HOTEL SOFITEL CAIRO MAADI TOWERS AND CASINO EGYPT
The Hotel Sofitel Cairo Maadi Towers & Casino is situated near the beautiful Nile
River and the ancient Pyramids. As a
Green Globe Gold Certified
participant, the
Hotel has been a pioneer in its support for sustainable tourism development, setting
a shining example for others to follow.
The Hotel is part of the international Accor hotel chain, renowned for integrating
a commitment to sustainable tourism in their vision for the future. Sofitel Maadi
Towers & Casino have taken an important step towards fulfilling parts of this vision
through their continuous environmental improvement during five years with the
Green Globe programme.
The Hotel’s environmental commitment has proven to be a concrete
way of improving the hotel’s service to customers and Sofitel Cairo Maadi Towers
& Casino puts great effort into ensuring their improvements are an example to other
leading hotels throughout the world.
Located in an area that contains the last remaining structures of the original Seven
Wonders of the Ancient World, the Sofitel Cairo Maadi Towers was aware that Egypt
was particularly vulnerable to the devastating impacts of environmental degradation,
not least because tourism is the country’s largest industry. It was because of this
that the Hotel decided to take a proactive approach and address these issues, providing
a positive example for others in the area to follow.
The following highlights some of the areas in which the Hotel has achieved
best practice for a more sustainable tourism industry. Their actions and leadership
ensure that future generations will continue to have the opportunity to marvel at
the wonders of ancient Egypt.
To learn more about the benefits of Green Globe’s Company programme, click here.
BEST PRACTICE HIGHLIGHTS
ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL POLICY
The Accor group of hotels are committed to reconciling their growth targets with
social and environmental responsibilities. To articulate their commitment, the Accor
group has developed the S.M.A.R.T. approach to sustainable practices (Specific,
Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Timely).
ENERGY
A Sustainability Team was created in order to implement best practices throughout
the Hotel’s operations. The Team monitors the Hotel’s daily energy consumption and
has introduced fluorescent, energy saving lights throughout the property.
As well as the reduction in greenhouse gas emissions that this action accomplished, diligently
monitoring their energy output has resulted in significant savings to the Hotel’s
energy bill – the property now saves over $AUD13,000 annually.
WATER
The Sofitel Cairo Maadi Towers and Casino installed taps with sensors in the kitchens
and bathroom to ensure water consumption is continually monitored and reduced. In
an effort to educate clients about ways they can assist the Hotel to achieve sustainable
best practice for water use, it has also introduced a towel re-use programme, which
has resulted in a reduction in the amount of water and detergent used.
COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT
The increase the beauty of the surrounding area, and to encourage more native flora
and fauna into the area, the Sofitel has introduced a dedicated tree-planting project,
to which they actively encourage the local community to participate. In addition
to this, the Hotel donates surplus food to charitable organisations throughout Egypt
to assist the country’s poor and to encourage less waste. Sofitel Cairo Maadi Towers
and Casino helps to maintain the public footpaths around the hotel.
The Sofitel understands that community involvement is as important for internal
harmony as for external education – all staff must participate in environmental
awareness programmes that are hosted by the Hotel. These sessions include supply
line classes (teaching staff about cleaning detergents and their pollutants) and
waste management and recycling lessons.
The Sofitel Cairo Maadi Towers and Casino’s General Manager, Stephane Robion, has
this to say about the Hotel’s achievements:
"As an Accor Hotel, one of Sofitel Cairo Maadi Towers & Casino’s top priorities
is the environment and sustainable development. Since we joined the Green Globe
programme we have developed our ability to meet our targets in this regard.
Implementing the Green Globe guide lines allow us to advertise and announce our
presence in that programme, which is an additional sales tool. Especially now days,
one of the main criteria for evaluating and choosing hotels is how much the hotel
has adapted to environmental issues. As well as this, receiving Gold Certification
this year is one of the achievements that the hotel Team is most proud of."