The First Group Hotels: Spearheading sustainable hospitality in the UAE
The First Group Hotels, Dubai’s leading lifestyle hospitality operator, is fast earning a reputation as a sustainable hospitality pioneer, forging ahead with innovative initiatives designed to reduce waste, enhance guest experiences and protect the environment.
The fast-growing firm, which operates The First Collection lifestyle hotel brand in Dubai alongside leading third-party upscale hotel properties including TRYP by Wyndham Dubai, was one of the city’s first major operators to eliminate plastic bottle usage and implement initiatives designed to reduce water and energy consumption and boost waste recycling across its portfolio. These initiatives have led to a significant reduction in The First Group Hotels’ environmental footprint, helping to reduce its collective carbon emissions output while reducing operational costs.
Guests embrace sustainability cause
The First Group’s hotels, in addition to its hotel-apartment developments Citadines Metro Central and Grand Heights Hotel Apartments – which are both Green Key certified – have predominantly seen year-on-year declines in guest usage of energy and water resources in 2022, according to an independent report published by consultancy firm Sustainability Kiosk.
The installation of energy-saving fittings and fixtures in all guestrooms and public areas, alongside guest information initiatives and comprehensive sustainability awareness training programmes for all hotel staff, have generated significant real-world savings, according to the research.
While The First Group Hotels has implemented its wide-ranging sustainability initiatives across its entire portfolio, individual properties are also rolling out key programmes based on international benchmarks.
At Wyndham Dubai Marina and TRYP by Wyndham Dubai, staff have implemented Level 1 Wyndham Green – the international operator’s sustainability action plan – with Level 2 certification set to be attained before the end of 2022. This will include the establishment of a dedicated in-house ‘Green Team’, which will be responsible for overseeing and implementing all sustainability initiatives at both hotels.
Recycling push receives timely boost
Meanwhile, The First Group Hotels’ Recycling First waste management programme is on track to meet its target of recycling 10% of all daily waste produced across its hotel portfolio by mid-2023, up from 2% today.
The firm recently entered into an agreement with UK-based hotel amenities supplier Gilchrist & Soames to exclusively use its environmentally friendly Zero% range of liquid soaps and shampoos in all guestrooms, which are made from all-natural ingredients and feature 100% recycled and reusable packaging.
Innovative approach to eliminating plastics
In another unique initiative, The First Group Hotels is in the process of replacing its plastic guestroom keycards with items made from recycled or sustainably sourced timber products. According to Greg Moses, hotel manager at The First Collection Business Bay, the keycards are made from raw materials that are sourced from commercially grown forests, “with no concern for deforestation or further negative impact on the environment”.
“They’re as durable as a PVC card and can be used up to 100,000 times before requiring replacement under typical conditions,” he says. “We currently use upward of 50,000 plastic keycards across our entire hotel portfolio annually at present, so in addition to helping save the environment, the new keycards are 30% cheaper to produce than their plastic equivalent, which also helps boost our bottom line.”
Sustainability push to go up a gear in 2023
The First Group Hotels plans to ramp up its sustainability programmes in 2023 with a 12-month calendar of initiatives already mapped out based on the Sustainability Kiosk report findings. These include new international benchmarking and certification of key sustainability initiatives, recognising and honouring sustainability champions across the organisation, and highlighting and promoting key sustainability milestones in the media and to guests staying in its hotels.