The DAVINCI Hotel and Suites is now one of only five properties in South Africa to hold Diamond status for Environmental Management Programme under the Heritage Environmental Rating Programme. The luxury property had maintained its Platinum Status for the sixth year in a row on the Environmental Management Programme, which means with the new Diamond status, it has been upgraded.
“We would like to thank the Environmental Officer and all those that we met during the review and are pleased to award the DAVINCI with our Diamond Status,” says Neal Dickinson, Operations Director of the Heritage Environmental Management Company. “We are encouraged by the work that has gone into preparing for this year’s review. While not underestimating the effort made by all involved in the process, we would like to stress the need for appropriate levels of management representation and their participation in the ‘Green Team’ throughout the year – something we have evidenced at the DAVINCI.”
The hotel faced water restrictions during 2016 and rallied superbly in doing their utmost to conserve water at the DAVINCI as well as at other properties countrywide.
“Water is a precious resource,” says Naidene Cary, Environment Officer at the DAVINCI. “If you consider that it takes 250 litres of water to produce one cup of coffee from bean to cup, you can understand the need to actively conserve water. We also feel that it’s important to recycle plastic waste and we make sure we do that here at the DAVINCI.”
As part of the hotel’s current environmentally friendly programme, the DAVINCI is reducing the amount of paper used annually by employing the use of passport scanners, and is moving towards a paperless room directory service using TV screens. The hotel recycles its coffee pods weekly and has incorporated a plant wall for herbs which are used in their kitchen.
“We make sure that our staff are trained and educated in the environment programme,” says Cary, “It’s not just about using eco-friendly cleaning agents and recycling. It’s about creating a world we would be happy for our children to inherit.”