CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

Hotel Augusta Vallés is committed to a Corporate Social Responsibility model that generates economic activity, sustainable development and responsible management. The competitive nature and image of the company benefits staff, customers, suppliers and the environment itself, hence our commitment to communicate, accurately and clearly, those values, principles and benefits that make our company a benchmark in the environment in which we live.

Our joint Board of Directors is responsible for overseeing Corporate Social Responsibility in the management of the company and business development. The action plan is based on ongoing review of our actions.

Responsible Actions

Environment

• Water management: We have installed smart taps, climate-adapted landscaping and drip irrigation.
• Reduction in electricity consumption: The use of new technologies (LEDs) throughout the building and our investments in energy-efficient machinery have resulted in a 50% saving in electricity consumption.
• 100% green energy: our supplier provides 100% renewable energy guaranteed by the Spanish energy watchdog CNMC.
• Waste management: All waste generated by the hotel is treated separately for better classification by various authorised waste management companies,
• Environmentally friendly cleaning materials: Biodegradable and environmentally friendly materials are used to clean the rooms, restaurant, kitchen, lounges and common areas.
• Km0 products: At our restaurant, Trànsit , you can sample seasonal products from local suppliers, such as “ganxet” beans, honey and eggs from “Palou” (Granollers), “pa de pagès” from Vilanova, D.O. Alella wine, “pometa” and “cor de bou” tomatoes from Vallès Oriental, vegetables from Parets, “St Jordi” craft beer (Cardedeu), etc.
• Stationery: Our distributor supplies products bearing the EU Ecolabel.
• Amenities: We care about our guests’ skin, which is why our gels and soaps are made with natural, hypoallergenic ingredients, and carry the EU Ecolabel. Refillable dispensers are provided throughout most of the hotel to avoid using the highly polluting plastic single-dose dispensers.

Safety

The safety of employees, customers and suppliers is always ensured when making decisions.

• Food: All our kitchen and dining room staff have, at the very least, a food handler’s licence and continuously receive updated training in this regard.
• Safety at work: The number of work accidents at our facilities is almost zero, thanks to specific training and investment in the most advanced safety measures.
• Fire regulations: The hotel has implemented a programme to update, renovate and adapt its facilities to the latest fire protection regulations.

Social initiatives

MARIA FRANCISCA DE ROVIRALTA Foundation

A significant portion of the profits generated by Hotel Augusta Vallès goes back to the PACAMU Charitable Foundation and to the María Francisca de Roviralta Foundation , which allocate the funds raised to charitable purposes around the world.

REIR Foundation

The hotel makes annual donations of audio-visual material, computer equipment, household goods and household equipment to the REIR Foundation. (Recursos Educatius per a la Infància en Risc) for its main facilities and its shelters in Vallès Oriental.

REIR is an association that was founded in 2007 on the initiative of a group of professionals who had been working for a long time with children at risk in Catalonia. Its activities are currently concentrated in Vallès Oriental and Osona. The organisation provides services such as protection from dysfunctional families, schooling support, social assistance for families, and aid for any group at risk of social exclusion, whether or not they are minors (foreigners, women, the elderly).

We’re also partnered with non-profit organisations: Banc de Recursosby donating a wide array of material in good condition, and Escuela Montserrat Montero, which is dedicated to helping people with intellectual disabilities, through financial contributions.

We collaborate financially with the “”El Xiprer” Foundation , which manages the collection and donation of food to families at risk of exclusion. The foundation’s social work favours the reintegration into the labour market of people without resources.

VILANOVA DEL VALLÈS Town Council

In order to help our closest neighbours as much as possible, we have signed an agreement with Vilanova del Vallès Town Council to offer hotel rooms to local families who, owing to meteorological-, social- or health-related risks or reasons, have lost their homes or are unable to continue living in them.

Employees

• The partners of Hotel Augusta Vallès have a special bond with their employees and believe that a positive working environment, coupled with the promotion of professional growth and development, fosters solid relationships and a strong sense of belonging to the company.
• Strict compliance with current legislation—especially in terms of stable employment, gender equality, equal pay and opportunities, and work-family balance—is part of the company’s DNA.
• Continuous training: We consider it a priority for our employees to stay up to date and be made aware of new trends, regulations, procedures and processes, which is why they receive continuous training in the form of specialised courses in areas such as office automation, electrical installations, languages, regional knowledge, tourist product marketing, and the benefits of marketing and social media, in addition to compulsory courses in food handling, water and waste treatment, etc.
• Equality: At HOTEL AUGUSTA VALLÈS we strive to provide equal opportunities to all our staff, from our recruitment processes to our promotion and professional development models.
• Workplace harassment protocol: This has been implemented at our hotel to prevent, detect and report any form of workplace harassment.
• Internal communication: A system of internal communication has been put in place at the company in the form of departmental meetings, a suggestion box, a communication board and monthly follow-up meetings, all of which are open to our entire workforce.
• Internship programme: Experience matters, and we are always willing to share it. As part of a highly successful collaboration, internship programmes have been established with various hotel and catering schools in Spain and abroad, such as:
• Institut Marta Mata (Montornés del Vallès)
• Liceé Nôtre Dame dela Providence (Orchies)
• Business School ESC Troyes (Sant Julien Les Metz)
• Università LUMSA (Rome)
• Impulsa (Madrid)
• Université Paul Sabatier (Toulouse)
• Autonomous University of Barcelona Foundation (Bellaterra)
• Alteza España (Barcelona)

Our contribution to sustainable development

• Certifications: Since 2015 our investments have been geared towards achieving the sustainable development goals set by the UN. To this end, in 2017 the hotel joined the ‘ BIOSPHERE
• Commitment to Sustainable Tourism, Costa Barcelona’ seal awarded annually by the Responsible Tourism Institute, which we have maintained and renewed ever since.
• In 2021 Hotel Augusta Vallès received the prestigious ‘Safe Travels’ seal, which recognises its efforts and commitment in the fight against COVID-19.
• Investments: A significant portion of the investments made in recent years has been focused on energy improvement, consumption reduction and eco-sustainable digitalisation. Our priorities included:
• Replacing our heat pump.
• Using LEDs throughout our facilities.
• Upgrading air-conditioning equipment.
• Gradual installation of digital thermostats.
• Vinyls on glassed areas that help with the acclimatization of the space.
• Smart taps and motion sensors.
• New hot water systems.
• Surveillance systems to ensure people’s safety.
• Digital security mechanisms to prevent cybercrime.
• Satisfaction surveys with QR code.
• WhatsApp Business to speed up guest bookings and enquiries.
• POS software to improve restaurant orders.
• Information panels around the hotel with QR codes and area maps.
• Biodegradable and recyclable packaging for our takeaway products.
• Parking spaces for electric vehicles.
• Implementation of returnable, biodegradable and environmentally friendly food packaging.
• The production and consumption of renewable photovoltaic energy that will help to offset emissions and reduce costs.
• Further improvements:
• Compliance with the Organic Law on Protection of Personal Data and Guarantee of Digital Rights (LOPDGDD), which guarantees and protects the integrity and privacy of individuals.
• Adaptation of our catering services for people with food intolerances.
• Rooms and facilities adapted for people with special needs.
• Admission of pets.

Compliance

HOTEL AUGUSTA VALLÈS has approved a range of procedures and best practices adopted by organisations to identify and classify the operational and legal risks they face, as well as to establish internal mechanisms for preventing, managing, controlling and reacting to them, with special emphasis on the six types of criminal offences that could be committed with the least difficulty.

In addition to the compliance manual, our employees, suppliers and customers have access to a whistle-blowing channel via the email address compliance@hotelaugustavalles.com, where they can report any illegal or unethical behaviour that has taken place within the company.