LOCATED in the 41-storey Menara Darussalam that sits strategically in Jalan Pinang in the Kuala Lumpur central business district is Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur — the international hotel brand's debut in Kuala Lumpur's hospitality market.
Certified by the Malaysian Green Building Index (GBI), the five-star hotel opened its doors at end-August and offers 370 guest rooms and 42 suites. Apart from designated office space from Levels 3 to 15 of Menara Darussalam, the rest of the building is taken up by the hotel.
The decision to design and build a green building was a collaborative one by the building's owner — Bahagia Investment Corp (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd, a subsidiary of the Brunei Investment Agency — and Hyatt Hotels Corp. Brunei Investment Agency holds and manages the Brunei government's General Reserve Fund and its external assets.
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur's general manager Robert Dallimore says guests have now come to expect green practices from hotel establishments.
"We have had a lot of positive support for our green practices from the local community, foreign visitors, Hyatt loyal members and travellers from Southeast Asia since our opening."
He adds that management wants to replicate the success of Grand Hyatt Singapore, which has won accolades for its environment-friendly practices, including the 2012 Asean Green Hotel Recognition Award and 2012 National Energy Globe Award Winner for Singapore.
Menara Darussalam was designed and built specifically to comply with the GBI.
This initiative was led by WATG Architects Sdn Bhd and supported by GDP Architects Sdn Bhd. Bilkey Llinas Design was the interior designer.
The hotel received its GBI certification, facilitated by the team from Fenestra Malaysia Sdn Bhd, in May.
Close attention to the environmental impact of the Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur started from the construction phase. Groundwater from the basement levels was harvested for site cleaning, water tests and washing of outgoing vehicles. Construction began in the fourth quarter of 2010 and the building was completed in 2½ years.
The mechanical and electrical systems were specifically designed to be more efficient than standard hotel requirements.All the guest rooms and suites have floor-to-ceiling windows to maximise natural light and they are specially glazed with a high performance reflective bronze coating to keep heat out.
Rooms are equipped with sensors to detect the presence of guests and adjust room lighting and temperature to minimise energy consumption.
Common guest areas such as the lobby, restaurants and the Grand Residence also feature floor-to-ceiling windows.
The hotel has six function rooms, spanning 35,530 sq ft, to provide a variety of venue options from private business meetings to grand events.
The crystal chandeliers at the Grand Ballroom and Grand Salon were customised and are fitted with high efficiency LED lights.
Guests are encouraged to participate in the hotel's green efforts by car pooling with provisions for car pool-designated parking zones. The car park also has designated parking zones specially fitted with electrical charging points for electric vehicles.
As part of Hyatt's Thrive initiative, the group's global corporate social responsibility platform, the hotel's green efforts are not limited to its building structure or systems, but extend to day-to-day operations.
A solid waste management policy tracks all waste performance metrics, ensuring that procedures for ongoing consumables, including durable goods and food waste, are implemented.
Unused spaces around the premises are planted with greenery with foliage specially selected for hardiness and minimal watering requirements. The greenery also benefits from the hotel's composting practices.
A stormwater harvesting system recycles water for use in back of the house washrooms, external cleaning and watering of plants. Condensation from the air-conditioning is collected for the same purpose.
The mechanical and engineering systems also recycle the guest rooms' washroom exhaust into fresh air. Inverters, heat pumps and soft starters for machinery are installed to reduce electrical current consumption as well.
To ensure the measures are properly implemented, employees undergo extensive recycling awareness training so that they are able to work with suppliers and contract vendors to identify products and work practices that meet the goals and requirements of the hotel's green policy.
Grand Hyatt KL is situated within walking distance of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, Suria KLCC, KLCC Park, Dewan Filharmonik Petronas and the Golden Triangle shopping and entertainment district. The Pavilion Shopping Centre is less than a 10-minute walk via a covered sky bridge outside the hotel.
As at June 30, 2012, Hyatt Corp's worldwide portfolio consisted of 492 properties.
This story first appeared in The Edge weekly edition of Nov 12-18, 2012.