Rotana Corporate Sustainability Report 2014

46 We know we have an important role to play in implementing sustainable business practices that minimise harm and maximise benefit to the environment, the economy and our local community. But we also know our efforts can only be more successful in partnership with our colleagues, guests, owners and communities. Therefore, we aim to create awareness among our guests and inspire to implement programmes and to communicate clear messages relating to protection of local environment, community and the culture. Engaging our guests We know that by engaging and educating our guest we can achieve better results. In 2014, we implemented 123 activities and campaigns aiming to raise our guest’s awareness towards environment and health issues. Earth Hour: a global climate change awareness campaign organised by World Wide Fund for Nature/World Wildlife Fund (WWF), was started in Australia in 2007 and has become an annual global environmental activity. Rotana hotels joined the hundreds of millions of people around the globe in switching off lights in the various back and front of the house areas for one hour on March 29, 2014 at 8:30 pm and doing various activities to entertain guests and colleagues while in the dark. In Park Rotana Abu Dhabi, Engineering Team designed an Earth Hour signage powered by LED lights which is linked through a cross trainer. The lights was lighted only by people using the cross trainer. Guests participated in the event. We called this activity Get Fit and Light Up. Guest Education and Inspiration Tablet delivered services With the burst of tablet options now available on the market and the various applications that can be developed using them, Rotana, re-evaluated certain processes that could improve our guest satisfaction with the use of tablets: • Tablet check-in check out: 85% of guest’s surveys found the tablet check-in a better check-in experience to a typical hotel paper registration card check-in. • Guest curveys: Guests complete a quick satisfaction survey on the tablet presented to diners, event’s organisers. Greater response rates and more details satisfaction intelligence allowed the company to improve the guest experience. • E-menus: Tablets including menu items and wine selection are presented to guests in the restaurants to improve their dining experience more accurate understanding of their selection. Rotana mobile app Rotana App is available on four mobile stores (Apple, Android, Blackberry and Microsoft) two years ago, resulted in a 20% increase in monthly mobile bookings, delivering significant return on investment in developing the monthly platform. Plant a Tree with Rotana: Rotana hotels in UAE initiated the “Plant a Tree with Rotana” project to raise funds to plant 100 Ghaf trees and 15 Cedra trees through corporate planting programme of “Give a Ghaft” organisation in the UAE and Emirates Environmental Group, EEG. The funds are raised during 5 months through selling 333 of a specially produced “Plant a Tree with Rotana” mug across all Rotana properties in the UAE. UAE Green Festival: Rotana hotels in UAE have participated in the UAE Green Festival, a month long countrywide celebration that is specifically designed to educate people across the seven emirates about a new way of life that’s achievable in an enjoyable and sustainable way. The festival started from 16 March and ended on 16 April 2014 During this period hotels initiated exciting activities to educate and engage guests: • Launching ‘the sustainable table’, which is a green menu in all day dining restaurants • Guests sports activities • Guests planting activities • Recyclables arts and crafts competition • Guests environmental education and awareness