Sustainability is not something that Orchid Mumbai does; it is who they are. Asia’s first certified eco-friendly five star talks about their sustainability efforts and business growth with STAAH.
We started down the path to become better guardians of our environment because the situation is grave.” says Mr. Vishal Kamat – Director of Kamat Group of Hotels. “We’ve not just adopted a sustainable path, but made it a part of our culture by involving staff and encouraging guests to join our initiatives through simple steps.”, he adds.
The 372 room luxury hotel prides itself on delivering the highest standards of comfort and convenience, from fully air-conditioned rooms to flat-screen TVs, and even a 70-foot waterfall to greet the guests at the entrance.
These luxuries are balanced out with green practices that are delivered without any compromise on the guest experience.
If anything, guest experience is enhanced and our eco initiatives are a reason why we are the preferred choice for a growing legion of travellers,” says Vishal.
How They Do Green?
Since adopting sustainability, Orchid Mumbai has made it a part of their culture, vision, values, and brand. It is seen in thoughtful details in architecture and everyday guest touchpoints such as linen usage, in-room (and overall) waste management, and water conservation.
There are aspects of this programme that are not visible to guests, but have a high impact.
“We have eliminated use of chemicals to minimize the long-term impact on environment.” asserts Vishal. “A heat pump is used to turn vapour into cold water that is used for air conditioning. This helps conserve energy. We also have a sewage treatment plant for better usage of water.”
Environment education is a part of employee induction with regular trainings to help them adopt the programme and also be involved with community projects.
The programme extends to guests, as the eco-initiatives and how they can make a difference is communicated, when they are welcomed. A simple, but effective, way to edge guests towards water conservation has been the introduction of “Save My Planet Card”.
“We place this card on the beds and guests can decide if they want wasteful change of linen every day, or opt for a more eco-friendly option of reusing the linen,” says Vishal.
The Eco Story Is Being Well Received…
The Orchid Mumbai is one among the only six hotels worldwide to win and maintain the Ecotel certification and till date, has received over 97 national and international awards, reiterating their efforts of being a pioneer amongst environment-friendly hotels.
It’s not just the environmental and government organizations that are noticing their efforts. Guests love it too and the same is reflected in their growing segment of loyal and returning customers.
“We proudly talk about our eco initiatives on all our websites and communication platforms,” says Vishal. “It’s our point of difference – an oasis in a city that is bursting at its seams.”
Sustainable Partnerships
Supporting its sustainability efforts as a cheerleader and distribution partner is STAAH.
“We have been using STAAH Instant Booking Engine and STAAH Max Booking Engine since 2016 and find it absolutely effortless. It is easy to download, login, operate and log out,” says Aloy Lobo, Marketing Manager of the Kamat Groups of Hotels that owns the Orchid Mumbai (India). “Leaves us with plenty of time to focus on our initiatives.”
“There are many STAAH features we love, but the user-friendliness and robust customer support have been imperative to our success.”
“Like our environmental initiatives, and given the importance of having a dynamic distribution strategy, this is a partnership that ensures sustainability of our business,” adds Aloy.
The sustainability initiative is the brainchild of Dr. Vithal Kamat. From an idea to reality, the programme has come a long way and evolved into a way of life for the Orchid family. Here at STAAH, we’re proud to support them in their efforts.