Home away from home- staying green amidst a buzzing city at Cosmo Hotels

Being the pluralistic city that it is, Hong Kong attracts travellers with different agendas from around the world on an impressive scale. From business and corporate travellers to families and young adventurers, their budgets, needs and expectations are different.

Yet, Anita Chan, General Manager of city hotels Cosmo Hotel Hong Kong and Cosmo Hotel Mongkok, observes, no matter the purpose of their travels to the city, be it business or leisure, guests are always looking for a convenient location and a green, environmentally-friendly experience.

The fact that both hotels are located in the heart of the city- the Hong Kong branch being only moments away from important commercial hubs, and the Mongkok location being close to a mix of old and new Hong Kong, make the conventional check in / out time a topic to be challenged and revisited. And to do this, both the Cosmo Hong Kong and Cosmo Mongkok work hard to create personalized experiences that tug on the heartstrings of each guest. From providing an extensive network of shuttle buses to a pioneering 24-hour check in check out service, Chan and her team is there to ensure guests get the most out of their visit.

“Because we are a city hotel and there is so much happening in Hong Kong, guests can do a variety of activities around the clock.” When booking directly through the hotel’s website, guests can enjoy a full 24-hour stay, service which gives them the chance to explore all aspects of sightseeing, entertainment and night life without having to work their schedule around their check out time.

And to help guests trek the city, the hotel’s two locations together provide 6 shuttle routes to 22 popular hotspots around the city including the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre and major commercial buildings in Hong Kong for business travelers, as well as popular tourist must visit spots such as Ocean Park, Elements and IFC shopping malls. “This service caters to the needs of all sectors of travellers and it really connects them to the entire city,” says Chan.

And with a passion for providing a greener experience for guests, Cosmo Hotel Hong Kong and Cosmo Hotel Mongkok are not only Green Globe certified hotel, but the two has scored impressive ratings of 83 per cent and 85 per cent respectively by fulfilling over 51% of 320 compliance indicators.

The various green policies the hotels are adopting include an investment in LED lighting to conserve as much as 20 per cent of energy and as much as 14 per cent drop in linen laundry and subsequently a 16 per cent drop in water consumption as a result of effective reuse of linens and towels by guests.

“We are also the first 100 per cent smoke-free four- star hotel in Hong Kong and properties are using ecofriendly natural refrigerants for the air-conditioning system to make sure our ozone layer is free from harm,” Chan shares. On top of that, Breeze on fifth floor of Cosmo Hotel Hong Kong serves as an open patio and has an abundance of greenery.

The certification not only recognizes the hotels’ dedication to environmental initiatives, but it highlights their work in facilitating social economic well-being among its staff and within the community through two main initiatives.

The hotel also provides opportunities for hospitality students to intern at the two properties. "We are also keen to encourage more young people to join our industry and through letting students come work with us, it gives them a full picture of all the expertise and departments that it takes to run a hotel," says the hospitality veteran.

Launched for the first time in 2012, the One Family Program extends internship opportunity to families of selected staff members into the hotel for an insider look at what the hospitality industry is all about. “Our industry requires that staff work long hours; we felt this program was a great way for families to understand and have more appreciation for what our staff do at work. It also gives them a chance to experience what it is like to work in various posts of the hotel,” says Chan.

While focusing their efforts on a green travel experience, the hotels also ensure they invest the same enthusiasm to providing top-notch service. To provide a comfortable stay for guests, each room features high quality Simmons mattresses fitted with 300 thread-count sheets, a pillow menu with 11 options, a four-choice water bar as well as an iPod dock. These amenities all aim to cater to and exceed the expectations of guests.

With the evolving technology and the transparencyof the Internet world, Chan capitalizes on them to interact with her guests. The hotels take notes from online travel reviews like Tripadvisor, “We understand guests’ expectation, feedbacks and we engage with them by even replying their comments. It’s all due to our "Passion to Serve." In fact, this was also being mentioned in one of the reviews on Tripadvisor where guest praised us for having the “passion to wanting to assist.”

When booking directly through the hotel’s website, guests can be sure they are getting exactly what they see. In fact, Cosmo Hotel Mongkok’s website was recently recognized by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International with the Adrian Silver award.

“Our website is a show flat of the hotel, the first stop where we see guests before they check in. All images are real photos and the site presents our hotel’s character vividly. We don’t exaggerate and we offer exclusive promotions on there,” says Chan.

Uniquely catering to the different needs of different guests, the Cosmo Hotels seek to continue to evolve with the traveling trends. “At the end of the day, visitors are looking for a comfortable place to rest their head. But as the dynamics and demographics of the traveller continues to evolve, we too have to provide dynamic services to satisfy all customers.”

FAST FACTS

• Dorsett Hospitality International, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEx Stock Code: 0035), owns and manages 17 hotels globally, of which 8 are under development in China, Hong Kong, Singapore and United Kingdom.

• Cosmo Hotels became Green Globe-certified in 2012.

• Cosmo Hotels are awarded “Certificate of Excellence 2012” by Tripadvisor.

• Cosmo Hotel Mongkok's brand website is named “Adrian Silver Award” by Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International.