BRUSSELS, Belgium, 2015-5-5 — /Travel PR News/ — Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands wins the “Diversity & Inclusion” award by The Guardian Sustainable Business Awards, for employing as many as 30% deaf employees across all departments within the hotel. The award was received by one of the deaf staff members, Dale Holmes, Supervisor Food & Drink, and by Unathi Kave, Assistant Manager Human Resources, a sign language interpreter from the hotel. The award ceremony took place at The Crystal in London last night.
The Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands is the first hotel in South Africa to employ deaf employees across all departments. The property offers a great opportunity for deaf people, helping tackle both disability prejudice and accessibility. The deaf employees work in a wide variety of roles from transport to maintenance passing through housekeeping, security and reservation. The deaf employees had no prior experience when they were hired. The hotel has invested in their training and development to provide them with necessary skills needed for their new job in the hotel. Some of them gone as far as setting a new level of service for the hearing staff.
Showcasing its commitment to community involvement and being a responsible business, Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands has partnered with the Deaf Federation of South Africa (DEAFSA). The hotel has a huge emphasis on accessibility. It offers five wheelchair-friendly rooms and a series of ramps.
“Embracing diversity and inclusion is an important pillar of Our Promise, our company’s employee value proposition. The team at Park Inn Cape Town has proven that the true strength of a business and community lies in differences, not in similarities. I am exceptionally proud to see our colleagues win this great recognition from The Guardian,” adds Wolfgang M. Neumann, President and CEO of The Rezidor Hotel Group.
The Guardian Sustainable Business Awards showcases the people and projects who are helping business shine and achieve for people, planet and profit. The Diversity & Inclusion award recognises the organisation’s ability to innovate and adapt through their support of different perspectives, experiences, cultures, genders, and age.
-Ends-
Notes to Editors:
About Park Inn® by Radisson
Park Inn® by Radisson is a fresh and energetic mid-market hotel brand offering friendly and welcoming hospitality at a competitive price. Park Inn by Radisson has more than 210 hotels in operation and under development across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and the Americas. To attract a mix of business and leisure travelers, the brand offers guests a variety of relevant amenities called “Park Inn Essentials.” Some of these include complimentary high-speed Internet access, fitness and business centers, restaurants or complimentary lite “grab and go” breakfasts.
Park Inn by Radisson is a part of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group, which also includes Quorvus Collection, Radisson Blu®, Radisson®, Radisson Red, Park Plaza® and Country Inns & Suites By CarlsonSM. For more information and reservations visit, www.parkinn.com.
About Rezidor’s Responsible Business programme
Rezidor’s ambitious and award-winning Responsible Business programme dates back to 1989. The programme’s three core areas ensure that we care for our guests, our people and our planet and act in an ethical way: Think Planet: minimising our environmental footprint; Think People: taking care of the health and safety of guests and employees; and Think Together: community action and business ethics.
Innovative offerings like Meetings Minus Carbon by Club Carlson for Meeting Planners allow our clients to have a responsible stay in all Carlson Rezidor hotels worldwide.
Rezidor has received numerous awards and accolades for being an innovative leader in sustainability practices, responsible business, and its safety and security programme. More than 70% of our hotels across EMEA are already eco-labelled, and we are committed to rising to 100% by end of 2015. Since 2010, the group has been named one of the Most Ethical Companies Worldwide (by Ethisphere Institute).
In 2014, the group’s CEO also announced the company’s focus on developing more women in leadership position, as part of its employee value proposition (Our Promise). The group aims to have 30% of its senior leadership position taken up by women, by end of 2015.
Rezidor is has subscribed the UN Global Compact since 2009 and is a signatory to the UN CEO Water Mandate.
For more on Rezidor’s Responsible Business, visit www.responsiblebusiness.rezidor.com.
For further information, contact:
Keum Roling, Corporate Brand & Communication Manager, Keum.Roling@carlsonrezidor.com
Inge Huijbrechts, VP Responsible Business of Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group,Inge.Huijbrechts@carlsonrezidor.com
###
Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands wins the “Diversity & Inclusion” award by The Guardian Sustainable Business Awards for employing 30% deaf employees within the hotel