The Cityview furthers its efforts to pursue green lodging

Corporate responsibility is nothing new. But to fully commit to a cause year after year is no small feat. For the fourth year in a row, The Cityview is taking home The Best Green City Hotel accolade. Looking at the hotel’s eco-evolution over the past few years, it’s easy to understand why few hotels in the city can compete in this arena.

The hotel’s general manager Alex Wu is been overlooking his green revolution from the start and he can attest to his team’s efforts.

“Through various team building and customer activities, we are able to make reducing our carbon footprint a fun and fulfilling task.”

When it comes to cutting down on wastage, every little bit counts. And it is with this in mind that The Cityview’s team have come up with various initiatives to encourage guests to help out.

"From encouraging our guests to reuse their towels and sheets to setting up a donation box for them to leave their unwanted clothes behind, we’re able to help not only the environment but those within the community.”

In this case, clothes left behind by guests are passed on to various charitable organisations, giving them a second life. Another charity the hotel works closely with is FoodLink. “We monitor very closely the amount of food we prepare each day for all of our restaurants to minimise wastage. In instances where untouched foods that are still well within the expiration date but are no longer suitable to be used at the hotel, we then pass them on to FoodLink to be distributed to those in need.”

Helping the community is a huge part of what the hotel is about. This is why, since acquiring a compose machine, the hotel has been able to make fertilizers that are then shared with those tending to plots near the hotel.

“We have leased a plot near the hotel where we plant vegetables and herbs. We make sure we use the fertilisers and soil that we produce using our compose machine. And we have been able to produce enough to share with our neighbouring plots. This is another great way for us to reuse, reduce and recycle, as well as build a sense of community among our neighbours,” says Wu.

While eco-friendliness is nothing new, embracing it to this extreme is uncommon, especially in the hospitality industry where wastage is the norm. This is why the hotel has invited students from schools in the district to visit and gain a better understanding of the impact of being green. “Many of these students know about ways we can help the environment. But they might not have had first hand experience in terms of seeing how an operation works. We are delighted to be able to invite them to the hotel and to help them understand and maybe even embrace environmentalism in their own daily lives,” Wu explains.

The hotel’s efforts are not only recognized locally but have also caught the attention of international watchdog group Earthcheck, who’s given the hotel a silver grading for the second year in a row. “We are looking forward to maintaining our grading for another two years at which point we will be qualified for the Gold Certificate,” Wu shares.

As the hotel experience another wave of renovation, Wu says it creates the perfect opportunity for him and his team to further submerge the hotel in the eco cause. “We are renovating our guestrooms and when we do this we will be able to install things like lamps and water faucets that are more efficient. It is a very exciting time for us and we hope to continue enhancing our commitment towards environmental friendliness.”