HISTORY of ECOTEL |
| ECOTEL® was developed by HVS in association with the Rocky Mountain Institute, USA with the help of engineering and hospitality experts. Conceptualized in 1994 by HVS - the world’s leading consulting and services organization focused on the hotel, restaurant, shared ownership, gaming, and leisure industries - ECOTEL was a pioneering program specific to hospitality. At that time, the zen for environment-friendly operations in hospitality was a novel concept, which has since become far more common as greener practices are fast defining global workplaces. More recently and particularly in the past five years, more and more global brands in the lodging industry are discovering ‘green’ and coming out openly in support of the same. |
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| The ECOTEL program, initially headed out of HVS’s New York office, was very well received when it started and more than 30 hotels in the USA, South America and Japan became members. Over time, the program shifted its base to India where it has seen steady growth. |
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ECOTEL, TODAY… |
| Since the compendium of international knowledge related to global warming, caring for the environment, and saving the planet has increased dramatically in the last decade, it was time too for ECOTEL - an environmental certification for the hospitality industry - to reinvent itself. Under the aegis of HVS Eco Services, an established industry expert in South Asia, ECOTEL is once again poised to make a seminal contribution to global hospitality. Listed below are some changes that ECOTEL has undergone to make itself current: |
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The ECOTEL methodology, which evaluates a hotel’s environmental readiness through five crucial parameters, known as ‘The Five Globes’, remains the same. However, new standards have been built into each of these globes, reflecting scientific and technological advances and international treaties and thoughts. |
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Qualifying for certification entails scoring a minimum qualifying percentage in each of the five globes and satisfying the primary criteria or features considered essential to being an ECOTEL in all five globes. Previously, it was mandatory to qualify in at least two of the five globes. |
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The website itself has been redesigned, with a reservation system introduced for member hotels that will enable them to gain enhanced visibility through the ECOTEL website and also access to other marketing features. |
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A training programme is in the offing with a view to enable transfer of knowledge to prospective/member hotels to facilitate green operations. |
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ECOTEL VISION AND MISSION |
| ECOTEL assists hotels in setting standards in environmental best practices, which in turn helps them cut back on operating costs and increases their overall competitiveness. ECOTEL's mission is "to enable hotels to achieve a strategic and economic advantage through environment-friendly operations, systems and processes while positively impacting their local communities.” ECOTEL aims to do this through its certification and training workshops, which empower hotel communities to improve their standards without compromising the environment. |
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The Orchid
Mumbai |
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Rodas
Mumbai |
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Lagoona
Lonavala |
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Hotel Gautam
Mahabaleshwar |
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The Uppal’s Orchid
Delhi |
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Cabbana Orchid
Phagwara |
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The Fern
Jaipur |
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The Beach Orchid
Kollam |
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