Marije van der Valk and her partner Thijs Boomkens, members of a successful cross-generational hotelier family in the Netherlands, share their vision for the Van der Valk nkwari akụ Nijmegen-Lent.
“In our operational management, we focus on the three Ps: Profit, Planet and People. To us, corporate social responsibility means that, apart from aiming for Profit, account is also taken with the impact of our activities on the environment (Planet) and we also want to have a positive influence on the People inside and outside the company. The better the balance between these three Ps, the more sustainable the results for our hotel as well as society,” said Marije van der Valk and Thijs Boomkens, Owners and Managers of Van der Valk Hotel Nijmegen-Lent.
The hotel’s sustainable efforts are highlighted through numerous CSR initiatives within the community and ecological practices carried out at the property.
Van der Valk Hotel Nijmegen-Lent is happy to contribute its share to society. This is done by supporting both local initiatives and national organizations financially, and also with knowledge and materials. Guests are provided with brochures and books that contain information about the history, culture and nature of the local environment. Furthermore, discount vouchers from local entrepreneurs and museum entrance tickets are sold at the property. To further stimulate regional development, cakes from DROOM! are served to guests. DROOM! employs people with disabilities to make the cakes using locally grown organic apples.
Charitable events supported by Van der Valk Hotel Nijmegen-Lent include an annual Christmas dinner for elderly residents who are lonely and at risk of being socially isolated. Also, every Sunday four residents of the St. Jozefshuis, home for the elderly in Lent are invited to enjoy a free brunch buffet in our restaurant. We also sponsor organizations that work with children such as the KidsRights charity and Sprokkelbos Lent. From this year the hotel will be cooperating with the Women’s Heart Foundation, Hart voor Vrouwen.
The hotel donates empty ink cartridges to Na-akwado AAP. Stichting AAP is paid for these cartridges and the funds are used to pay for a large part of the costs of caring for rescued primates and other exotic animals. It’s good for both the environment and for Stichting AAP.
The preservation of the natural environment is regarded as a social action with wide ranging benefits. Insects, birds and even bats can safely make their homes within designated areas at the property. The insect hotel on the rooftop was specially developed to accommodate various insects. Spiders and insects such as ladybirds and earwigs settle in the pinecones and loose bits of wood while the various pipes form a pleasant place for solitary bees to reproduce.
Bees first leave behind pollen in the pipe of the insect hotel into which they then lay an egg and close the room. The bees repeat this ritual of pollen and egg until the pipe is full. The pipe is then closed from the outside. When the first laid egg hatches, the larva feeds on the pollen. After the larva emerges as a bee it waits until the way out is free. When the last laid egg has hatched, the exit is opened and all the bees can fly freely to outside areas.
During the construction of Hotel Nijmegen-Lent twenty nesting boxes for swifts were created at the northeast side of the low part of the hotel. Research indicates that swifts like using installation blocks as nesting boxes. These installation blocks were developed in cooperation with the Swallow Consultancy to create new nesting places in buildings. In addition, two small bat maternity boxes for common pipistrelles were also purposely built into the façade of the Plinth building. Inside, the box is separated into various walls, creating four spaces or small colonies in which bats can live and nurse. The box is also lined with gauze for bats to crawl along.
Green Globe bụ usoro nkwado zuru ụwa ọnụ dabere na njirisi mba ụwa nabatara maka ịrụ ọrụ na njikwa azụmaahịa na njem nlegharị anya. Na-arụ ọrụ n'okpuru ikikere zuru ụwa ọnụ, Green Globe hiwere isi na California, USA ma na-anọchi anya ya na mba 83. Green Globe bụ onye mmekọ nke United Nations World Tourism Organisation.UNWTO). Maka ozi, biko gaa na greenglobe.com
