visiting the Jaya House, feel free to contact Christian De Boer directly at +85592345655 or its manager, Chris Ream at +85569487927.