Some GCC hotel customers are “not yet ready to embrace sustainability”, while for others it is a selection criteria, it was claimed during a panel discussion at the Qatar Hospitality Summit.
“The Middle East’s extreme temperatures oblige us to find solutions,” said Westin Doha GM Gianrico Esposito.
“But it’s also about customs and habits. Some GCC customers are not yet ready to embrace sustainability. And we have to respond to customer needs. But we can try to encourage them with loyalty points when they adhere to our green choices."
“But for the next generation, we need to reassure them that we are doing the right thing to attract them to our hotel,” he added. “It [sustainability] is making more and more of a difference in their selection of a destination.”
Manveer Singh Yadav, director of engineering at Grand Hyatt Doha, conceded: “Air conditioning is such a basic need in the Middle East. You can’t just ask guests to turn it off.” However he revealed that the hotel was exploring ways to reduce water and energy waste without inconveniencing guests, such as UV ray filters on windows and aerators on bathroom taps.
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“Our basins used to have a flow rate of 9 litres per minute. Now it’s 3 litres per minute. And that saves a lot of water,” he said.
While the panellists conceded that it is easier to achieve greater sustainability with new hotels fitted with state-of-the-art equipment, they agreed that retrofitting can make a valuable contribution.
Kuruvila Manipadam, learning & development manager, at Movenpick Hotel West Bay said: “We tend to act when something is broken and then we fix it with something that consumes less electricity. But that can have a huge impact. We replaced a chiller, did our market research and that one machine ended up saving us 3% of our total electricity consumption.”
A question from the audience challenged Qatar’s hospitality suppliers to help hotels achieve their sustainability ambitions. “It’s difficult to find suppliers who can help you meet your requirements,” said the delegate.
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