The Indian hospitality sector, with a branded inventory of over 1.4 lakh keys, has a major impact on the environment. Hotel companies are not just regional accommodation players but global citizens given their worldwide brand presence and international customer base. They must champion the cause for going green through integrated sustainable development programmes.
STARTING FROM SCRATCH
At InterGlobe Hotels, sustainability begins at the site selection and project planning stage and continues until the hotel opening stage and even in our daily operations. A key aspect of our selection criteria is the site’s proximity to public transport. All design layouts planned with stringent compliance practices for building norms ensure development control and avoid any negative impact on the physical infrastructure.
We also look at site preservation measures where we design intending to retain 10% of the existing topography and vegetation and retain site contour to an extent of 50%. We further look at soil erosion controls by barricading and sprinkling for dust control and building an on-site sedimentation tank for sediment control.
Our buildings are designed in close co-ordination with architects, MEP and green building consultants for sustainable design features, energy simulations, BIM review lighting and sun-path analysis. This helps us prepare a complete passive building envelope design with façade material and glazing selection resulting in over 2% energy savings annually.
A PRESCIENT MOVE
Our operational properties have eliminated single-use plastic in amenities, packaging and storage and use Pappco greenware instead. We have explored opportunities of power wheeling, sourcing wind and hydel power from two sources in the northeast and southern parts of India.
A hotel’s life cycle of over 10 years includes an average 3-year development period and 7-8 year breakeven period. Only then does the asset produce the expected profit levels. A sustainable initiative can provide a 2% energy saving solution annually. So even during the asset’s lifecycle, the investment is unlikely to see full returns.
However, this is a myopic approach towards sustainability. A prudent hotel owner never aims for short-term gain or financial benefits but looks at the property as a value proposition. Hence, they will always work towards developing a hotel that adheres to the best industry practices ensuring minimal impact on the environment.
