Rezidor Hotel Group, a leading hospitality company, has become the first international hotel group in the Middle East to achieve full environmental certification across all its hotels and brands.

Rezidor’s entire Middle East portfolio of 17 operational hotels has achieved the Green Key eco-label, a global eco-label for the leisure industry.

This includes all Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson hotels across six countries covering Bahrain, Jordan, Lebanon, Oman, Saudi Arabia and the UAE. Hotel Missoni in Kuwait will be audited after it opens in March, a statement said.

The hotel group announced it plans to become fully Green Key certified in late 2010, with the aim to have every property awarded by mid 2011.

"The fact that all our hotels in the Middle East became Green Key certified in just four short months is a testament to our hard work and longstanding commitment to environmental practices and Responsible Business in general,” said Sarah Rooney, Responsible Business manager for the group.

Marko Hytonen, area vice president of Rezidor, said: “Our Responsible Business and green ethos is ingrained into our everyday operations. We are delighted that we are leading the way in this area in our region and that an independent third party such as Green Key recognize our ongoing efforts.”

In order to gain Green Key certification, hotels have to fulfil a list of environmental requirements, covering a wide range of criteria; from environmental demands, to demands on policy, availability of action plans, education and communication. – TradeArabia News Service