Hotel Taking Steps Towards Sustainability
Questionnaire
Certifications: Travelife
ISO 14001 Environmental management systems
Do you utilise any renewable energy sources to produce energy on the hotel/accommodation premises? Solar radiation
What makes your hotel/accommodation eco-friendly? Written environmental policy statement in place
The structure maximizes natural light to reduce the need for lighting and heating
Windows that block heat/cold (i.e. triple-glazed windows)
Use of non-toxic cleaning products
LED lighting throughout the premises
Environmental manager appointed
Employees are trained to follow environmental policies
Bicycles provided to guests
Toilets flush up to 6 litres per flush
Wastewater is reused after treatment
Signs in the rooms informing guests that towels will only be changed upon request
Waste is separated into at least 3 categories
No disposable (single use) cups/glasses, plates and cutlery
Automatic system or key card that turns off the light and electrical appliances when guests leave their room
Air-conditioning and heating automatically switches off when windows are open
Most of the ingredients used to prepare meals are locally produced
A vegetarian alternative menu is proposed in the restaurant
An energy audit is carried out at least once every five years
Is there anything that you would like to highlight, add or clarify?
Our Sustainability Management System is based on the Travelife requirements and the international Environmental Management Standard ISO 14001. The Hotel has been ISO 14001 certified since 2003 and was granted the Travelife Gold Award.
The environmental targets for 2021 have been set with an implementation action plan and are monitored through our environmental programme. Appropriate measures were taken based on this programme and necessary actions were taken when and were deemed necessary.
This report is analyzing our sustainability performance for 2021.
Targets
- Reduce the energy consumption (kwh) per guest night (electricity, petrol, gas) from 26.99 to 26.0 kwh
- Reduce the potable water consumption to 0.25 m3 per guest night and maintain the irrigation water to the same level as in 2020
- Maintain the waste output per guest night to 0.13lt
- Reduce the use of chemical use in the kitchen, gardens, and pools by 2% in comparison with 2019
- Improve further the health and safety standards for Hotel guests and employees.
- Develop and extent further the social responsibility activities
- Raise guest awareness over Alion sustainability programme.
Electricity consumption per month has been stabilized after the completion of the installation of the autonomous photovoltaic pool circulation pumps, the replacement of the chiller pump, and the completion of the installation of the room energy management system in 2013. The load for 2021 per guest night though in comparison with 2019 has increased due to the fact that the hotel was in operation for less months (summer season) but in months with high consumption demand for cooling. We expect that for 2022 the consumption per GN will slightly decreased due to the fact that new energy saving glass doors and windows have been installed in all south ground floor level . Any differences will depend on the general climate and the hotel capacity.
The target for 2021 was achieved for the months the hotel was in operation (June – November) , as the total consumption was reduced by 1.6% in comparison to 2019. Due to the pandemic the operation period and the number of guests was not normal.
Petrol is supplied by EKO Petroleum Company and is primarily used for heating and hot water production.
Petrol consumption was significantly decreased in 2014 after the installation and operation of the solar system in conjunction with the existing heat exchange system on the main chiller. With the completion of the project, the consumption is stabilized with minor changes subject to weather conditions and need for heating. In 2021 both the total consumption as well as the per guest night consumption were reduced in comparison with 2019. This is due to the fact that the hotel in 2021 was not in operation during winter and spring.
Gas is supplied by EKO and is exclusively used in the kitchens of the Hotel for food production.
For the storage of gas, the Hotel maintains tank with a total capacity 3000 L and two tanks of 500 L each. The total capacity reaches 4000 L.
The gas consumption decreased in 2021 due to the limited period of operation. Additionally must be noted that the deck a la carte restaurant in 2021 was extended with a significant increase on sales resulting to increased gas use. Gas is used exclusively for stoves and charcoal grills in the kitchen, therefore this additions/ changes had a significant impact on the total consumption. Despite this the target for 2021above has been achieved .
Total Energy
The total energy consumption of the Hotel is converted in KWh and is presented by year.
The total energy consumption in comparison with 2019 has been decreased by 29% and by 0.5% on per guest night level. This is more related to the fact that the hotel was in operation less months due to the pandemic. No significant changes are expected for 2022 as no major building changes have taken place and the operation period will be the same.
Water
Water is supplied from the Municipality for use in the rooms, kitchen areas, hygiene areas, swimming pools and other outlets of the Hotel. Recycled water from the Municipality is used for the gardens.
Upon completion of the water conservation project, the level of consumption of fresh water has stabilized. Minor changes in the consumption are derived from guest usage. The consumption of irrigation water is subject to the weather conditions. Furthermore in winter 2017/18 after a total remake of the grass irrigation system an increased consumption was noticed . This is due to the fact that larger pipes and more sprinklers have been installed in order to have a satisfying irrigation. In this way we will be able to better maintain our grassed area in the hot summer months. The target for 2021 is considered achieved.
Chemicals
The Hotel uses chemicals for cleaning purposes, maintenance, chemical spraying in the gardens, and for disinfecting the swimming pools. Every effort is made to buy in bulk and to return the plastic containers to the various suppliers and to safely dispose the empty hazardous containers through authorized recycling partners. Nineteen years after the implementation of our environmental system, the hotel has managed to enforce a fairly strict monitoring with prevention maintenance, use of dosage pumps, as well as staff training and professional consultancy. These actions have resulted in minimizing the impact of the necessary usage, as well as the correct storage and disposal of the empty hazardous containers. The target set is achieved as the used quantities remained more or less at the same level in 2021 as in 2019.
However, due to the limited operating time of the hotel compared to 2019, there was a reduction of 25.6% L/Kg in the total consumption of chemicals/cleaning agents. As a result of the fewer overnight stays in 2021 which was a consequence of the pandemic, the rate per guest amounted to 0.22% L/ Kg in 2021 compared to 0.21% L/ Kg in 2019. It was observed an increase of4.8% L/ Kg per guest night taking into consideration the overnight stays. Garden chemicals are used under the supervision and instructions of a consultant agronomist.
Liquid and solid waste resulting from the Hotel’s operations are separated and handled by approved licensed suppliers. The principle is simple “Reduce, Reuse, Recycle”
All solid waste is separated and collected by Green Dot and other licensed recyclers. The recycling program has been fully implemented in co-operation with Green Dot, the local authorities, as well as other authorized suppliers for special waste. The main streams are paper, glass, PMD and special waste as cooking oil, chemical containers, batteries, printer toners, fluorescent tubes, and electrical equipment.
All quantities collected are recorded and analyzed having as a priority the reduction of the total waste production per guests nigh as well as the correct disposal of the hazardous waste. Based on the analysis we see that in 2021 the consumption of general waste by guest night was decreased by 15% in comparison with 2019 .
Control of the Emissions and Ozone Unfriendly Gases
All cooling and refrigeration units are operating with environmental friendly freezing liquids (CFC and HCFC free). Furthermore, we systematically monitor and record the level of emissions from the burners in the boiler room.
At Alion Beach Hotel we strive to provide a safe workplace where the human rights are respected in accordance with the collective agreements with the unions, the applicable legislation and our code of practice.
We are an equal opportunity employer and we support the protection of human rights, particularly those of our employees, the parties we do business with and the community where we operate.
During all audits by the social insurance inspection department no discrepancies were noted. No employment rights issues have been raised by either member of the staff or the unions. The Alion Beach Hotel has managed through all these years to establish itself as one of the top employers. Attention has been given to select, recruit and educate our staff using industries best practices as incorporated in our Holistic branding manual and code of practice. These very good employment conditions resulted in employee satisfaction, high employee loyalty and very low employee turnover.
The environmental programme was updated covering additional social issues. Firstly, the guests’ donation programme is running and three charity organizations were supported this year via this aforementioned donation initiative. The Alion environmental programme and the Hotel management initiatives have been awarded on various occasions with prestigious certifications such as “Travelife Gold certification” and ISO 14001, which gives the hotel a competitive advantage against the competition in the Central European market.
The hotel staff has a good understanding of the targets and objectives of the programme after thorough on the job training.
The Sustainability Action List 2022 (Appendix B) was updated by analysing the various actions and projects that the hotel currently implements to ensure a continuity for 2022.
The revision of the Risk Assessment Study has been performed and the health and safety programme was revised.
During the season, the Alion Beach Hotel staff attended various seminar programmes, as per the Training plan 2021. Twenty one courses have taken place during the year, including the new concept of “Authentic Cyprus Breakfast”, a refreshment course on sustainability, recruiting and developing kitchen employees by example and accountability as well as courses on the correct usage of garden, cleaning and pool chemicals.
During the Annual Management Review Meeting, the General Manager stated that this is the 19th year since the implementation of the integrated management system based on the ISO 9001, ISO 22000, ISO 1401, and Travelife principles. The system is very mature, since the implementation was done in 2003, and the hotel management is setting higher standards in the area of customer service. A number of actions in line with Travelife’s requirements were implemented and we are constantly building on its experience, taking initiatives to improve the image of the hotel in the areas of quality, environment, health and safety, and social responsibility.
Our future plans include:
• An increased effort to ensure a further 5% waste reduction through closer monitoring of our waste production and disposal.
• Raise staff and guest awareness on social and environmental issues through staff training and social activities. Our target is to increase the training hours for social and sustainability issues at 20 % of the total training hours (30 per year)
• Continue and reinforce the implementation of our integrated management system prioritizing Alion Beach Hotel’s mission, which is to delight our guests with personalized, hospitable and noble service, orchestrated by inspired and engaged professionals, staging memorable all year holiday experiences.
