French Riviera hotel shows environmental innovation

LOS ANGELES, California – Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez recently became a Green Globe Gold Member after its recertification for the fifth consecutive year.

LOS ANGELES, California – Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez recently became a Green Globe Gold Member after its recertification for the fifth consecutive year. The hotel demonstrates innovation in different areas particularly through its environmental and social actions.

The Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez is an iconic, sophisticated landmark on the famous French Riviera. Situated on the exclusive Boulevard de la Croisette, overlooking the Bay of Cannes and the Mediterranean Sea, the hotel has been luring the rich and famous as well as discerning travelers since the 1930s with its chic, elegant beauty. The renowned Festival de Cannes, museums, shopping, dining and the suave French lifestyle are key attractions of the region.

Florence Gardrat, Quality and Environment Manager at Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez said: “We are very proud to receive our Gold award from Green Globe. This is very motivating for all employees of the hotel. They realize that their actions are being recognized.”

Each year, Hyatt donates over 350,000 USD to nominated associations around the world that have a significant local presence and supports one of Hyatt’s philanthropic pillars – Environmental Sustainability, Education and Personal Advancement, Economic Development and Investment or Health and Wellness. In 2015, the Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez nominated Méditerranée 2000, a local association that promotes education and awareness about environmental issues to all members of the public including children, teachers, business leaders and tourism professionals. The hotel was successful in its bid and was allocated 10,000 USD to work with Méditerranée 2000 on a new project in 2016.

This year, the hotel and Méditerranée 2000 will create a booklet about Responsible Tourism that features subjects such as water and energy conservation, biodiversity, the heritage of Cannes and activities that have the least impact on the environment. Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez has worked in partnership with the association since 2011.

Claudio Ceccherelli, General Manager at Grand Hyatt Cannes Hôtel Martinez said, “We are honored to support Méditerranée 2000 and their valuable contributions to our community. It is so important for us to care for and make an impact in the cities we call home, and this program gives us the great opportunity to give back to local organizations.”

While Florence Gardrat added: “We are delighted that Méditerranée 2000 has obtained the grant for the realization of a Responsible Tourism booklet. This booklet will be distributed to our customers and will serve as the basis for the training of our employees. Also, it will be available at the Tourist Office of Cannes.”

Together with the City of Cannes and Méditerranée 2000, the hotel held a game show style quiz to train staff on the topic of sustainable development. Employees used hand held devices to respond to quiz questions related to the hotel’s sustainability. The top three staff who registered the highest quiz scores won prizes.

“The employees are very happy with this kind of activity that helps raise environmental awareness because it’s different from the standard type of training. It also allows a lot of questions and interaction to take place between all the hotel departments. It is very rewarding for all,” said Florence Gardrat.

Another innovative initiative was the hotel management’s investment in a dryer of bio-waste to reduce its overall waste volume. This method allows the processing of 100 kg of organic waste per day. Substrate material is recovered which, once matured, can be used as compost in the hotel grounds and garden. Employees also take compost home to use as organic fertilizer.

Green Globe is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).

Green Globe is a member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .

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Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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