Taking responsibility for the environment and local community has been an important part of Rezidor's broader commitment to sustainable development for many years. In 2001, this commitment was fortified and placed within the scope of a programme called Responsible Business (RB). Each hotel has a unique RB Action Plan covering areas such as community outreach, environmental improvement, employee well-being and health and safety. To read more about the RB programme, please go to www.responsiblebusiness.rezidor.com.
Our hotels are engaged with both local charity groups and Rezidor's corporate international charity organisation, the World Childhood Foundation. The mission of Childhood is to defend the rights of the child and to promote better living conditions for vulnerable and exploited children at risk all over the world.
Here are some of the Responsible Business activities and achievements of this hotel:
Golden Key Research Center of Education for Visually Impaired
The Radisson SAS Hotel Beijing has supported the Golden Key Research Center in various ways since 2004. This center is sanctioned by UNESCO and aims to bring visually impaired children to school in order to give them a fuller life in society. With help from guests and employees donations, the visually impaired children from disadvantaged families receive treatment for their eyes; the children's families receive financial support; the only publication for blind kids was distributed to the poor blind children for free; and the blind students on the grassland of Inner Mongolia got their quilts to live through the cold winters of freezing wind...
The hotel has also kept promoting the Golden Key to their guests and business partners and indirectly helped with sponsorships and donations. The management of Scandinavian Airlines in Beijing decided to provide the scholarship of 2005 to 40 visually impaired students of the Golden Key Project of Shaanxi Province. In March 2005, the Danish Chamber of Commerce in China held its traditional Charity Party and received 200,000 yuan as donations to the Golden Key which was far beyond their expectations!
As Mr. Mac Karlsson, GM of the Radisson SAS Hotel Beijing invited by Mr. Xu Bailun, Director and Founder of "Golden key research center of education for visually impaired", has written for "Ode to Joy" which is a blindskrift for visually impaired children, "Don't give up! With your sincerity, your enthusiasm, even your fingertips, you can experience the many joys of life just as others do!"
Education
In August 2005, the hotel donated textbooks, pencils, notebooks and other educational supplies to support the education of young students from disadvantage communities near Beijing
Children's Village
The hotel has been supporting and donating to Beijng Shunyi Children's Village since 2002. Every year on the International Children's Day, the hotel held a children's party in its Royal Garden. The children and their teachers enjoyed delicious food, plenty of gifts and entertainment.
Environment
Clean-up The Great Wall
In September 2005, the hotel's RB team picked-up trash along a ruined section of the Great Wall. Another clean-up action will be arranged this year among more employees.
Air-Conditioner Energy Reduction Campaign
The Radisson SAS Hotel Beijing actively supported energy saving measures suggested by the Beijing Municipal Government. In 2005, the Hotel signed a letter of Commitment on "26 Degree Air-Conditioner Energy Reduction Campaign" with the Global Village and another eight Chinese NGO organizations. The Hotel has also enhanced its Grey Water System which has been running for four years and is able to save over 10,000 tons of water every year.
Health Care
The Radisson SAS Hotel Beijing has recently purchased and implemented a Powerheart Automated External Defibrillator (AED). The AED is a proven medical response in the event of Sudden Cardiac Arrest - more commonly known as a Heart Attack - the number one cause of death which can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime. The key to survival is the quick speed of response, as most cardiac arrest victims need an immediate electrical shock to restore the heart's normal rhythm.
The AED provides reliable, safe and intelligent cardiac monitoring and defibrillation technology that significantly protects hearts and saves lives. The easy-to-use features of the Powerheart AED allow vitually anyone to defibrillate cardiac arrest victims quickly and efficiently, dramatically improving the chances of survival from a cardiac arrest. The first group of Radisson SAS Hotel Beijing's Security Staff has now been trained in the AED's use to ensure that we are able to react promptly in any given situation.
Community
Blood Donation
As part of the Responsible Business Program, the hotel has been carrying out Blood Donation Project since year 1997. A Yearly Award was given to the Radisson SAS Hotel Beijing by the Beijing Blood Donation Administration as a recognition of the hotel's great support to the local government on blood doantion.
Taxi Drivers' Appreciation Breakfast
The Hotel has arranged for its second time a Taxi Drivers' Appreciation Breakfast, as a token of the hotel's appreciation for the professional, reliable and courteous service Beijing taxi drivers provide to the hotel's valued guests. Hot tea, coffee, milk, boiled eggs, fresh pastries and fruits were served to all taxi drivers for complimentary on the day.
The hotel's Security Team has also recently honored as the "Best Taxi Security Control " by the Beijing Public Transportation Administration Office. The hotel's effective and efficient control on taxi service has won appreciations from both the taxi drivers and hotel guests.