The business of being green

The hospitality industry is known for making things happen and going to great lengths to please and serve. Naturally, running a hotel means wastage and magnified consumption. From leftover food at the restaurants to working the washing machines day and night to churn out clean towels and bed sheets, keeping a hotel in top-notch shape requires much more than just a dedicated staff. Hence, environmental consciousness isn’t what hotels are known for.

However, this is not necessarily the case at all hotels. Take The Cityview - for the past years, the hotel has been serving business and leisure travelers from around the world, with many from South East Asian executives returning time and again over the years. Conveniently located just minutes from the Yau Ma Tei MTR station, the hotel not only takes into heart the services provided to guests, but is also working to ensure the guest experience is one that is environmentally friendly.

The Cityview General Manager Alex Wu and his team dedicated the past year to building the hotel’s reputation and facilities to meet international environmental standards. The hotel has submitted itself to Australian environmental certification EarthCheck; recently earning the Bronze Certificate from the independent organization. Wu hopes his team can work towards achieving the Silver recognition in 2013.

“We are the only independent hotel in Hong Kong to achieve this certification from EarthCheck. We are proud of this achievement because we want to be able to give back to the community,” says Wu.

Among the many ways the hotel gives back is with its compost program. A compost machine is installed into the hotel premises to process all leftover food items. The compost produces organic fertilizer which The Cityview freely gifts local farming and tree planting initiatives.

While as a business decision, the initial cost of implementing a green approach might be high, the benefits reach far beyond that of monetary gains. “We feel that we can connect with travellers and companies with a shared passion for a greener environment,” says Wu. “And through our green movement, we’ve actually been able to attract more clients. There are many international corporations that also take environmental conservation very seriously. These companies will often look for hotels that share the same values; they choose to stay at a hotel that they know are being socially and environmentally responsible.”

Aside from expanding its plans for an even greener property, the hotel is also experiencing some physical changes. These are also initiatives to create a more corporate image—a direction in which the hotel hopes to take in the coming years.

The Cityview will be expanding its business appeal through creating an atmosphere that better suits the needs of business travellers. The Executive Wing will be expanded to include nine new rooms, each dedicated to comfort and conducting business.

The entire Premier Wing, which will be home to the new executive suite, will be renovated to bring rooms a more modern and stylish appeal. This overhaul will breathe new life into the 156 rooms that first welcomed guests in the 80s.

This will not only create a more comfortable atmosphere for travellers, but the renovation is a part of the hotel’s strategy to build its competitiveness among business hotels in the same category.

“It’s important for us to expand on the business clientele. Compared to leisure travellers, these individuals tend to spend more time and money at the hotel, enjoying breakfast in the morning and booking conference rooms and ballrooms for meetings,” says Wu.

Currently, Wu says 30 to 35% of guests fall under the corporate category. The General Manager hopes that upon the completion of the renovations in 2014, business travellers will occupy half of the hotel’s rooms.

Welcoming more executive guests mean hotel staff has to be increasingly sensitive towards the needs of different cultures. From language training to catering to the dietary needs of the international traveller, staff will be receiving full support from management. “We want to take into consideration the different skills our staff will need to acquire in order to effectively serve our guests,” says Wu.

FAST FACTS

• Oct-12 Cordons Bleus 2012 GHM Recommendation Restaurant honoring The Cityview - City Café as Best Hotel Buffet Restaurant.

• Oct-12 The environmental performance of The Cityview has been recognised by EarthCheck; the travel and tourism industry’s leading environmental management, benchmarking and certification company. By undertaking benchmarking with EarthCheck, The Cityview has joined other industry leaders who have demonstrated a willingness to take meaningful steps towards resolving some of the very real issues that face the planet.

• Jul-12 The Balcony becomes the corporate member of “Commanderie Des Cordons Bleus De France”, a world-class cuisine and cultural organization that recruits and assesses outstanding chefs and gourmets

• Jun-12 The Cityview earns 2012 TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

• Jun-12 City Cafe received recognition of “2012 Most Popular QTS Merchant Award (Online Voting) - Restaurant”, organized by Quality Tourism Services Association