LIFTING THE VEIL ON CORPORATE RESPONSIBILITY FOR HOTELIERS

Macdonald Hotels & Resorts is going public with its Corporate Responsibility policy, with in depth information on its approach, and its charitable, community and environmental activities going live on its website in December – www.MacdonaldHotels.co.uk

The company is renowned for putting people at the heart of its business and it is this approach that recently led it to receiving both the AA Hotel Group of the Year Award and National Customer Service for Leisure and Tourism, however as David Guile, Deputy Chief Executive at Macdonald Hotels & Resorts explains much of their activity hasn’t been made public.

He said, “We take our responsibilities towards our employees and customers – and the communities in which we operate – very seriously. As well as encouraging our hotels to work closely with local organisations and the community, we also take active steps as a Group to support a number of worthwhile charities, both at home and abroad.

We are also aware of our impact on the environment and local communities, and as such strive to conduct our business responsibly, in terms of ethical values and our impact on the natural environment and carbon footprint. Whilst much of our activity has been taking place over a long period of time, we have never felt the need to talk about it publicly until now, as it is brought together under the umbrella of Corporate Responsibility.

Sustainable development and work practices are just one element of the Corporate Responsibility policy, and a number of ‘green’ schemes designed to minimize the impact on the environment, not only within hotels and grounds, but the golf courses, have been implemented.

As part of a longer term strategy to reduce the Group’s carbon footprint, energy consumption was identified as a key issue. Taking a technology approach, one key area targeted was energy control and the ability to accurately monitor the amount of energy being used. The majority of properties were fitted with electricity Half Hourly (HH) meters, ensuring very accurate readings. This means that problem areas can be identified quickly and addressed and training provided on how to improve usage. On the back of this success, the remaining properties will have smart meters installed, and plans are afoot for gas meters, giving the business the ability to very accurately monitor gas consumption. In addition, more efficient lighting has been introduced from energy efficient light bulbs through to movement sensors, ensuring lighting is only on in areas such as corridors, when actually needed.

Already, this approach has resulted in many hotels reducing their electricity consumption by 20% and as a basic calculation, the Group has achieved a reduction of 2,000 tonnes in carbon emissions for the year ending September 2007.

But is not just about green issues – Corporate Responsibility also involves charitable and community liaisons.

Macdonald Hotels and Resorts has a long tradition of providing funds that help external organisations to make life safer, healthier and better for everyone.

Over the past year, a significant level of donations has been made to a number of organisations in order to support a variety of causes. In each case the money provided has helped to either to improve the service they already provide or to kick start a specific new initiative. Charity partners include the Princess Royal Trust for Carers, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and Place2Be, while hotels are also encouraged to support local charities such as the Inverness link of the Chernobyl Life Line charity.

In addition, hotels open their doors to schools, colleges and youth groups, giving them a chance to meet the teams and find out more about what the hospitality business is really about and the opportunities and challenges it offers through educational visits, while chefs visit schools to support home economics or healthy eating projects. David added: “We strongly believe in the importance of listening and responding to the needs of our stakeholders. This enables us to build strong relationships with our employees, suppliers, partners, customers and wider audience – something which we believe is the backbone to long-term success. As well as being able to differentiate ourselves for our competitors this focus on quality, service and CSR can help us to attract new customers, identify opportunities, retain the best employees, and make us a preferred partner for suppliers and businesses across the UK.