Craig Bonnor, managing director of Cordis, Auckland, is proud of the hotel’s strong sustainable focus and is committed to a drive for further success. Photo: Supplied.
Sustainability, be it with initiatives or trends, has been a buzzword in the hospitality industry for many years now, with more hotels using green initiatives as a major selling point for environmentally conscious travellers.
Hence, this quote is pertinent: “The best motto to think about is not to waste things. Don’t waste electricity; don’t waste paper; don’t waste food. Live the way you want to live but just don’t waste. Look after the natural world and the animals in it and the plants in it too. This is their planet as well as ours.”
These powerful words by British broadcaster, biologist and natural historian Sir David Attenborough resonated during a recent stay at the Cordis, Auckland, when I discovered the luxury five-star hotel had achieved a double, significant accolade for its strong sustainability attentiveness.
It was presented with the Qualmark Sustainable Tourism Business Gold Award last year for exceptional commitment to sustainable tourism, while also providing ‘’an unforgettable and genuinely Kiwi heartfelt experience for its guests’’. This recognition is in addition to the already prestigious EarthCheck Master status the hotel achieved in 2022.
Managing director Craig Bonnor takes pride in the hotel’s strong sustainable focus, along with another highlight in ‘’Our Land’’, a Kiwi-themed bar, which is a “true celebration of our beautiful New Zealand”.
Sitting in clear view of the ornate branched lighting fixture hanging from the ceiling in the striking Chandelier Lounge, it was an amiable first meeting to learn more about the meaning of being environmentally conscious and how deeply it’s embedded beyond just product labels.
“Cordis, Auckland stands out for its commitment to protecting our beautiful natural environment and enhancing connections with our local communities, while also delivering a quality, safe experience for all visitors,” Craig said.
The Cordis, Auckland, a luxury five-star hotel, received the prestigious Qualmark Sustainable Tourism Business Gold Award for exceptional commitment to sustainable tourism. Photo: Rama Gaind.
”Several sustainability-focused initiatives have been implemented, including high-performance double glazing, energy-efficient LED lighting and controls, water metering and guest bathroom water-flow restrictions,” Craig said.
“A new centralised air-conditioning system avoids electrical heating requirements, and native landscaping increases biodiversity while minimising the need for watering. Guests can also utilise the hotel’s biking facilities, e-charging stations for electric vehicles, easy access to public transport and PressReader, the paperless newspaper and magazine.”
Cordis, Auckland also has an urban beehive on level seven from which it harvests its own ‘’Pohutukawa Honey’’.
Daulet Duisenov, who manages Our Land, says they’re “all about” offering a Kiwi-inspired food and beverage menu, using quality New Zealand ingredients and providing friendly service.
Our Land encapsulates the abundance of Aotearoa (Maori name for New Zealand) landscapes. The interior design is eye-catching, reflecting New Zealand’s beauty with locally crafted furniture and fittings. The ceiling features a ‘’Land of the Long White Cloud’’ mural and the bar top is made from swamp kauri, while the Timaru bluestone bar front adds a unique touch. The tabletops are inspired by greenstone, evoking the natural beauty of pounamu.
As 2024 is said to be the Year of the Sustainable Hotel, it is encouraging to see hotels around the world prioritising ecological initiatives to attract leisure travellers and business groups.
Ashish Puri (left) and Daulet Duisenov inside ‘’Our Land’’, where the ceiling features a ‘’Land of the Long White Cloud’’ mural at the Cordis, Auckland. Photo: Rama Gaind.
Globally, a plethora of green initiatives are in place, including energy efficiency, water conservation, recycling and composting, waste reduction, and eco-friendly amenities and food services.
The question is: do consumers actually care about sustainable practices enough to seek out an eco-conscious hotel and other green tourism options when deciding how to spend their travel dollar? The answer is an unequivocal yes!
Booking.com’s 2023 Sustainable Travel Report, which gathered insights from more than 33,000 travellers across 35 countries and territories, highlights how economic uncertainty is informing meaningful sustainable travel decisions.
This underlines a dilemma where people feel potentially forced to choose between cutting costs and making more eco-conscious travel choices. Nonetheless, 76 per cent of worldwide travellers reported that they wanted to travel more sustainably.
According to Glenn Fogel, CEO of Booking.com, people making more sustainable travel choices is a heartening sign.
“Over the eight years that Booking.com has conducted this research, the growing urgency that people feel to act now and make more sustainable travel choices continues to be encouraging,” Glenn said.
“The report promisingly points to the traveller mindset evolving with some noticeable shifts in the more sustainable behaviours that travellers say they have put into practice …”
Let’s not be apart from nature. Believe in the power of making conscious choices for a greener, brighter future. Embrace the eco-efficiency revolution with authenticity.
As Sir David said: “We have to recognise that every breath of air we take, every mouthful of food that we take, comes from the natural world. And if we damage the natural world, we damage ourselves.”
