We welcome you to our second sustainability blog this year!
After our successful Sustainability Day on 9 January, we did not rest on our laurels. Instead, we immediately started to evaluate the numerous ideas, impressions and suggestions from our colleagues and to integrate them into our ongoing projects. This is the only way we can look for solutions together and shape a sustainable future.
We believe that sustainability is an ongoing process that affects us all and in which all employees should be involved. As a hotel and commercial enterprise with demanding guests and customers, we cannot become 100% sustainable overnight. But we are on the right track and are continuously working on new initiatives to reduce our environmental impact and contribute to a sustainable future.
Since mid-November 2022, NFC tags have been placed on the tables in our Port restaurant, allowing our guests to conveniently access the food and beverage menu with their mobile phones. Our goal is to completely eliminate the use of physical cards in other outlets in the near future.
Our guest folder can also only be accessed digitally. After it has only been available on the TV in the room for quite some time, we have now also equipped the rooms with NFC tags (which are also really smart).
The use of NFC tags has many advantages: Our guests can easily and quickly access the digital guest folder as well as the menus, which helps to reduce paper consumption and promotes the use of new technologies. It is important for us to keep up with the changing needs and expectations of our customers while contributing to sustainability.
The use of paper has ecological and economic disadvantages. Paper production is resource intensive and contributes to deforestation and loss of natural habitats. The transport and disposal of paper also cause additional environmental impacts such as CO2 emissions and waste.
By digitising various print products, we can also save costs by eliminating the production, storage and shipping of physical cards. We want to set an environmentally conscious example while improving our efficiency.
We are in the final stages of planting our own small vegetable and herb patch. At the request of some colleagues, we will plant raised beds on our terrace.
We decided some time ago to stop using phrases like "Can I print your invoice?" in the check-out process and instead say: "We will be happy to send you your invoice by email". These seemingly small changes in our day-to-day processes have already enabled us to make significant savings in paper consumption. Currently, we are constantly reviewing which other processes can be digitised to improve our environmental footprint.
In order to get fresh input from the younger generation in our sustainability team, we have decided to take on a:n apprentice in the future. Since our apprentices often work in different departments of the hotel, they get around a lot and can contribute valuable ideas and suggestions. We are looking forward to the fresh wind and creative ideas that this will bring.
...and much more.
One year ago, on 10 May 2022 to be precise, our two bee colonies moved in on the roof of our sister hotel, the Empire Riverside Hotel. Since then, they have been busy exploring the surroundings and enjoying the view.
We are delighted every time the Place4Bees beekeepers visit us and lovingly look after our two colonies. They look after the health of the bees, observe the generation change and make sure that the hives are optimally aligned.
In the meantime, almost 120,000 busy workers and collectors have settled on the roof of our 3rd floor with their two queens. They have already produced 40 kilogrammes of honey for us and contribute significantly to maintaining our biodiversity.
This year we had to struggle with an unsteady start to spring. While it was already very warm around New Year's Eve, the temperatures in March and especially in April were very changeable and sometimes very cool. But the bees and their queens have done their job and have been busy creating bee brood over the last few weeks. Numerous summer bees are now hatching from this brood to collect nectar and pollen in spring and summer.
One colony has survived the winter well, but the other is still struggling a bit. We hope it will catch up soon, otherwise we will be supported by Place4Bees.
In the next few weeks, the number of bees in the colonies will double or even triple. We are already looking forward to the summer and to following the development of our colonies.
For us, the health of our employees is a top priority, and this also includes relaxation breaks. For this reason, we offer the possibility to enjoy a short massage during, before or after the shift.
Our employees can be pampered by a trained masseur for 25 minutes. On the day of your choice, all you have to do is clock out, enjoy the massage and return to work invigorated and relaxed.