NZ hotel welcomes electric cars
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05 Jan 10 (TravMedia.com): Christchurch’s Hotel SO is known for being a progressive purveyor of accommodation, and is taking its forward-thinking, eco-friendly ethos a step further with a new offer of free electric car charging for guests. Anyone with an electric car who stays at Hotel SO can park at the back of the hotel and plug their vehicle in for free overnight. The hotel is planning a wind turbine on the roof too.
“The electric-car market is small now, but it will boom, and we like to be ahead of the curve,” Sales and Marketing Manager Steven Dixon says, “More importantly, it fits with our eco-friendly and progressive vision.”
The hotel has introduced a suite of “micro” electric cars, which are being used by staff to tool around the city and run errands. This is just part of a number of initiatives aimed at being the most sustainable hotel in the world ” something we feel comfortable claiming as the energy consumed per room is dramatically lower than any comparable product.” Says Dixon. The eco-friendly “micro” electric cars are the cherry on the top.
Hotel SO has just seen its best month since it launched two years ago with its unique offer of five-star service and amenities at a fraction of the cost of competing hotels. With November a sell-out, the award-winning hotel’s occupancy rate is tracking at approximately 15% above the industry average and 17% above the average for Christchurch hotels, with room rates starting at $69 per night.
Mr Dixon attributes the hotel’s success, in a recession-hit tourism market, to its progressiveness. “We designed the hotel with the traveller in mind. What people are demanding from hotels has completely changed in the past five years, and we have done well by responding to increasing price-consciousness among consumers, who nonetheless expect value for what they pay.
“We provide everything a standard five-star hotel does except the standard room size - and it turns out space isn’t important to many people, especially at our price point. It also means that we have a high rate of repeat visits and people extending their visits, particularly in the business market, because they can afford to stay longer.”
A critical point of difference is the availability of free wireless internet at Hotel SO, which has typically been a revenue driver for hotels, Mr Dixon says. “Free wireless attracts people to stay with us. It’s also a function of our price point and the reality is travellers expect in touch for free. I asked on Twitter how important free wifi is, and the resounding response is that without it, a hotel is a fail.”
The hotel was recently recognized at the 2009 HotelClub Awards, From 2,800 Hotels, Hotel SO was named the Best Superior Hotel in New Zealand, Australia and the South Pacific.
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