The Park Inn by Radisson Muscat recently added another feather to its cap, recently receiving the award as the 'Leading Hotel in Responsible Business'. The hotel ranked number one within The Carlson Rezidor Group for it efforts in energy consumption and other related initiatives.

The Muscat hotel was chosen from over 1300 of its counterpart hotels by the Responsible Business committee at the company's head office in Brussels, passing the stringent criteria and emerging on top. 

In recognition an award was presented to Mr. Rabih Zein, General Manager of the Park Inn by Radisson Muscat by Mr. Kurt Ritter, President and CEO The Carlson Rezidor Group at Heathrow, London. 

A separate ceremony was held at the Park Inn Muscat to commemorate the achievement. H.E. Maitha bint Saif al Mahrouqiya, Under-Secretary of the Tourism Ministry was the distinguished guest at the event held at the hotel. The award was presented by Mr. Rabih Zein on behalf of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group to Mr. Hayyan Ali Malallah Habib Al-Lawati, Director Al-Habib & Co. L.L.C. also the owning company of the Park Inn by Radisson Muscat.

The Under-Secretary was felicitated by Mr. Hayyan Ali Malallah Habib Al-Lawati. Speaking on the occasion Mr. Rabih Zein said, "We are barely over two years old and to receive recognition on a worldwide scale for our efforts is unbelievable. We do take our responsibilities towards the guests, employees, environment and society very seriously and will continue to challenge ourselves to do more."

"I would like to thank Mr. Hayyan , without his constant support in all our initiatives; this award would not have been possible. This award is most of all dedicated to our staff who go beyond the call of duty to ensure that we conduct our business as responsibly as we can," added Rabih.

On a separate note, Rabih in his speech thanked H.E. Maitha bint Saif al Mahrouqiya, for the support during the international ITB and France Exhibitions to promote tourism to the Sultanate. 

"The team of this hotel have done a tremendous job since before the opening of the hotel. This award not only highlights their performance but also places the focus on Oman. A hotel from our country has been chosen from hundreds of contenders and voted the most active worldwide in Responsible Business," added Mr. Hayyan Ali Malallah Habib Al-Lawati.

Sustainable and responsible business practices are not yesterday's catch phrases, but today's reality. This is especially true in the hospitality sector, which works in close proximity with local communities. 

Hotels must actively preserve local values and conduct themselves transparently and responsibly. The Responsible Business programme is a commitment that involves three aspects - taking responsibility for the health and safety of employees and customers, respecting social and ethical issues and reducing the negative impact on the environment.

The Park Inn by Radisson Muscat has merited the Responsible Business through various efforts over the last few years. The hotel has the international 'Green Key' certification for two years in a row. 

The Green Key ecolabel, which recognises commitment to ethical, healthy, sustainable and responsible business processes, is awarded to tourism and leisure establishments that meet certain conditions laid out under the programme. Any business that applies for the certification must meet certain strict criteria, including environmental education for employees and guests, general environmental management, optimal waste treatment and responsible water and energy management systems.

To reduce environmental impact, energy saving and re-cycling is an on-going process while regular beach cleaning and blood donation camps contribute to the social responsibility.

The training of staff is also important and the hotel has also recently seen Omanis hired and promoted in key positions. The hotel also showed marked improvement in their 'Climate Analysis' result which measure the satisfaction of employees among other factors. Further to a flooding problem caused by Cyclone Phet, flood gates were installed to ensure the safety of guests is such a situation should arise again. 

Last year the hotel together with the Radisson Blu Muscat participated in 'The Box Appeal' a charity that gives back to those who most need it. This maiden initiative of The Box Appeal in Oman resulted in the collection of 800 boxes filled with essential everyday items that were handed over to local charitable organisation Dar Al Atta for distribution.