As all of us are increasingly aware of the impact of our actions on the environment. Hotels are also rapidly adopting sustainable and eco-friendly practices. A recent trend in the hospitality industry is the emergence of sustainable hotels that prioritize the well-being of guests and the environment by incorporating eco-friendly designs and elements.
Welcome to AIR by Ahuja Residences in Gurugram
From the outside, it may look like any other property with a contemporary and stylish facade. But it is more than that. “This project is very close to us. We have built it with utmost care around the philosophy of conscious living. As the brand’s name suggests, we strive to keep the Air Quality Index (AQI) well below 50 within the property. We want our guests to breathe pure fresh air,” says Rudra Pratap Singh, Chief Operating Officer at Ahuja Residences.
With 40 years of presence in the Indian hospitality industry, Ahuja Residences manages an inventory of 1,500+ rooms in Delhi, Noida, Gurugram, and Pune. It runs a variety of properties, including suites, serviced apartments, and managed housing. The group has served over half a million guests and has received excellent ratings and reviews on all leading hotel booking sites. AIR is the newest addition to this growing homegrown hotel group.
Creating a healthy ambience
For the management, ensuring good indoor air quality is crucial for providing their guests with a pleasant and healthy environment, especially when there is a lot of brouhaha around the deteriorating outside air quality. It deploys technically advanced and proven air filtration systems that remove pollutants, allergens, and other harmful particles.
Guests like sustainability
Regarding their guests’ perception of the conscious living concept, Rudra says, “We mainly cater to corporates and even foreigners. Even though we charge a bit higher, guests are pretty happy about it. They tell us that they sleep well at AIR. People like this concept, they don’t mind paying a premium, and we have been consistently at 90% occupancy. After all, who doesn’t like fresh air?”
The management has also taken vital steps toward reducing its carbon footprint. From Solar Reflectance Index (SRI) tiles, rainwater harvest, and natural lighting, it has everything that makes it a unique property. Their transportation partner deploys a fleet of 100% electric cabs. The hotel’s rooms are equipped with intelligent technology that regulates temperature, lighting, and water usage, helping to reduce the hotel’s overall energy consumption. It is worth noting that the AIR building has received Gold-level certification from the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).
They actively discourage their guests from using plastic. They have EV charging hubs so that their transportation partners and guests can use them whenever they want to. “See, for us, it is not only making our brand a sustainable one. Instead, it is all about leading from the front and encouraging everybody to do their bit to impact the environment positively,” says Rudra. Regarding adding more AIR properties, Rudra says, “These are Greenfield projects and take meticulous planning. We will add two more AIR hotels by 2025 in North India.”
Choosing right technology partners
Market dynamics have shifted, and so has Ahuja Residences’ digitisation strategy to centrally manage group operations, gain efficient control over business processes, become sustainable, and stay attractive to guests. “Right technology is critical to us. Adopting the cloud-based Hotel PMS from Hotelogix to manage operations or working with BreatheEasy and IQAir to maintain clean indoor air demonstrates our commitment to sustainability and innovation. Thanks to our technology partners for enabling us to create a truly distinctive and modern hospitality experience that sets us apart.”
“AIR by Ahuja Residences is a shining example of how sustainability and luxury coexist, providing a comfortable stay for guests while minimising the hotel’s environmental impact,” says Sivaprasad Gangadharan, Chief Sales Officer at Hotelogix. “Thanks to this trend, many home-grown brands are becoming increasingly proactive and innovative towards incorporating such initiatives in their overall digitisation strategy.”
