Olive tree hotel is the greenest and the only hotel in Penang that have the GBI ( Green Building Index) status. The founder herself has put so much effort and planning from the start which includes in the blueprint for the hotel. They believe development and sustainability can co-exist. It is the mindset of the biz owners if they want to do so to make green things happen.
Furthermore, we were grateful that we were given an opportunity and time by Mrs. Hui Hui for a great green tour around Olive Tree hotel for its green initiative. One of them was to reuse and be resourceful with their surplus construction materials. They didn’t send it to the landfill but instead, they used the wood as a deco in their lobby, cafe, and their 1st-floor buffet corner.
Moreover, they also have a farm just outside of their lobby main entrance. The vegetables and fruits that have been harvested by their team will be used at their cafe. This shows the Olive Tree Hotel is aware of the "Farm to Kitchen' concept. Bravo! This also does help to provide a good ambiance and promote the importance of having a garden space in your compound.
The Olive Tree Hotel as well does have in-house delivery and due to covid-19 that has hurt the industry hotels, they had to expand such service to those who can't drop by to the hotel to eat. Their food delivery is so different than the normal food delivery that we see out there because the food was always packed in a biodegradable container made from bamboo and also paper bags were used instead of plastic. The plastic cutlery will also not be given unless it is requested.
Besides that, most of the hotel decorations are made with reused; rethink and upcycle product that brings lives to the hotel for many to experience and see that it is possible to be green with ART. The man behind the artistic display is Mr. Kenny. He is a chef but turns out he picks up new skills that help the hotel with its interesting decoration for many to learn and be interested in the 5R's concept. Reduce, reuse, rethink, repair, and recycle. The hotel as well do reuse back the old decorations in most of their design to ensure that the product that was once bought will be used until its end of life.
To further add on, they also have a recycling center that is open for the public to segregate their waste or donate their recyclable waste too. We even asked why they wanted to make it open for the public? Mrs Hui Hui said that she believes waste segregation and recycling has to be a community effort to be successful in reducing landfill waste.
Lastly, the hotel architecture and design have been build with green elements too. In daylight, they utilized the sun as much as they can to brighten the space within the hotel compound. This is a great move, unlike most hotels that do not do so but rather rely on fluorescent lights and electricity during the day to brighten the space. This helps Olive Tree in cutting down its operating cost. Besides that, the hotels are also equipped with sensory lights that will only be switched on as soon they detect someone is within its sensor. This helps the hotel to only switch on the light automatically if there is someone present and if there is none, there is no need for the electricity to be wasted.
I am amazed that a hotel can be so green that I don't get to see this or feel the experience in other hotels in Malaysia. I am grateful that Olive Tree Hotel has positioned itself as a green hotel and we believe that they can continue to inspire others in the hotel industry to also carry out the work that has been done by Olive Tree Hotel. Nowadays, nothing is impossible if we want to build and provide a green experience. It is up to the team's mentality and the reason behind it to make green happen for many to enjoy & support.
Thank You Olive Tree Hotel for being a role model in the hotel industry and as well a green leader that will inspire others to do the same in the future.
So, our question to you, do you want us to help you make your space green too? If you do , drop us an email at @support@greenhero.net for us to help you to make your space green and get an award for it. Together, let's become the Green Hero that Malaysia need.