Award Presenter for the Annual HICAP Conference
HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards, Hong Kong
Craft House Founder and Director, Yvette Jong, has had the pleasure of presenting one of the annual HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards for many years. Jong has always had a passion for building spaces that are good for the environment, community and investors. She was first introduced to HICAP in 2007 while working at Howarth. Prior to founding Craft House, Jong published a study in 2010 for HICAP and WWF about sustainable hotels and has been introducing the Sustainable Hotel Awards since.
Bambu Indah & Jetwing Lagoon receive The 2013 HICAP Sustainable Hotel Award for Sustainable Operations.
BAMBU INDAH, BALI, INDONESIA, Sustainable Operations
Founded by John and Cynthia Hardy, the sustainability philosophy of this unique resort developed from its origin. Only two trees were relocated on a farm to accommodate eleven century- old Javanese bridal homes, each carefully reassembled and refurbished in Bali. Stilted structures are light on the soil and promote passive cooling. Unpaved paths minimize stormwater runoff. And even its pool is lined with recyclable polyurethane instead of poured concrete. Virtually no building is permanent.
While the rst phase of Bambu Indah consists of recycled houses, the hotel’s second phase showcases the family’s passion for sustainable bamboo as an alternative to rainforest timber. All new structures including public areas, bridges and stairs use this strong and resilient material, which takes only three years to grow to full maturity and has the strength to scaffold even Hong Kong’s highest skyscrapers.
Throughout the hotel, sustainability is evident. The natural pool is ltered with lava stones instead of chlorine, so guests can play with a Tarzan swing and swim alongside sh. Drinking water is provided by a hospital-grade water ltration system, reducing food miles and bottled water waste. Showers drain naturally into the soil, organic waste is composted to create nutrient rich fertilizer, organic farms form the hotel’s landscape, and farm-to-table cuisine shapes its menu. While there is no bottled water or TVs, guests enjoy the rare luxury of Ubud silence.
Bambu Indah is unique, but it isn’t a standalone model. Thouth socially and environmentally sustainable, it’s a model utilizing practices that a nancially sound and scalable.
JETWING LAGOON, NEGOMBO, SRI LANKA, Sustainable Operations
Formerly known as Blue Lagoon and Sri Lanka’s rst resort designed by the legendary Geoffrey Bawa, the current Jetwing Lagoon features 55 serene rooms and
the longest swimming pool on the West Coast. Keeping to the Group’s Eternal Earth Program, the Jetwing Lagoon implements sustainable and responsible practices through Eco Projects, Sustainability Applications, Community Outreach Initiatives and Humanitarian Programs.
Eco projects include a central chilling system powered by a biomass boiler providing the hotel’s entire air-conditioning requirements, illumination through energy saving LED lighting, usage of renewable energy for hot water and room lighting, and on-site water and sewage treatment plants. These projects help minimize environmental pollution, maintenance effort and energy consumption. All associates are trained to effectively communicate the green initiatives to guests. Only environmental materials are used in the hotel. Food is primarily sourced locally. Only local fresh fruits are displayed and served, while imported fruits are used in only limited quantities. A series of educational events are conducted for hotel guests and neighboring communities to raise awareness such as for Earth Hour, Jetwing Earth Day, World Tourism Day and World Environment Day. The hotel also organizes a Blood Donation Campaign and sponsors cataract surgeries for underprivileged people.
Jetwing Lagoon is looking to continue implementing more eco projects to further reduce energy consumption/ costs as well as organizing education programs among associates and the local community. Over the years, Jetwing Lagoon has become the first choice for eco-savvy and high-spending travellers who seek an environmentally responsible hotel for their holiday.
HICAP (Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific) is Asia Pacific's most established and recognized conference organizer for the hotel investment and development community. Since 1989, HICAP (Hotel Investment Conference Asia Pacific) events are where the region’s preeminent players and executives gather to meet and network, make deals, explore opportunities, and exchange ideas.
The HICAP Sustainable Hotel Awards were launched in 2007 with the aim of recognizing hotel operators and developers in the Asia Pacific region who demonstrate exemplary sustainable practices and environmentally and culturally responsible development. Through these awards we hope to inspire industry-wide commitment to embracing and proliferating sustainable development as standard practice to help preserve our global and local environments and cultures.