As you'll be able to read about in our upcoming Travel Report, hotels have become very aware that the key to authenticity is to keep things local. Local hotel’s take a different tack to traditional brands – they enrich the lives of those in the area by providing a platform for local people to explore their creativity as much as they offer a way for visitors to really get a taste for the area.

The Ritz-Carlton Hotel, Washington, D.C is taking this ethos to the next level by inviting guests to join efforts to give back to the community in return for a host of complimentary perks. The ‘Do Good, Feel Good,’ package benefits the hotel’s long-time community partner, DC Central Kitchen, an organisation that provides meals for its low-income and at-risk neighbours using recycled food. Guests are invited to participate in an exclusive, behind-the-scenes tour of DC Central Kitchen’s impressive operation, with a unique opportunity to volunteer afterwards – an experience that typically must be reserved months in advance.

The package also includes guest room or suite accommodations, breakfast for two in the hotel’s restaurant, and complimentary access to the 100 square-foot Sports Club/LA fitness complex. As a thank you for choosing the Do Good, Feel Good package, The Ritz-Carlton, Washington, D.C. will also make a donation of $100 to DC Central Kitchen in the guest’s name.

It's good to see a proven brand like Ritz-Carlton making an altruistic gesture, and in doing so further establishing itself as a cornerstone of the community.

Photography by DC Central Kitchen.