Sustainability Assessment Of One King West Hotel In Toronto

a.Is the hotel part of a chain or is it an independent hotel?
b.List the website of the hotel. Is there any indication of green practices in this web site?
c.If the hotel is part of a hotel chain, is there a corporate mandate to embrace sustainability procedures in the property? Which ones are those?
d.What is the main business purpose of the hotel? (i.e. primary target market, secondary market, etc.). Business or leisure? Why?
e.Describe the hotel’s public areas: observe, ask and indicate what effective or ineffective environmental activities can be observed
f.List at least 5 key services provided by the hotel (food & beverage outlets, recreational areas such as pool and exercise room, Executive Lounge, etc), and list all sustainable actions implemented by the hotel in the daily execution of these services
g.What key recycling processes are in place in the hotel? Which are these processes? In what departments are they being applied?
h.Does the hotel have a “Green Team”? What does the team do/accomplish?, do they have targets?, who are the Green Team members?

a.What are the various departments within the hotel?
b.What is the organisational structure of the hotel? (organizational chart)
c.How many people work in the hotel?
d.What are the smallest and largest departments in terms of people? Why?

a.What room-type options do guests have while staying at the hotel?
b.What are the amenities offered in the different rooms?
c.Identify any sustainable in-room amenities
d.Is there a recycling plan specifically for guest rooms? How is implemented?
e.Other than in Engineering, Housekeeping and Food and Beverage, how is sustainability practiced in other departments?

a.Select one of the following departments and describe the services they provide (Engineering, Housekeeping or Food and Beverage)
b.Where do they include environmental procedures within their daily operation? Who is responsible for the implementation of these procedures?
c.What qualifications/attributes does one need to work in this department at an entry level?  As a manager?
d.What kind of training is offered to employees in this department’s “Green Initiatives”, “Sustainability”?

Hotel Information

Answer to a

Hotel One King West in Toronto, Ontario, is an independent hotel and managed by CK Atlantis.  The hotel is home to historic opulence, warm hospitality and modern accommodations. It is located in the corner of Yonge and King Streets (History, 2018). One King West within minutes connects people to the shopping districts, entertainment and downtown business of Toronto.

Answer to b

The website of the hotel is www.onekingwest.com. The building of One King West hotel was initially head office belonging to Dominion Bank that transformed and redesigned in the year 2006 to serve the guests as One King West Hotel. Through the website, guests will be able to find that One King West Residence and hotel is a no smoking hotel. An additional charge of $350 applied for occupants who undertake smoking in the room (Terms of Reservation and Hotel Policies, 2018). The hotel also participates in the rating system with American Automobile Association (AAA)

Answer to c

If One King West hotel were a part of a hotel chain then there would have been corporate mandate for embracing sustainability procedures (Prud’homme et al., 2016). This included adoption of Pan Canadian Framework that helped the buildings in reducing the emissions of the greenhouse gas and drive down industry emissions. Registering under Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA) Canada facilities would help the building in attaining smarter, stronger or greener moves.

Answer to d

The primary business purpose of One King West Hotel is both for the purpose of leisure as well as for the purpose of business. The hotel provides a combination of unforgettable and extraordinary experience and enablestheir guest to breath in the air of luxury that feels every corner (Amenities, 2018). The hotel is ideal for business traveler since it is located in the Finance District area of Toronto. At the same time, the hotel also provides leisure to the travelers due to its location and easier access to museum, shopping mall, restaurants, bars and nightclubs. The guests will also be able to have a feel of the rich historical heritage.

Answer to e

The location of One King West Hotel is in heart of Toronto’s downtown and above King Subway station. There is at a five to ten minutes to Nathan Philips square, Dundas Square and Eaton Centre (Downtown Toronto Hotels, 2018). The hotel is also a walking distance to Metro Toronto Centre for Convention, CN Tower,Hockey Hall of Fame, St. Lawrence Market, Theater District, Union Station and Sony Centre for Performance Arts, Air Canada Centre and Rogers Centre. The location of the hotel also allows the guests toCaribbean festival and gay parade in the summers, St. Patrick day and the Santa Claus parade in winter.   

Environmental Practices

Answer to f

The level of comfort provided by One King West matches the level of its service. The cuisine of hotel is purely international that includes items like pasta, sandwiches and various grilled items (The Suites, 2018). There breakfast is a buffer for children up to the age of 6 years while children above 7 to 12 years enjoy a discount of around 50 percent. The Bistro on the King is open for 7 days and serves fresh salads and sandwiches, desserts and French pastries. The hotel also comprises of Henri bar located in the lobby that offers wine, spirits and beer along with freshly prepared appetizers.The main features of the One King West Hotel include the private limousine service, business service, concierge valet parking, rooftop fitness centre and the twenty-four hours security.

Answer to g

One King West Residence & Hotel adopts various processes for recycling their paper products, bottle plastics and cans, coffee cups, organic food waste. The hotel makes sure that all types of batteries and e-waste are recycled safely (Wang et al., 2013). E-waste however refers to printer/toner cartridges and any kind of electrical equipment.

Answer to h

The hotel has a team of experts that ensures providing unforgettable experience to the guests (Tranquility Agreement, 2018). They not only make sure that hotel helps offering the guests amenities and accommodations that have a unique style and timeless elegance but also acts as a venue for corporate event, wedding celebration and retirement party. The team of experts thus makes sure that the leftover materials after the completion of the events is properly recycled.

Answer to a

The prestigious address for One King West was initially home to Michie & Co. Grocers & Wine Merchants that had an establishment in Toronto around mid-1800. The guests of the hotel enjoy abundance of delicious and fresh dining options during their stay (Dining at One King West, 2018). The chefs of the hotels draw inspiration from local ingredients and global fusion that will helps satiate all cravings. The hotel has various departments that include administration, sales and marketing, accounting, food and beverage, reservations and revenue, front office, human resource, kitchen, maintenance and housekeeping. These departments have the responsibility of taking care of the guests.  

Answer to b

Figure 1:

Source: (Jayawardena et al., 2013)

Answer to c

The One King West hotel acts as a one-stop destination for organizing general meetings on an annual basis. They also act as venue for sessions of corporate planning, product launches and parties related to film fest. The hotel acts as an ideal choice for hosting any major event in Toronto. The hotel has a rich historical heritage that has around 230 employees (Meeting & Events, 2018). Their warm welcome always makes the guests feel at home. They help in providing the guests an insight to the hidden treasures of the hotel. 

Organizational Structure and Staffing

Answer to d

The smallest department of the One King West hotel is the human resource department that helps each of the department in delivering outstanding services to each guest(West, 2018). The largest department includes the food and beverage that ensures that the guests are able to undertake impeccable dining facilities that leave an everlasting impression

Answer to a

One King West Hotel has seven different types of suites within the premises of the hotel and known as Studio. Each of the Studios is around 359 to 419 sq ft that offers view to the lake, city and atrium (Historic Studio, 2018). The Superior suite that covered an area 425-600 sq ft has décor and amenities similar to that of Studio room. The only fact is that the superior suites are larger than the Studio’s. The hotel offers still bigger Superior Suite that has two bed facilities instead of one. These suites have a coverage area of 430 sq ft. The Premium suite is the most popular and falls under the category of requested suite. The total width of the building covered by these suites and they ensure spectacular panoramic view of the lake and the city. The hotel also encompasses breathtaking suites, which has area coverage of around 663-790 sq ft and is one of its kinds.

Answer to b

The studio suite has facilities like the kitchen, laundry, deluxe queen and king bed, clean bathroom, tall ceiling and a designer décor. These rooms also has facilities like flat screen television, high speed internet, CD/ radio player, individual climate control and a desktop with a phone facility(Superior Suite – Two Beds, 2018). The amenities of the suites are more or less similar however, the premium suite offers a king size bed along with sofa and bay windows. In addition, a bedroom suite has a coverage area of 529-789 sq ft and separate and spacious living room thereby providing a view to the city and the lake. The one bedroom premium suite that is around 679 sq ft has a location in the highest floor of the building along with a Jaccuzi tub that offers a view to the city.

Answer to c

One King West Hotel is also a residency that helps keeps gives the guests a homely feeling (Historic One Bedroom, 2018). There are various sustainable in room amenities adopted by the hotel that ensures tranquility to all the residents and guests through its tranquility agreement and policy. The hotel also prohibits smoking and imposes a fine on the guests caught smoking indoors. There is rooms have facilities and rates for double occupancy. The hotels also impose a pet policy where the guests allow a cat or dog weighing around 20 pounds under strict supervision.

Room Types and Amenities

Answer to d

The hotel provides the guests with hotel facilities of first class services with all essential comforts. The hotel allows the guests to host weddings that become experience of a lifetime. The facilities of the hotel presented to the guests in manner that they leave a memorable mark in the memory (The Suites | Tower Deluxe, 2018). The hotel makes sure that the used rooms are properly taken care of and the materials used are recycled properly.

Answer to e

Sustainability practiced while determining the pricing of the room (The Suites | Premium, 2018). The prices of the room vary depending on the size of the suite, the services provided and the view it provides. The room rates of One King West however changes depending on the season. In the off-season, the room rates of the hotel stand at $149 whereas in the peak season the room rate stands at $249. The prevailing room rate for the middle season is $199

Answer to a

The general manager Steve O’ Brien put forward that the facilities provided by One King West is a four star facility and its quality of service makes a difference. The staffs are prompt and their approach towards incidents is immediate. For instance, once a female guest checked into the hotel at around 3 pm (Club One Rewards, 2018). The guest remained busy during the day and spent the maximum time during the night. It was during the odd hours of the night that she ordered a hamburger and cancelled it on an immediate basis. She did the same thing several times during night. The management also received a complaint from the other guests that she was quite unhappy and needed company. Although there are lesser active staffs during the night due to lesser demands but they hotel authorities and the  front office staff tried to make her feel better.

Answer to b

The daily operation of the hotel involves approaches that enhance customer experiences. The staffs also try to meet every demand put forward by the guests so they are able to leave an everlasting impression (Hotel Rental Pool Program, 2018). The staff also tries to make a difference to the life in the customers during their stay at the hotel. The general manager supervises the activities of the staffs.

Answer to c

The general manager of the hotel stresses on need of education of each applicant right from the entry level. He prefers hiring people who not only expresses their passion about work but also is competent. Although, the manager mentions that he prefers in choosing and hiring a person with higher academic qualification whenever he finds that the person has sufficient passion and ability for the position. In terms of training, the hotel provides more emphasis on the motives of the staffs. The hotel stands distinct from its competitors in the fact that the management of the hotel tries to add a gentle touch in providing impressive and heartwarming experiences to the guests without charging any extra cost.

Sustainable Practices in Services

Answer to d

One King West Residence and Hotel has a solid environmental policy that puts forward the target and the process of its implementation for reinforcing feasibility. The aim of the policy lies in the reduction of its operational impact on its environment through conservation of resources and adoption of effective approaches (Jayawardena et al., 2013). The target of the policy depends on considering the impacts, concerns when planning, and making decisions for the activities. The hotel however initiates the promotion of environmental awareness within its property by adopting and curtailing the carbon dioxide production. This procedure helps in the creation of eco friendly facilities that helps in providing a cleaner place for lodging thereby contributing to the sustainability factor. One King West hotel also takes actions that facilitate the policy. In addition, the hotel is also committed for the recycling and reduction of the waste and actively encourages the guest and employees to get involved in such an initiative (Stalcup et al., 2014). The hotel thus promises in striving for facilities that leads to improvement while the environmental policy is in action.

References:

Amenities| One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). One King West Hotel & Residence. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/hotel/amenities/

Club One Rewards | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). Onekingwest.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/clubone/

Dining at One King West | Downtown Toronto Hotel. (2018). Onekingwest.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/dining/

Downtown Toronto Hotels | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). Onekingwest.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/hotel/location

Historic One Bedroom | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). One King West Hotel & Residence. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/suites/historic-one/

Historic Studio | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). One King West Hotel & Residence. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/suites/historic-studio-suites/

History | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). Onekingwest.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/hotel/our-story/

Hotel Rental Pool Program | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). Onekingwest.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/hotel-rental-program/

Jayawardena, C., Jarvis, J., Adams, K., Lu, Z., & Tyrewala, A. (2013). Innovations in hotel administration in Canada. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 5(2), 164-176.

Jayawardena, C., Pollard, A., Chort, V., Choi, C., & Kibicho, W. (2013). Trends and sustainability in the Canadian tourism and hospitality industry. Worldwide Hospitality and Tourism Themes, 5(2), 132-150.

Meeting & Events | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). One King West Hotel & Residence. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/meeting-rooms/

Prud’homme, B., Prud’homme, B., Raymond, L., & Raymond, L. (2016). Implementation of sustainable development practices in the hospitality industry: A case study of five Canadian hotels. International Journal of Contemporary Hospitality Management, 28(3), 609-639.

Stalcup, L. D., Deale, C. S., & Todd, S. Y. (2014). Human resources practices for environmental sustainability in lodging operations. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 13(4), 389-404.

Superior Suite – Two Beds | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). One King West Hotel & Residence. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/suites/historic-double-suites/

Terms of Reservation and Hotel Policies. (2018). Onekingwest.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/hotel-policies/

The Suites | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). Onekingwest.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/suites/

The Suites | Premium | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). One King West Hotel & Residence. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/suites/tower-premium-suites/

The Suites | Tower Deluxe | One King West Hotel & Residence. (2018). One King West Hotel & Residence. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/suites/tower-deluxe-suites/

Tranquility Agreement. (2018). Onekingwest.com. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.onekingwest.com/tranquility-agreement/

Wang, Y. F., Chen, S. P., Lee, Y. C., & Tsai, C. T. S. (2013). Developing green management standards for restaurants: An application of green supply chain management. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 34, 263-273.

West, T. (2018). Home | Teller's Bar and Lounge. Teller's Bar and Lounge. Retrieved 8 January 2018, from https://www.dine.to/websites/tellers-bar/#menus