Rotana Corporate Sustainability Report 2017

41 Drinkable Air Rotana Guest Rooms Prototype Unit CO-INNOVATION WITH SUPPLIERS In 2017, we consumed in our hotels 8,490,300 plastic water bottles of 500 ml capacity, and 1,034,448 of the 1.5 litres bottles. In line with our initiaves to reduce plastic consumption in our hotels, our Corporate Director of EHS put forward an idea to develop a prototype machine for hotel guest rooms producing drinkable water from air, an initiative to support the reduction of thousands of plastic water bottles used in guest rooms. We have approached a Canadian company with the drinkable air idea to seek their support in developing an in-room water making prototype unit that can produce about 4 litres of water a day. The company had a similar vision of sustainability in eliminating all plastic within the various sectors. The unit is self-contained and uses the water in the air, wastes no oil and has no plastic to disintegrate. It produces 7 litres a day in a typical hotel room environment with 50% humidity level and 22 celsius. There is no labour required to get the water to the room and no waste to haul away. The model will be placed on trial in guest rooms to assess guest feedback and perception on the use of such technology, the initiative will help the hospitality sector to tremendously reduce plastic water bottles in its industry. EXPLORING THE VERY LATEST TRENDS In today’s ever connected world, our challenge is to continue to adopt increasingly high-tech and innovative services and advanced in-room technologies. Insights into innovation requires a close focus on both global and local trends. The way we look at it, with new generation needs and guests expectations come new opportunities to deliver value to our guests. At Rotana, we are constantly seeking innovation and development in all departments. This requires keeping the hotel owners aware of the continuous need for resource efficiency and innovations on all levels in order to ensure guest expectations are exceeded. In the past two years, we have placed a lot of emphasis on technology and have implemented several guest focused technology initiatives including an upgrade of the Rotana mobile app and launching several new apps for guests and colleagues. • Uses moisture in the air to make drinking water • The patented EnviroGuard Ozone System purifies the water which keeps it pure and fresh tasting by enriching it with oxygen • Minimal maintenance • Water is enriched with minerals • A viable solution to meet drinking water needs on a large scale • Does not rely on or deplete already stressed fresh water resources • Environmentally friendly and cost effective • No toxic waste from non-biodegradable plastic bottles • Drinking water is chemical free and clear of all bacteria, viruses and contaminants Innovation and Technology