Travel The new Jetwing Yala’s environmental promise

JETWING Hotels, Sri Lanka’s premier hospitality brand, is all set to open the doors of an eagerly anticipated property — Jetwing Yala. Set on the outskirts of the famous national wildlife park, the hotel will feature 80 rooms designed in the inimitable Jetwing style along with the highest standards of environmental responsibility.

The new hotel, part of a Sri Lankan family-owned hospitality business, has been created from ground up to be as sustainable as possible with the intention of conserving energy and resources, to be a part of the environment and cause little harm to nature, and to reuse and recycle. To aid in these efforts, Jetwing Yala features many initiatives that are now standard at Jetwing properties around the country.

Energy conservation initiatives include illumination through 100% LED lighting and feature LED backlit TVs in guest rooms; a biomass boiler that burns locally sourced cinnamon wood for night time hot water generation along with providing steam for an absorption chiller which supplies the hotel’s entire air conditioning needs. A central solar hot water system caters to daytime demand while a solar photo-voltaic (300kW) plant provides a third of the hotel’s day consumption. Special settings allow thermostats to be set according to the occupants’ needs.

Recycling of waste is a priority, with 100% of waste water (shower water and primary rinse water from laundry washers) recycled for other purposes. A wastewater treatment plant supplies water to flush toilets. Fresh water is provided through a self-generated reverse osmosis plant that reduces the burden on the national water supply. There is also zero solid waste outflow, as waste is recycled for compost that takes place in a composting machine which can recycle waste into compost within 14 days.

On the community side, the seventh Jetwing Youth Development Programme saw the addition of over 80 young associates to the hotel. The award winning programme saw over 100 youth from the area participate in a gruelling six-month course on hotel operations, etiquette, English and communication, among others.

Located just outside the Yala National Park, the hotel is about 240km from Colombo and 260km from the Bandaranaike International Airport — about a four-hour drive. Set amidst the parklands and woodlands of the Yala National Park, all living quarters — 82 luxuriously appointed rooms and 14 tents — have been built to seamlessly blend into its surroundings with each room opening out to a balcony or terrace.

Apart from the restaurant and two bars, which serve both Asian and Sri Lankan cuisine, special arrangements can be made to dine amidst the stunning forest setting. If you do decide to leave the hotel, the Yala National Park is a great way to spend your time — it is famous for its abundance of wild animals, especially elephants and birds. Also located nearby is the Sithulpauwa Monastery, a famous archeological site, as well as the Tissamaharama Temple, Katharagama Shrine and the Kirinda Temple.

[Via Yahoo Entertainment]