The group won the category at the NZI Sustainable Business Network Award 2019, held on November 28; this award is presented to an organisation making significant resource saving improvements to its operations

Year-after-year, Sudima Hotels, has proven why the Group is “a great example of the meaningful contribution made by Indian investment and the Kiwi-Indian community in New Zealand”, as noted by the New Zealand High Commission in India in a recent tweet.

What prompted this, is the chain of hotels winning another – in a series of many over previous years – accolade in appreciation of its sustainability efforts. It was crowned the Efficiency Champion at 2019 NZI Sustainable Business Network Award at a function held in Auckland on November 28, with almost 700 business leaders in attendance. The annual awards recognise the people and businesses leading the change to a more sustainable New Zealand.

Notably, early this year, Sudima Hotels, had won three New Zealand Tourism Awards, including the Supreme Tourism Award, the biggest in the New Zealand tourism industry, as well as the Environmental Award and the Employer of Choice Award.

All these recognitions come as Sudima Hotels gears up for an exciting year ahead. “After opening its five-star Sudima Christchurch City this year on top of three existing hotels in Auckland, Rotorua and Christchurch, the group is set to open a hotel in the Auckland CBD and Kaikōura in late 2020,” informs the Group.

Sudima Hotels Chief Executive Sudesh Jhunjhnuwala notes, “Sustainability has been a core value and at the heart of many initiatives for Sudima Hotels over many years. We are proud that our efforts have been recognised by the New Zealand Tourism Awards judges and hope that others will join us in doing more for customers, staff, communities and the environment.”

This is how the Award citation reads:

“Sudima Hotels owns and operates New Zealand’s only three CarboNZero certified hotels. Sustainability has been integrated into the hotels from day one and the process is continuous.

CarboNZero forms part of a strategic commitment to reducing the environmental footprint at every operational level, engaging every team member. At monthly meetings, teams report on progress against goals. Annually, all hotels unite to discuss best practice and new ideas.

In the last year, Sudima Hotels has decreased carbon emissions by an audited 46.8 metric tonnes. Water usage has been reduced by 21 litres for each kilogram of linen washed. Landfill waste has been cut by 12%.

Sudima Hotels has a goal of being single-use plastic free by 2020. In the last 12 months, it has been systematically eliminating or replacing more than 250 items, such as single-use guest shampoos and plastic milk bottles.”

-TIN Bureau