The Marina Bay Parkroyal Collection Singapore, is sustainable by nature
Lobby, Marina Bay Parkroyal Collection Hotel, Singapore
LOCATION
Singapore, Singapore
RATING
5 Stars
TREND
Sustainability
MAPPING
Hospitality , Sustainability
Innovative sustainability measures was the main draw card for my to visit the Singapore Marina Bay Parkroyal Collection Hotel. I had read about the bold decisions the hotel was making in sustainability and it's investment into a greener future.
With climate change in the forefront of our minds the hotel had identified travellers were becoming more conscious of the environmental impacts of tourism. This growing trend was the impetus for the hotel to take a lead in more sustainable travel. This hotel certainly has made an impressive mark, let me take you around Singapore's Garden Hotel!
2400
Plants and shrubs
360,000
single used bottles
Eliminated every year
2,000,000
MINIATURE BATHROOM AMENITIES
ATRIUM SKYLIGHT
When I exited the lobby elevator I crossed an elevated sky bridge towards the reception. I was walking into a green oasis and a vast open 21 storey atrium. Around me and below me were trees and shrubs and I could hear the subtle sound of song birds singing. It was truly a dramatic but calming entrance to the hotel.
High above; the double glazed atrium skylight filtered natural light. The low emissivity nature of the skylight worked by reflecting between 50 to 90 percent of infrared light; but still allowed visible light to pass through. The ambient temperature of the lobby was maintained and the hotel managed to reduce the overall temperature by 2 degrees that equated to a reduction in hotel energy use of 2%. Therefore hotel air-conditioning and chillers were able to be run at a lower speed but still maintained a constant temperature.
TWINKLE TWINKLE
A clever and effective initiative was showcased every night in the hotel pool. Instead of traditional lighting the hotel had installed 1380 fibre optic lights. This not only created a beautiful effect at night but it also reduced the annual kilowatt hour consumption by 7000 kwh.
The pool literally twinkled and sparkled.Fibre optic lights consumed 13140 kilowatt hours of energy per year
Standard pool lights 18000 kilowatt hours of energy per year
RENEWABLE ENERGY
Hidden from guest view; the roof of the hotel housed 210 solar panels. In Singapore's hot sun they generated upwards of 350 kwh of electricity every day.
This was enough energy to power the hotels 13 elevators and lighting and reduced overall power consumption by 1.4%.
This seemed low however according to hotel's "Green Innovations" data it was also equivalent to powering 540 households with power every month. It could be argued that any power generated by renewables is better than traditional methods.
High above the bustle of Raffles Boulevard on level 4 was Peppermint, the hotel all day dining restaurant. Here I was was introduced to the amazing Urban Farm where hotel gardeners not only grew herbs and veggies but also composted kitchen scraps! This truly was special and diners could look out the window and see where their food was coming from.
The hotel proudly promoted its green credentials within the guest rooms. On the bedside table I found a wooden cube, on each side of the cube a different fact was shared about the hotel's green initiatives.
INDUCTION IS HERE
Do you remember dealing with disposable fuel burners and Bain Maries? I remember..... trying to get the lids off, spilling fuel, finding matches, lighting them, making sure they stayed alight; and then there was the boiling water that had to be carried and poured into the bain-marie. Well this is no more at the Marina Bay. I was shown the new induction alternative at the banquets level. They new warmers replaced the Bain Marie. No water, no matches, no fuel, safe to touch and they're energy efficient.
The banquet floor was home to the Laguna Ballroom with
a seating capacity of 500 people that offered the expected flexibility of being
broken into smaller rooms. The venue also has a boardroom and meeting rooms
with natural light overlooking the golf course.
Inside the bathroomForget a clothed table with a skirt, this venue had
its own portable buffet bar. Ideal for food or beverage service during event
breaks, this buffet comes complete with a heat lamp.
With the elimination of single use bottles the hotel has adopted pump bottles for the bathroom and shower.
Carpet has been removed from the guest rooms. This eliminates land fill for situations when carpet needs replacing. There is less reliance on vacuum cleaners. This helps to reduce energy, labour and replacement vacuums.
Stephen's Take
The tranquillity and the greenery of the fairways reached right up to the hotel and connected with the Greenhouse theme. This clearly defined a unique standard for this hotel and created a relaxed pace and ambience that was evident through-out. The pool was such an unexpected surprise and a luxury for a city location. I can let you know my Dad swam his mile and loved it, not bad for 80! The Greenhouse restaurant was innovative and it was refreshing to dine in a hotel restaurant that challenged the norm.
Stephen
Unit of Competency Mapping
Please note; the purpose of this article is to introduce current hospitality trends. The content broadly applies to the units of competency listed. It is not intended that all content in this article maps directly to all performance evidence and knowledge evidence in the unit of competency.
Teacher Resources
For further information please take advantage of the following documents and website links!
Marina Bay Parkroyal Collection Website
Marina Bay Parkroyal Collection Sustainability at the Parkroyal
Marina Bay Parkroyal Collection Garden in a Hotel
Article and photos original by Stephen Duncan