Sustainability plays an important role in the concept of the Seaside Collection Hotels
Hotels and their engagement for environmentally responsible management are an important module for the planning of international events. Much has changed for the hotel industry in recent years – and also as a result of the pandemic – demands on quality, originality, security and sustainable management are increasing across all target groups – regardless of whether they are private travelers or planners of business events.
In addition, hotels are an important part of the local community, they are employers, give fresh impulses, can have a significant impact on consumer behavior and promote the local economy. They in return benefit from the climatic conditions, the beautiful nature, the treasures of the sea, the existing infrastructure and the general reputation of a destination. The interdependences are becoming more and more obvious here. Only the collective efforts of all stakeholders involved in a destination’s travel product will bring success in the future and can ensure the necessary sustainable care in the economic development.
There are many hotel classifications in the market for quality and sustainability – global and regional ones, well-known and less well-known labels – but there are also many individual initiatives taken by private hotel owners. Strangely enough, many serious and costly adaption concepts often (still) do not find their way into communication, although they are a very elementary part of the decision for a hotel product and help the agencies to better convey the message of environmentally friendly management to their customers.
Properly – and honestly – communicated, environmental commitment can be a clear unique selling point. For the Gran Canaria Convention Bureau we are working on closing this gap in communication where it is possible and are therefore presenting individual good examples of sustainable efforts.
The Seaside Collection’s Palm Beach Hotel in Maspalomas Gran Canaria is one such example. At the first impression a classic “Sun & Beach” Hotel, they have a whole catalogue on resource-saving and sustainable management in place – not only for operational measures, but also around their responsibility for employees and community.
The hotel company and its founder Theo Gerlach publish a sustainability report, from which the following summary of measures is taken. You can see the complete report after the text and download the pdf for more details.
Energy saving measures:
There are a number of measures in place at the Palm Beach Hotel to save energy. As part of a major renovation in 2018, the air conditioning and heating systems were replaced, reducing the hotel’s total consumption by -13% compared to the average in the years before the renovation.
Sensors, lighting and heat recovery plans are just a few of the most important measures.
Water:
Saving water is a key factor in a dry and hot climate like that of Gran Canaria. This implies measures to limit the water flow, hotel laundry, pools and watering the gardens.
Says Francisco Lopez Head of Technical Service, Palm Beach Hotel:
“In 2017 the Palm Beach Hotel completely renewed the irrigation system for our gardens. Although water consumption has already been minimized because our plants are native to the islands and we water very early in the morning to avoid evaporation, we wanted to do more. The new system allows us to isolate certain areas for irrigation, while previously all areas were watered at the same time. For example, grass areas have to be watered more often than palm trees and native plants. Since this change, we have been saving the same amount of water every year equivalent to three Olympic swimming pools “
Other measures:
are taken to avoid waste and reduce the use of chemicals. The Palm Beach Hotel supports the local economy by participating in the “Zero Kilometro” program.
“Buying local products is an absolute priority and, on average, 90% of the fresh products used in our hotels are sourced directly from the Canary Islands. The most common locally sourced products are fruits and vegetables, thanks to our mild climate. We also take great pride in serving local wines and strive to particularly recommend them on our wine list. The Canary Islands are also home to excellent handcrafted products such as cheese, honey, jams, all of which can be found in our hotel buffets and restaurants. At Seaside Collection we give priority to buying local products wherever possible. We are always looking for traditionally made products that help us contribute to the local economy. Thus we support local artisans and purchase products of excellent quality that our guests love. What better way to promote the wonderful and unique products of our islands.”
says Eugenio Rivero, head of the purchasing department.
The hotel is active in numerous other of the 17 SDGs (Social Development Goals) of the UN Agenda: Community work is supported and help is raised for local aid organizations, the owners take good care of their employees and instruct guests on the right behavior in the nature reserves (such as the neighboring dune of Maspalomas). Guests are also encouraged to donate to projects in Gran Canaria.
The company opened the new Seaside Collection headquarters in Gran Canaria in summer 2021 – an intelligent building designed with sustainability and accessibility in mind.
More details in the Hotel Group’s Sustainability Report:
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Further information – contacts:
Sergio Maccanti, Tecnico Gran Canaria Convention Bureau smaccanti@grancanariacb.com
Mariana Lourenço Peres, Regional Manager Meetings & Incentives, Seaside Collection, m.lourenco@seaside-collection.es
Gran Canaria Convention Bureau communicates innovations and projects through their LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grancanariamice/
Gran Canaria Convention Bureau and Seaside Collection will be happy to meet you at stand A 35 at IBTM World, Barcelona!
