|
Big Clean-up @ Hilton Dusseldorf
The team at Hilton Dusseldorf decided to use the United Nations
World Environment Day to its fool capacity in doing something
good not only for the environment (we care!), but also
for the hotel (Project Readiness), and its guests (SALT).
As challenging times require a different way of thinking, the
idea of a Clean-up Day was born. A team of volunteers from all
departments in the hotel cleaned up the entire surroundings of
the hotel on June 5, 2009. In order to learn how to act in a
more environmentally acceptable the team only used eco-friendly
cleaning supplies and ensured that all garbage collected from
around the hotel was properly sorted and sent for recycling.
More plants have been arranged around the property to make it
more green.
|
 |
Busy times @ Hilton Cyprus
Team members at Hilton Cyprus have been very busy in the past
months. The hotel hosted a conference about waste management in
the hospitality sector in Cyprus organised by the University of
Nicosia and the Travel Foundation. Then, there was a Galata
village/Troodos mountain clean-up event, followed by
planting of succulent plants instead of seasonal flowers in the
hotel's gardens. This represents a more responsible selection of
plants, as this require much less water and do not aggravate the
water deficit problem faced by the island. Both events were
meant to commemorate the United Nations World Environment Day. A
week later, the team participated in the beach cleaning event at
Larnaka, which was organised in cooperation with CYMEPA (Cyprus
Marine Environmental Protection Association).
|
 |
Environmental conference @ Hilton Valencia
A special conference was organised at Hilton Valencia to mark
the United Nations World Environment Day. The goals of the
seminar were to increase the environmental and social awareness
of the team members and the local community as well as to
encourage more cooperation and combined activities.
Presentations focussed on the issue of global warming, climate
change and its implications for the global as well as local
environment.
Invited speakers included the representatives from the
Environment, Water, Urban Planning and Housing Regional
Department, the Mixed Research Unit "UVEG-CEAM", the Geology
Department of Valencia's University, the Atmosphere Protection
Service, Valencia's City of Arts and Sciences, the CEV's
Environment Agency. The roundtable entitled "Stakeholder's of
the Climate Change" gathered representatives of several
companies (IBM, Ford, Chamber of Commerce, Architects
Collegiate, and the Federation of Industrial Sites of the
Valencia Community). Each of them presented ideas on the role of
businesses in dealing with the problem of climate change. The
initiative of seminar was again well received by the audience.
|
 |
Green games @ Hilton Cardiff
To celebrate the UN World Environment Day (June 5, 2009), the
Green Team at Hilton Cardiff set up an "Art Corner" build from
reused, recycled and recyclable items and materials and
presenting the concept of recycling as well as hotel
sustainability achievements to date.
A day later the hotel was a venue for another fantastic
initiative - Fete of the Earth - organised by the Cardiff City
Council. There were stands outside of the hotel with
presentations on how we can all live in a more sustainable way.
Children from 10 local schools formed a parade that ended up in
the hotel where a number of "green games" were set up (i.e. an
online game to switch off the lights, or a set of plastic
bottles, cans and paper to be sorted into correct bins). A total
of 50 children and 30 adults attended the "green games" and
learned what the hotel is doing to be more responsible and
minimize its carbon footprint.
|
 |
we care! bike ride @ Hiltons in
Vienna
In the spirit of the we care!, and to celebrate the
winning of the Mountain Bike competition by Hilton Vienna
Danube, the General Managers participating in the AEET GMs
meeting had an opportunity to take city tour of Vienna by bike.
A morning ride commenced at Hilton Vienna Am Stadtpark and
finished at Hilton Vienna Danube, with a short stopover for
energy juice drink at Hilton Vienna Plaza.
|
 |
Solar film fitted @ Hilton Vienna am Stadtpark
Already before last year's summer the hotel team fitted 134
east-, south- and west-facing rooms with Luxasolar Clear View's
window foil. Measurements performed after the installation
indicated an average of 9.6C temperature drop inside the rooms
during the hottest and most sunny days. The projected annual
savings are in the range o 200 000 kWh with equivalent reduction
in carbon dioxide emissions and an estimated ROI below 3 years.
However, based on experience so far, the team expects the
payback time to be shorter. The remaining windows in the hotel
will also be fitted with Luxasolar films.
|
|
Cloe the Seal a hotel mascot @ Hilton Budapest
This year again the team at Hilton Budapest adopted Cloe, a seal
at the local zoo. The seal was chosen because these animals are
in particular danger as a result of the human impact on the
environment and the climate change. She is now the marketing
mascot for the Sales Team and allows the hotel team members to
talk about their pro-environmental initiatives whenever the
question about the choice of the mascot is raised.
On the occasion of the Earth Day the team at the hotel has also
organised a spring cleaning of the old Castle District where the
hotel is located, and created a new green square behind the
hotel.
|
 |
Photo competition @ Hilton Milan
Hilton Milan organised a photo contest for the team members. It
was a part of a national competition with the water theme. Three
photos taken by the team members were awarded by the hotel jury
and the authors received attractive prizes: Vorrei una carezza
by Alfredo, Giocare nell'acqua by Renato, and Caos by Monica.
All team members who participated in the contest received a
green water bottle with a motto from Bruce Lee: "Empty your
mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into
a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it
becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the
teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my
friend."
|


 |
Earth Hour 2009 at hotels in Europe
Over 60 of its hotels
across Europe
joined the World Wide Fund For Nature’s (WWF) Earth Hour
campaign on Saturday, March 28, 2009.
WWF Earth Hour is a global campaign which hopes to eventually
reach more than one billion people, asking individuals,
businesses and governments to switch off their lights for just
one hour on Saturday March 28 at 8:30pm. This
symbolic gesture is designed to highlight the
importance of action on climate change.
Speaking about Hilton’s support of Earth Hour, Simon Vincent,
Area President Hilton - Europe
said, “At Hilton we work hard to be committed to the heart of
the communities in which we operate. Our support of Earth Hour
will enable us to illustrate this in a tangible way, while
simultaneously improving our efficiencies and environmental
practices. Most of all Earth Hour at Hilton will allow our hotel
team members to work together with our guests, to raise
awareness that everyone can help to make a difference”.
Click on the link to see
pictures from various hotels.
|
 |
Hilton Tel Aviv powered by the Sun - Solar
thermal collectors
|
A set of 142 solar thermal collectors were installed on the 700m2
lobby roof of Hilton Tel Aviv in early 2009. This system will
heat the water in a 25000 litres tank, which will later be
delivered to all showers and swimming pool.
According to the hotel Chief Engineer, the replacement of gas
boiler with the solar collector set up, will reduce the fuel
consumption by 6% annually. "But saving energy is not enough"
he says, "We are also thinking of the environment. This specific
system will prevent the emission of 300 kg of ash and 600 kg of
sulphur every year". Not to mention the avoided carbon dioxide
emissions.
The hotel team is already thinking of the next step of this
journey - which would be to install another 150 collectors.
Hilton Tel Aviv has joined a selection of European hotels that
already had solar collectors installed: Hilton Barcelona
Diagonal Mar, Hilton Madrid Airport and Hilton Vilamoura, as
well as Hilton Basel which has an electric car charged by solar
PV.
|
 |
Umweltzeichen eco-award for Hilton hotels in
Vienna
|
In March 2009 the Hilton Hotels in Vienna (Hilton Vienna, Hilton
Vienna Plaza and Hilton Vienna Danube) were awarded with the
Austrian Ecolabel - Umweltzeichen. On the occasion of a festive
event at the city hall the hotel managers received the
certificates from Mrs Ulli Sima, town councillor for
environmental protection.
The Ecolabel guarantees that visitors will find environmental
quality by maintaining and improving:
-ecological purchasing
-efficient and economical use of energy
-environment-friendly cleaning agents, coupled with
-thrifty use of energy, and
-careful use of our water supplies.
|
 |
Nordic Swan eco-label for Hilton Stockholm
Slussen, Hilton Helsinki Vantaa Airport, and Hilton Reykjavik Nordica
Three of our Nordic hotels can now proudly
display the Nordic Swan eco-label.
Hilton Stockholm Slussen has been Nordic Swan certified continuously
since 2001, and have just been recertified according to the new, and
even tougher, Swan Criteria. The ceremony took place during the
Earth Hour celebrations on March 29, 2009.
Hilton Helsinki Vantaa Airport, Hilton Reykjavik Nordica have also
recently joined our elite of certified hotels. |
 |
Green Key eco-label for Hilton Cyprus
On January 29, 2009 Hilton Cyprus hosted
the Green Key award ceremony for the Island of Cyprus, and was among
the hotels recognized with the label.
The Green Key is an international eco-label for tourism
accommodations. Green Key encourages hotels to act as responsible
businesses and make such choices so as to constantly contribute to
the protection of the environment and the sustainability of natural
resources.
The criteria cover three main areas: environmental management,
communication and training and technical criteria
on efficiency in energy and water consumption, waste separation, use
of
environmentally -friendly
chemicals etc.
Upon initial review of the Green Key criteria the hotel team
realised that most of the requirements have already been implemented
as a result of the we care! environmental
programme present in the hotel!! |
|
Green Key eco-label for Hilton Amsterdam
|
On November 27, 2008 Hilton Amsterdam has passed all the
requirements for the Green Key eco-label as the first Hilton in
Europe. The official award ceremony took place in January 2009.
The Green Key is an international eco-label for tourism
accommodations. Green Key encourages hotels to act as
responsible businesses and make such choices so as to constantly
contribute to the protection of the environment and the
sustainability of natural resources.
The criteria cover three main areas: environmental management,
communication and training and technical criteria
on efficiency in energy and water consumption, waste separation,
use of
environmentally -friendly
chemicals etc.
One of the motivating factors to apply for this particular award
was the mutual agreement between the city of Amsterdam and all
the hotels within the city borders aiming to have all the
properties eco-labeled within 2 years.
The second factor was the fact that Hilton Amsterdam was already
well advanced in fulfilling the award requirements thanks to the
we care! programme in place at the hotel. The
cooperation of all departments allowed the team to complete the
documentation and comply with the remaining requirements in just
a few months. The auditor evaluating the hotel performance was
very impressed with all the action plans in place and
involvement from all team members in the we care!
program.
This award further demonstrates the commitment of the team of
Hilton Amsterdam to protecting the environment.
|
 |
To view initiatives and actions that took place
before 2009 please follow this link...
|