MELUHUA-THE FERN

Q1. Who founded the organization? When and where did

it start? Who is the current owner?
ANS: The hotel is owned by HGP community and managed by Concept
Hospitality. It was found on 17th January 2011

Q2. Describe the work location? What does the

organization produce sell or build?
ANS: Meluha-The Fern is a five star environmentally responsible business
hotel located in the heart of Hiranandani Gardens, Powai. In a short span of
four years, the hotel has gained immense recognition in both National
and International markets with 45 awards including the
prestigious National Tourism Award by the President of India .
The hotel boasts of 141 exquisitely designed guest rooms that reflect
modern Indian sensibility, two restaurants, Tiara- an all-day café and
Cesky- a fine dine restaurant offering delectable cuisines from around the
globe. The hotel also has one of the largest indoor meeting and banquet
facilities, making it a preferred choice for business and family events

Q3 What is the ecological policy of this company? Why

has the company adopted this policy?
ANS:
Water Management

Meluha-The Fern, has employed various techniques to conserve and preserve water.

Water consumption is reduced at source through low-flow fixtures and efficient toilets.
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Energy Management

At Meluha the Fern, we try our best to ensure every unit of energy is put to use. Energy
management designs and systems enlisted below have been integrated into the hotel to ensure
optimum utilization of energy.

Waste Management

Waste Management is an important aspect of environmental responsibility given the amount of

waste that is sent to landfills all over the world. Along with reducing the use of natural
resources at source though various measures, the waste generated is effectively diverted from
a landfill through segregation and recycling

Indoor Environmental Air Quality and ' Pure' rooms

All areas of the hotel have ventilation systems designed to meet or exceed the minimum air
quality standard to prevent the development of indoor air quality problems in buildings, thus
contributing to the comfort and well-being of the Occupants. Low VOC adhesives, sealants,
paints etc meeting stipulated standards have been utilized.

THESE ARE SOME OF OUR ECOLOGICAL POLICIES.

We have adopted this policy because we at Meluha the Fern believe our
environment is unique and is the legacy our future generations inherit,
therefore it is our prime responsibility to protect it. This belief is not only in
thought... But is also exemplified in word and deeds.

In our endeavor to conserve our planet, we relentlessly strive to create a

paradigm shift towards sustainable thinking by transfer of knowledge and
delivering significant societal value through education programs and
community activities

Q4.What are the concrete measures that the company

has taken? Who and where are the main customers?
What is done to get more customers?
ANS:
 The hotel has a comprehensive storm water drainage plan to control erosion and reduce
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negative impacts on water and air quality.Also several measures to control erosion and
sedimentation of the landscape have been adopted during & post-construction.

 97.48% of construction waste has been diverted from landfills. The list of materials
diverted include steel scrap, packaging materials, broken hollow blocks, tiles, glass, wooden
scrap, plumbing and plaster waste.

 Most of the materials used in construction was obtained locally. thereby supporting the
regional economy and reducing the environmental impacts resulting from transportation.

 All tap faucets are either installed with flow restrictors/aerators or sensors. Shower heads
and urinal are equipped with flow control devices and timer-based sensors respectively. All
toilets are water-efficient and meet low-flush standards with a dual flush system of
capacities 3 and 6 liters per flush.

 Drinking Water treatment: Water is sterilized in the Ultra violet ray filter and passed
through a central chilled water system for cooling. This has helped eliminate the need of
installing 8 water coolers in various outlets.

 Sewage treatment Plant: The waste water of the hotel is treated and then further reused
in areas like the air conditioning plant, flushing gardening and for new constructions within
the complex.

 Rain water harvesting: Groundwater recharge and roof water harvesting is also
incorporated in the hotel. During the monsoon,flush water and cooling tower requirements
which are around 1 lakh liter of water per day is met through roof water harvesting and
subsurface collection & pumping.

 The Building design incorporates efficient lighting systems (LED CFL, Dimmers to vary
brightness and motion sensors) high performance glass, DCV(Demand control ventilation)
and CO sensors in the parking area to optimize energy performance.

 Measurement and verification energy performance is done through a system of meters

and sub-meters is installed.

 Our Centralized HVAC system has a highly efficient microprocessor based controller to
reduce starting current and control acceleration of the motors.
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 Moreover, the refrigerant used in the AC plant and the refrigerators is CFC free.

 The HVAC system has 3 STL (storage thermal latent) tanks installed. The system permits
the generation of cooling or heating to be transferred to a period when our AC plant would
otherwise be shut down, or when energy costs are lower. Also significant amount of energy
is saved since the AC plant is run during the night when ambient temperatures are lower.
This enables effective Load management,maximizes efficiency of the plant and conserves
energy.

 Co-generation of Energy: Another interesting element of the HVAC system is that Hot
water for the hotel is generated from the waste heat of the AC plant through a De Super
Heater. As a back-up, we also have natural gas powered Hot Water Generator installed.

 Energy Conservation through Building Management System Automation enables Demand

based ventilation in public areas like banquets, meeting rooms, etc. Further distribution
pumps are controlled to distribute chilled water as per load through variable frequency
drives (VFD). Chiller set points are adjusted based on ambient temperatures. Kitchen
exhaust and Treated fresh air is control based and scheduled through the BMS.

 The Guests rooms are incorporated with an intelligent key-tag system. Also the Master
Control panel in the guest rooms incorporates a unique feature known as the ECO button.
On pressing the Eco button the thermostat of the air-conditioning unit is stepped up by two
degrees. A certificate of appreciation is issued to the guest who has voluntarily participated
in conserving energy. We have developed a direct mail link with the guests, and inform
them of our ongoing environmental activities.
 We use the world’s most successful Hybrid Car for guest transportation- Toyota Prius. The
vehicle generates some of its own power by recovering kinetic energy during braking. This
reduces fuel consumption & thus, Carbon dioxide emissions. Solar powered power banks for
cell phones are used.

 Further energy management is facilitated through an excellently implemented

Preventative maintenance program of all equipment in the hotel to ensure maximum
efficiency, Daily monitoring of Heat-Light-Power(HLP),Goal-setting for reduction of HLP
consumption,Energy conservation Training for all team members ,and exchanging
knowledge of best practices at community meetings.

 The Hotel manages its solid waste by segregating it in all the kitchens of the hotel. Four
separate color coded bins-Black, White, Green, Red are used for separating the waste into wet,
dry, recyclable and non-recyclable.
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 An easily accessible area that serves the entire building is dedicated to the separation,
collection and storage of materials for recycling including (at a minimum) paper, corrugated
cardboard, glass, plastics, and metals to facilitate waste reduction at source.

 The food waste or wet waste is sent out to piggeries to be recycled and the dry garbage is
given out to a recycler for recycling

- Guest Connect

One of our primary methods of spreading environmental awareness among our guests is through
an Ecotel handbook kept in all the rooms of the hotel. This handbook printed on recycled paper
informs our guest of the environment friendly practices of the hotel

Also our Guest participation programs - Save our planet and Eco guest program are largely
accepted and practiced.

Save Our Planet: This re-use of linen program helps conserve the environment by reducing
energy and water consumption.

Eco Guest Program: The master control panel in the guest rooms is incorporated with an Eco
button. This button when pressed increases the entire room temperature by two degrees
Celsius thus saving energy. Each guest who presses this button is appreciated with an Eco
certificate.

All communication and marketing material of the hotel specifically mentions our commitment to
the environment.

- Community Events

Community engagement events/ Initiatives/Campaigns are organized regularly to involve

citizens and enable the practice of more environmentally conscious, economically sustainable,
and socially responsible lifestyles and business pursuits.
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Staff associates from the various departments join and promote these events. Some of our past
events include Cycle Rally, Cleanup Drives, , Vermiculture demos to citizens, Switching off
non-essential lights during Earth Hour, Educating guests about the environment practices

followed in the hotel, Eco Ganesha workshops, Environment awareness with students, Best out
of waste competitions etc.

School children are also invited to the hotel and educated about the environment friendly
practices followed at the hotel. We assist them with projects as well as practices they can
implement at home.
- Green Team

The Green Team is a group of committed individuals who act as the managing body for the
hotel’s environment program. The team consists of team members from each
function/department in the hotel. The members are entrusted with the responsibility to monitor
staff and to ensure that they adhere to ecofriendly practices .They also host various activities for
the staff and community.

MOST OF OUR GUESTS ARE ATTRACTED BECAUSE OF OUR ECO FRIENDLY

POLICIES AND ALSO BY TRAVEL WEBSITES.

Q5. WHAT ARE YOUR ACHIEVEMENTS?

ANS: Meluha-The Fern is the first LEED Gold (Leadership in Energy and
Environment Design) and Ecotel Certified Hotel. LEED is an
internationally recognized Green building certification system. Our Gold
certified building design exhibits state-of-the-art architecture, sustainable
systems and technologies. Whereas Ecotel Certification, enables the hotel
to become sustainable by reducing the environment impact of day-to-day
operations; becoming financially more viable and socially responsible.

19 rooms of Meluha have been certified as Pure rooms by New York

based Pure Solutions.These rooms give our guests the luxury of
breathing in a room that is 99 per cent pollution-free. These rooms have
been through a patented, 7-step purification process which treats every
surface, including the air, removing up to 99 per cent of pollutants to help
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the guest breathe easy and rest peacefully. The air-purification system
protects the guests from air-borne irritants, and eliminates odors at the
source, leaving the room feeling fresh and clean. The unique,
hypoallergenic mattress and pillow encasements provides soft, breathable
coverings for further protection. Carpets, upholstery and all other surfaces
are deep cleaned and specially treated. A rigorous maintenance procedure
is followed to keep the Pure Rooms allergy-friendly.

Q6 .Future Plans?
ANS: The milestones achieved by Meluha the Fern simply prove that
Responsible Luxury is not an oxymoron. The best practices implemented
by Meluha the Fern can be replicated by other businesses to potentially
drive change in the current state of environment even as they generate
economic wealth. We plan to continue serving our guests with the eco
friendly ways and help in making the world a better place.