“Made with Sustainability in Mind” details efforts toward conservation, preservation and eco-conscious stewardship.
Swissôtel Hotels & Resorts, a leading brand within the AccorHotels Group, is pleased to announce the release of its 2018 Sustainability Report Update, “Made with Sustainability in Mind”. This report covers the brand’s strategies and actions to continuously improve its sustainability performance throughout the years of 2015, 2016, and 2017. Previous Sustainability Reports were issued in 2012 and 2015.
The 2018 Sustainability Update provides insight as to how Swissôtel tackles areas which are most important to its internal and external stakeholders based on materiality assessments conducted by the brand’s sustainability management team and third-party experts. The report includes updated performance data, recent case studies and an overview of key initiatives to provide a clear picture of what sustainability at Swissôtel means.
“As guests of the world, we combine high-quality comfort and vitality with a positive social and environmental impact to enhance our guests’ quality of life today as well as tomorrow,” said Lilian Roten, Vice President, Swissôtel Brand Management. “Our business is dependent on preserving and conserving the environments, cultures and communities in which we operate. Guests and visitors will find evidence of our commitment in thoughtful details found within our architecture, design and craftsmanship, to our gastronomy, services and facilities.”
Swissôtel’s sustainability efforts are coordinated with parent company AccorHotels’ PLANET 21 Sustainable Development Program. This is a global platform designed to advance the performance of the company’s hotels amid increasing pressure on the environment. AccorHotels is the world’s leading hotel operator with 4,600 hotels in 100 countries.
“We are aware of the massive impact we have on our planet and our responsibility to limit any negative effects of our activities, while creating healthy and sustainable environments for our employees, guests, suppliers, partners and host communities,” said Arnaud Herrmann, Vice President, Sustainable Development, AccorHotels. “Swissôtel continues to find innovative ways to deliver wellness, comfort and efficiencies which are not only vitally important, but vitally positive for the guest experience.”
Swissôtel goes beyond stand-alone initiatives to employ a systematic approach covering al sustainability, economic management, and social sustainability. The organization uses an integrated online ISO certified management system which serves as an accessible platform for exchanging best practices among hotels all across the globe.
The 2018 Sustainability Update includes many gains achieved in recent years, such as:
- Between 2009 and 2017, the brand’s hotels collectively reduced their overall footprint with reductions of 13% in energy consumption, 13% in water consumption and 27% in CO2 emissions.
- During the same period, guest satisfaction and colleague engagement have increased.
- 100% of Swissôtel properties categorise their entire waste for environmentally-friendly disposal.
- 80% of Swissôtel properties have their own herb gardens to produce the freshest ingredients while reducing carbon emissions.
The report also provides numerous illustrations of how Swissôtel works to create positive hospitality experiences while being mindful of Mother Earth. For example:
- Swissôtel Nankai, Osaka implemented Air-In shower heads to reduce the volume of water usage without compromising on guest comfort.
- Swissôtel The Bosphorus, Istanbul employs a tri-generation system that generates the total electricity consumption of the hotel on a daily basis, with the heat waste generated by the machine itself used to cool the hotel with absorption chillers.
- Bio Food recycling machines have been introduced at Swissôtel Chicago, Swissôtel Nankai, Osaka and Swissôtel The Stamford, Singapore, turning food waste into bio soil or grey water.
- Swissôtel Le Plaza, Basel collects unused or unfinished soaps and amenities for donation to the SapoCycle Foundation and Heilsarmee in Basel.
- Swissôtel Chicago engages guests to “Make a Green Room Choice”, contributing to huge reductions in laundry, detergents and water usage.
“Fostering sustainability to create more positive guest experiences is part of our everyday approach,” says Roten. “From offering free mobility tickets for public transportation to providing green meeting packages and employing heat recovery systems to improve energy efficiency, we never stop looking for more ways to help our guests and colleagues live well, with sustainability and vitality at the forefront.”
Download the full 2018 Swissôtel Sustainability Update here.
