Mövenpick Resorts & Residences Aqaba: Green Globe re-certified for seventh year

Soap-for-Hope
Soap-for-Hope
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Written by Linda Hohnholz

Mövenpick Resorts & Residences Aqaba: Green Globe re-certified for seventh year

Mövenpick Resorts & Residences Aqaba is located in the center of the only coastal city in Jordan. With a magnificent view of the stunning waters of the Red Sea and colored mountains, guests have direct access to their own private beach, 10 km from King Hussein International Airport, near the archaeological sites of the Islamic city of Ayla.

Green Globe recently recertified Mövenpick Resorts & Residences Aqaba for the seventh consecutive year.

Mövenpick Resorts & Residences Aqaba is dedicated to continually improving its practices and raising awareness of its social responsibility initiatives.

Maria Lamarche, General Manager at the resort said, “We all know that small things we do can always make a difference. For us here at the hotel, we have many resources that we can always conserve and re-use. In addition, we are not only protecting our planet by reducing waste, but also helping our business follow sustainable practices and raise awareness of saving our environment for the next generation. We continually support local communities who are in need of help across the kingdom as well.”

Last August, a comprehensive audit was undertaken by FARNEK, Green Globe’s preferred partner in the Middle East and the property was awarded a compliance score of 81%. Mövenpick Resorts & Residences Aqaba takes great pride in achieving this high score while maintaining their Gold status. The resort is to be commended for their commitment to the protection of local and global resources, and incorporating sustainability, safety and environment-friendly practices wherever operationally feasible.

Mövenpick Resorts & Residences Aqaba has been operating for over 17 years and has a well-known reputation for the conservation of environmental and natural resources, as well as for sharing goodwill by reaching out to the many less fortunate families and individuals across the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan. The resort has invested, and participated in numerous successful endeavors that include several CSR activities and donation programs.

Three of the resort’s recent initiatives and best practices are the Soap For Hope Program, A Kilo of Kindness Campaign and Clean Up the World Campaign. Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in Jordan partnered up with Sealed Air and Tkiyet Um Ali Charity Organization for the Soap for Hope program which enables resorts to assist community members by providing a basic, essential sanitary item – soap. Used and discarded soap bars were collected from guest bathrooms, cut into smaller chunks, recycled and sanitized. The resulting softened soap mixture was then pressed into bricks and dried to create new soap bars that were delivered and donated to needy households in the local community.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts in Jordan together with the Royal Hashemite Clothing Bank and Tkiyet Um Ali Charity Organization conduct the ‘A Kilo of Kindness’ Campaign twice a year. Local communities are encouraged to donate food and funds every Ramadan, while in mid-autumn residents are also asked to give clothes in preparation for the coming colder days. Many underprivileged families from refugee camps all over the country are benefitting from this bi-annual outreach program.

Once a year, resort employees join millions of other people around the world as part of the Clean Up The World Campaign, an environmental initiative that aims to save marine life. Led by The Royal Marine Conservation Society of Jordan (JREDS) at the southern end of the beach in Aqaba, team members volunteer to clean Jordan’s one and only seaport. A final ceremony, sponsored by the resort in its grand ballroom, allows management the chance to express their gratitude to all those participating in this noble cause.

Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts, an international upscale hotel management company with over 16,000 staff members, is represented in 24 countries with over 80 hotels, resorts and Nile cruisers currently in operation. Around 20 properties are planned or under construction, including those in Chiang Mai (Thailand), Al Khobar (Kingdom of Saudi Arabia) and Basel (Switzerland). Focusing on expanding within its core markets of Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts specializes in business and conference hotels, as well as holiday resorts, all reflecting a sense of place and respect for their local communities. Of Swiss heritage and with headquarters in central Switzerland (Baar), Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts is passionate about delivering premium service and culinary enjoyment – all with a personal touch. Committed to supporting sustainable environments, Mövenpick Hotels & Resorts has become the most Green Globe-certified hotel company in the world. The hotel company is owned by Mövenpick Holding (66.7%) and the Kingdom Group (33.3%). For more information, please click here.

Green Globe is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). For information, please click here.

About the author

Avatar of Linda Hohnholz

Linda Hohnholz

Editor in chief for eTurboNews based in the eTN HQ.

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