As part of an initiative by Cannes in the South of France, the Gray d’Albion Hotel set itself the target of winning certification to ISO 9001 and 14001 standards. ISO 14001 is the standard showing commitment to the Environment. It defines the environmental management system which enables an enterprise to limit its impact on the environment by pursuing an on-going improvement process. It involves carrying out an environmental diagnosis and developing an action and evaluation plan based on performance indicators.The plan adopted by the hotel was far-reaching, in fact very far-reaching. Over 250 different actions were implemented. Some of them formalise and perpetuate traditions that are deeply rooted in the hotel’s culture, such as annual cleaning of the marine depths off its private beach on the Croisette, entrusted to professional divers. However, the vast majority of these ecological initiatives led the Gray d’Albion Hotel to modify its working methods radically while maintaining top-quality service and close attention to client needs.
Among first steps was a strict sorting policy for recycling waste allied to reduced consumption of water, paper and electricity (especially thanks to LED lighting). The hotel manages most of its Iso system via an Intranet, a site which is richer and more effective than ever. Thanks to this computerized base, all members of the staff can follow the full array of improvement actions undertaken by the hotel, identify the person(s) responsible for their success, visualise their state of progress. It is a way of sharing information that combines performance, responsiveness and savings in the use of paper!
With a similar concern for economising, this time in the area of natural resources, this 4-star hotel in Cannes is planning to cover the hotel windows over the coming weeks with a filtering and reflecting film. This innovative insulation technique significantly reduces the heating effect of sunlight, lowering the temperature in the guest-rooms and hence the amount of energy consumed by air conditioning.
Guests will be able to choose a hybrid vehicle for travelling around during their stays, or ask for their sheets not to be changed every day. All guests opting to travel to Cannes by train, one of the most economical means of transport in terms of CO2, will benefit from a discount granted by the hotel.
The philosophy carries through to sourcing local and organic produce, and the chefs also have their own herb garden to grow fresh herbs on site
