HONG KONG—Burba Hotel Network (BHN), Horwath HTL, and Stiles Capital Events, co-hosts and organizers of the annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), announce the winners for the HICAP 2012 Sustainable Hotel Awards. The 23rd annual HICAP will be held this week at the InterContinental Hong Kong.
Winners of the HICAP 2012 Sustainable Hotel Awards are:
• Sustainable Project Design—Jetwing Vil Uyana, Sigiriya, Sri Lanka—Jetwing Vil Uyana embodies what can be accomplished in providing a luxurious resort guest experience in a truly environmentally friendly and sustainable manner. Twenty-seven luxurious dwellings are integrated into a wetland reserve in an area of just three acres despite the property spanning 24 acres. Two years prior to hotel construction were spent solely on the creation of the private nature reserve on neglected slash and burn agricultural land, which now comprises a wetland ecosystem with lakes, reed beds and forest. Only indigenous plants were utilized and grown naturally, including butterfly and bird attracting flora to enhance species richness. Paddy is grown using traditional harvesting methods. Carefully monitoring flora and fauna has resulted in a tremendous increase in both numbers and diversity.
• Sustainable Operations—Radisson Blu Resort Temply Bay, Mamallapuram, Tamil Naidu, India—Spread over 44 acres on the shores of the Bay of Bengal, the Radisson Blu Resort Temple Bay offers a high quality resort experience operated under a system designed for and committed to responsible and sustainable business principles. Key components to the system are an array of energy, water and waste management practices—including recycling, heat recovery, equipment/fixture specification and purchasing criteria—which have produced significant and continuing reductions in consumption and wastage, balanced with increases in efficiency and reuse. An active and ongoing audit program and measurement system for key usage indicators helps track progress and improvement, creating a tangible and instructive method for educating and incentivizing staff in furthering the resort’s sustainable practices and accomplishments.
• Sustainable Destinations—Anantara Golden Triangle Resort & Spa, Chiang Rai, Thailand—When refurbishing the Anantara’s pre-existing buildings, recycled wood and locally sourced materials were used as part of a design scheme highlighting the area’s distinctive hill-tribe and Buddhist cultures. Enforcement of non-hunting and fishing regulations covering the 400-acre property gave native species a rare haven in the local environment. Tree planting schemes and international standard wastewater treatment were implemented to further ensure environmental integrity. Recognizing the opportunity provided by the resort’s abundant natural environment, the Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation was created with the purpose of helping elephants subjected to abuse and other harsh circumstances. Thirty rescued elephants are now thriving at the resort, along with their mahout caregivers and their families who are provided with practical and ethical work.
• Sustainable Communities—Song Saa Private Island, Koh Rong Archipelago, Sihanoukville, Cambodia—Song Saa’s business model is based on successfully delivering and maximizing a triple bottom line covering “People, Planet and Profits.” A comprehensive program of conservation and community engagement is a fundamental part of this approach, a cornerstone of which is the establishment of organic food/produce production in the local village, which Song Saa purchases, generating a steady income base. A local youth program combines organized recreational activities with environmental education, including lessons in solid waste management and soil husbandry. A Song Saa funded solid waste management system for the local village has further illustrated the benefits by improving health conditions and aesthetics. At Via Sala Song Saa, a learning and education space, guests interact with the local community around a functioning organic garden and a variety of sustainable initiatives.
The Sustainable Hotel Awards were launched at HICAP in 2007 to recognize hotels in the Asia Pacific region demonstrating exemplary sustainable best practices. The institution of the Awards hopes to inspire industrywide commitment to embracing and proliferating sustainable development and operations as standard practice.
Visit the HICAP website for additional information.
