A forest of green: Jetwing Yala and sustainability
Tuesday, 8 October 2013 00:02
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Jetwing Hotels, Sri Lanka’s premier hospitality brand, is all set to open the doors of an eagerly anticipated property in the months to come, Jetwing Yala. Set on the outskirts of the famous national wildlife park, the hotel will feature 80 rooms designed in the inimitable Jetwing style along with the highest standards of environmental responsibility.
With the launch being only a few weeks away, Jetwing Yala has been created from ground up to be as sustainable as possible; with the intention of conserving energy and resources, to be a part of the environment and cause little harm to nature, and to reuse and recycle. To aid in these efforts, Jetwing Yala features many initiatives that are now standard at Jetwing properties around the country.
Energy conservation initiatives include illumination through 100% LED lighting and feature LED backlit TVs in guest rooms; a biomass boiler that burns cinnamon wood (sourced through local suppliers) for night-time hot water generation along with providing steam for an absorption chiller which supplies the hotel’s entire air conditioning needs (similar to Jetwing Lagoon); a central solar hot water system for daytime demand; a solar photo-voltaic (300kW) plant which will cater to 1/3rd of the hotel’s day consumption; dual set point thermostats for air conditioning to optimise use according to occupancy.
Recycling of waste is considered a priority, with 100% of waste water (shower water and the primary rinse water from laundry washers) recycled into laundry operations; a waste water treatment plant which supplies the water used to flush; fresh water provided through a self generated reverse osmosis plant which reduces the burden on the national water supply; and a zero solid waste outflow, as the waste is recycled for compost which takes place in a composting machine with the feature of an enhanced process which is able to recycle waste into compost within 14 days
On the community side, the seventh Jetwing Youth Development Program saw the addition of over 80 associates to the hotel. The award winning program saw over 100 youth from the area participate in a gruelling six-month course on hotel operation, etiquette, English and communication, amongst other areas.
A PATA Grand Award winning initiative, this year’s graduation ceremony was graced by the President Mahinda Rajapaksa.
“With Jetwing Yala, we have introduced measures that have been tried and tested by us for years. Our results speak for themselves, and we look forward to continuing our commitment to sustaining and promoting the cause of the environment for the generations to come,” said Jetwing Chairman Hiran Cooray.
Family owned and in the tourism industry for the past 40 years, Jetwing Hotels has surpassed expectation at every aspect. Building on their foundation of being passionate, as well as the experience of true, traditional Sri Lankan hospitality, constantly pioneering discoveries captures the essence of the brand.
Such a strong statement and direction have enabled Jetwing Hotels to imagine, create and manage marvels and masterpieces, where distinctive design and elegant comfort complement each other and the environment.
Considered a priority, sustainable and responsible practice is implemented through the award winning Jetwing Eternal Earth Program; with energy efficiency, community upliftment, and education of earth saving measures to schoolchildren being a few tenets of the program.
