SPECIAL REPORT
Alila Villas Uluwatu in Indonesia
can start to let technology take over ,” says Randy Gaines , senior vice president of operations at Hilton .
Sustainability is an “ integral , ethical part of brand DNA ” at Singapore-based Alila Hotels & Resorts , says CEO Frederic Flageat-Simon . But he agrees that even for Alila , luxury lifestyle owners that support sustainable operations sometimes balk at investing in energy- and water-saving innovations during the design phase . “ We have been able to demonstrate to them that you actually do get a return on investment , and when you follow sustainable design practice , what you are really doing is following natural , logical , environmental approaches to the hotel experience and to your resort ,” he says .
Another challenge : persuading them to go for accreditation with an organization like EarthCheck , used by Alila to benchmark energy use against its competitive set . Flageat-Simon says its Alila Villas Uluwatu in Indonesia performs 34 % below average in energy use , 46 % below average for water use , and 56 % below average for waste , creating about US $ 260,000 in savings annually , or about 25 % of the resort ’ s total utility bill .
SINGITA LODGES , KRUGER NATIONAL PARK , SOUTH AFRICA
Andrea Ferry , Singita ’ s sustainability consultant , says recent refurbishments to two lodges at Kruger National Park were managed to minimize waste . Some furniture was upcycled ; hard-wearing rhino wood walkways and baths that require less water to fill were added .
A solar power facility in the park generates energy for the lodges ; new HVAC systems are reducing power consumption by 50 %. “ Singita entered into a power purchasing agreement with the
A suite at Singita Sweni Lodge
renewable energy provider ,” Ferry says . “ This meant we did not have to put up the cost of the system up front . This is a good way to reduce the potential cash flow burden of a large infrastructure investment .” Singita , which has 12 camps and lodges in three southern African countries , expects to save close to 1,000 tons of carbon emissions a year . Next up : water . In 2018 Singita will increase water metering to better track leakage rates and usage .
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