ATM 2009 sees more green strategies revealed
Dubai, United Arab Emirates: Le Méridien Al Aqah Beach Resort in Fujairah will this week unveil its extensive environmental strategy during ATM 2009, with members of the resort's environmental committee available for consultation.
Year-on-year, since 2008, the resort has saved on its utilities consumption by 1,793,499 kw of electricity, 6,137,000 gallons of water and 85,154 liters of gas. Each month, approximately 7000kg of materials are recycled from throughout the hotel, including used oil, glass, plastic and paper, in coordination with Union Paper Mills.
The committee's latest project is the Can Collection Drive, which will reach fruition on 28 May 2009. Organized by Emirates Environmental Group's (EEG), the drive involves an Emirates-wide collection of aluminum cans.
Staff and guests at the resort have been diligently collecting cans and they will be dropped off at the Fujairah collection point on 28 May 2009. The resort aims to help EEG beat last year's total collection of 12.35 tons and is vying for the prize for the institution bringing in the highest collection.
Since the resort launched in December 2002, it has steadily increased its environmental initiatives. Working with WWF and HSBC, the resort supported the recent move by His Highness Shaikh Hamad Bin Mohammad Al Sharqi, Member of the Supreme Council and Ruler of Fujairah, to declare Wadi Wurayah Fujairah the UAE's first protected mountain area. The wadi is a 129 kilometre-square catchment that occupies the northern reaches of Fujairah between the towns of Masafi, Khor Fakkan and Bidiyah.
The resort's green agenda, such as beach clean-ups, recycling, and guest education programs, has led to significant operational cost savings and has beautified the area. A major draw card of the resort is its pristine beach and water activities such as fly-fishing, diving, snorkeling.
"Our commitment to the environment is not just window dressing, we are involved with governmental and environmental groups to ensure the coastline and sea habitat are preserved, especially with recent publicity focusing on natural occurrences such as Red Tide," said Patrick Antaki, General Manager, Le Méridien Al Aqah.
Antaki, who joined the resort in August 2002, has been active in initiating the 'Clean Up Arabia' project in Fujairah. Praised by both local environmentalists and the Fujairah Tourism Board, the ground breaking project includes regular 'Clean Up Days' whereby LMAA staff participate in a range of fun, team-building activities with the eventual aim of cleaning up Fujairah's coastline.
"The program is backed by Starwood's international environmental strategy which included participation in Earth Hour 2009 on 28 March. It is reaping huge benefits for the resort, in terms of cost-savings and reducing our carbon footprint," said Antaki.
The activities are planned and implemented by the resort's environmental committee, which is made up of members from across the resort's departments.
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About Le Méridien
Le Méridien brand, currently represented by approximately 120 properties in 52 countries, was acquired by Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide in November 2005. With close to 70 percent of its properties located in Europe, Asia-Pacific, Africa and the Middle East, Le Méridien provides a strong international complement to Starwood's primarily North American holdings. Plans call for dynamic expansion of Le Méridien-branded hotels within the next five years, concentrating in the U.S., Latin America, and Asia-Pacific, including destinations such as India, Thailand and China. For more information, please visit www.lemeridien.com
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with more than 960 properties in approximately 97 countries and 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, and the recently launched AloftSM, and ElementSM. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts.
For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com
© Press Release 2009
