“EHMA has recorded this year an unprecedented number of applications to our Sustainability Award, and this is indicative of the growth within our Association on a strong commitment to sustainable development and environmental stewardship, in conjunction with social responsibility and underpinned with strong quantitative results”, comments President Panos Almyrantis, National Delegate of Greece & Cyprus and General Manager of the Grand Hyatt Athens. “All applicants showed a clear focus on teamwork combined with care for the staff and for the community in which they operate. Giuseppe Rossi’s programme showcased the most comprehensive approach and a great mix of social and environmental projects, with CO2 and plastic reduction data as well as a project in Kenya demonstrating strong Corporate Social Responsibility”.
A jury comprised of Verena Radlgruber-Forstinger (EHMA member and Deputy Central Europe), Daniel Daggett (Vice President Corporate Sustainability at Diversey) and Arjan van Rheede (Senior Research Fellow in Sustainability, Hotelschool The Hague) chose this year’s winner.
The winning project, a set of good practices and investments in cutting-edge technological infrastructure and more ethical procurement, positively impacts the environment in several ways, reducing the volume of waste, saving energy and optimising dispersion. Over the years at the Splendide Royal disposable plastic has been completely eliminated and PET reduced by 95%. CO2 emissions have been drastically reduced. At CSR level, the hotel has improved employees’ welfare and has engaged as food supplier the OTAF Foundation, which works in the Lugano region to support people with disabilities. At global level the hotel is collaborating with Karibuni Onlus on the Splendide Shamba project, a farm in Kenya, where the hotel provided the local school with desks, computers and other school supplies. In addition, the hotel provided the village with a 10,000-litre water cistern for watering the crops.
The competitors
All this year’s applications were compelling and deserving of the award, highlighting how broad the impact from an hotel can be, with initiatives concerning energy, local sourcing, biodiversity protection, guest experience or the UN SDGs. It was a close call.
The other selected candidates were:
- Pedro Pinto, GM Corpo Santo Hotel Lisbon, Portugal
- Ivan Artolli, GM Hotel de Paris, Monte Carlo
- Stratos Patsakis, GM Minos Beach Art Hotel Crete, Greece
- Raimondo Sartorio, GM San Marco Hotels & Beach Resort Como, Italy
- André Cheminade, GM Hotel des Horlogers, Vallée des Joux, Switzerland
