Community-First Hospitality: Moving Beyond “Give Back” Models
By Erik Warner, Co-founder & Principal, Eagle Point Hotel Partners
I didn’t set out to be taught by artists, bakers, and carpenters, but over time, I realized that in hospitality, the greatest experts aren’t always consultants—they’re the people rooted in the places we serve. Over a decade ago, at the Anvil Hotel in Jackson Hole and Sound View Greenport on the North Fork of Long Island, while transforming tired motels into award-winning, community-centric lodging destinations, I made it a priority to ensure these hotels didn’t view the community as just a backdrop, but rather as the foundation of the identity of the hotels.
Too often, hospitality thinks of “giving back” as a seasonal campaign or a PR opportunity, but it’s not. If we’re serious about conservation, well-being, and long-term success, we must flip the model. We have to start with community - not treat it as an afterthought.
“Community is not a backdrop. It’s the foundation.”
From Transaction to Relationship
Hospitality has always been a business of relationships but somewhere along the way
we got distracted. In the race to scale, standardize, and deliver efficiency, we began to
treat place like product - and people like variables.
At the Anvil, in Jackson, WY, we saw early on that our guests weren’t just coming for nature - they were coming for connection. We anticipated this shift almost a decade ago so we partnered with local outdoor guides, independent artists, and small businesses to make the hotel a cultural platform that connected guests deep into the local community. Our internal motto was “more than a place to sleep”. Guests left with more than memories - they left with a sense of place and connection.
At Sound View in Greenport, NY, we launched the Uncommon Art Residency. We didn’t just hang art on the walls, we invited artists to live, create, and collaborate with our team and community. Guests attend open studios, locals drop in for artist talks, and employees feel energized by creativity in the workplace. It’s more than a feel-good initiative - it adds soul to the brand and value to the business.
Moving Beyond “Give Back”
“Giving back” implies that the business operates first, and only then, out of guilt or generosity, contributes something to the community. But what if we built businesses with community from the start?
That means involving local voices in many areas including design decisions.
“‘Giving back’ implies we give after we take. What if we built businesses with community from the start?”
As we looked at the design direction for our recently acquired Turpin Meadow Ranch,
we dove into the property’s history and worked closely with the Jackson Hole Historical
Society and the Wind River Native American Foundation. This partnership ensured that
our plans respected the heritage of the land while creating a vision for the future that is
inclusive, and place based.
It also means hiring for long-term growth, not just seasonal needs. Partnering with small businesses - not just sourcing from them but integrating them into the guest experience through community. This also includes measuring success not just by RevPAR or ADR, but by the number of local jobs created, cultural events hosted, or youth internships offered.
We’ve seen firsthand how this kind of model builds resilience. Our properties were able to weather the pandemic in large part because of the goodwill and partnerships we had already nurtured. Our staff stayed longer, our guests returned more often, and our reputation grew stronger.
Community Is a Strategy
Let me be clear: this isn’t charity - it’s good business.
When your brand becomes known as a steward of place and a connector of people, you attract a different kind of guest. They stay longer, spend more and share your story for you. And most importantly, your team feels proud to show up to work every day.
The G20 recently valued the creative economy at nearly $1 trillion, with forecasted 40% growth by 2030. As we know, creativity isn’t just about the economy - it’s about identity. Investing in artists, food entrepreneurs, agri-and aqua-culture, youth programs, and wellness leaders makes your hotel not just a place to visit—but a place that belongs, a pillar of the community.
“When your brand becomes a steward of place and a connector of people, it’s not charity—it’s good business.”
Building the Future of Hospitality—Together
Hospitality isn’t scalable if it forgets where it came from: real people in real places. The future of hospitality isn’t just about amenities or ESG checklists. It’s about building ecosystems - where business, culture, and community thrive together.
At the Anvil and Sound View, we’re still learning. We get things wrong, we iterate, and we ask for help. But we’ve committed to something deeper than service. We’ve committed to stewardship. And we invite others in our industry to do the same.
Let’s move beyond “giving back” to the community. Let’s start by “building with” community.