HONG KONG—Winners of the Sustainable Hotel Awards were presented at the 20th annual Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific (HICAP), held October 14 to 16, at the InterContinental Hong Kong. HICAP is hosted by Horwath HTL and Burba Hotel Network (BHN).
The 56-room Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi in Koh Yao Noi, Phang-nga, Thailand, was the winner in the Sustainable Project Design category. The hotel is owned by Six Senses Resorts & Spas/EHY Company Limited and operated by Six Senses Resorts & Spas. The hotel was recognized for its use of recycled and natural materials, sensitivity to the surrounding natural environment, and rain collection efforts. Sonu Shivdasani, chairman & CEO, Six Senses Resorts & Spas accepted the award.
The 362-room Radisson Plaza Hotel Sydney, in Sydney, Australia, received the award in the Sustainable Operations category. The hotel is operated by Carlson Hotels Worldwide and was recognized for its waste, water, and energy management efforts, as well as its “green” education and training programs. Accepting the award was Jean-Marc Busato, managing director, Carlson Hotels Worldwide.
Sustainable Destinations Category
The winner in the Sustainable Destinations category was the 87-room The Oberoi, Udaivilas in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India. The hotel is owned and operated by Oberoi Hotels and Resorts. The conceptualization, design and construction undertaken in complete context and harmony with local traditions and culture, as well as the management of a 20-acre wildlife preserve, were noted as exceptional green efforts by The Oberoi. Accepting for The Oberoi was Gautam Raj, executive vice president, strategic development, The Oberoi Group.
Rounding out the awards in the Sustainable Communities category was the 30-room The Schoolhouse Rental Homes At Mutianyu Great Wall, in Mutianyu and Yingbeigou Villages, Huairou District, Beijing, China. The hotel is owned and operated by Jim Spear and Liang Tang. The property was recognized for its dispersed and small scale development, creation of employment opportunities, and its community outreach program. Jim Spear and his wife and partner, Liang Tang, accepted the award.
Sustainable Hotel Award nominations were requested from the HICAP delegates through the HICAP website. Nominations were then reviewed and voted upon by a prestigious panel of invited judges, including: Professor Michael C. G. Davidson, head of department, Tourism, Leisure, Hotel and Sport Management, Griffith Business School; Lyndall De Marco, managing director, Hotel Sustainability PTY LTD; James Dion, associate director, Center for Sustainable Destinations, National Geographic Society; Mark Eckstein, managing director, International Finance, WWF-US; John Goldwyn, senior associate, WATG; Dr. Harold Goodwin, director, International Centre for Responsible Tourism, Leeds Metropolitan University; and Klaus Lengfeld, coordinator, GTZ.
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