by Ana María Restrepo
In the middle of Santiago de Guayaquil, the most populous city in Ecuador and the first commercial port in the country, is the Hotel Oro Verde Guayaquil, a hotel with Swiss heritage but with Ecuadorian capital, member of The Leading Hotels of the World in Ecuador.
This hotel has been characterized by providing its guests with hospitality, service, security, elegance, comfort and one of the best gourmet gastronomic offers in the city, for 27 years. He has been a five-time winner of the World Travel Awards and simultaneously obtained the Smart Voyager, ISO 9001:2000, Quality Management System, ISO 14001:2004, Environmental Management System and OHSAS 18001:1999, Occupational Health and Safety Management System certifications.
Located in the commercial and banking area of the city, Hotel Oro Verde Guayaquil has 236 rooms, Club Floor with presidential suite and Oro Verde suite, three restaurants, a bar, delicatessen, room service, ten meeting rooms, executive center, swimming pool, gym, shopping arcade, casino and parking, which has made it the highest category hotel in the city that combines European experience and Ecuadorian warmth.
Hotel Oro Verde Guayaquil has three restaurants of international stature: Le Gourmet, specialist in French haute cuisine; El Patio, café restaurant with Ecuadorian specialties and international light dishes; and La Fondue, a typical Swiss restaurant with fondue and raclettes. It also has El Capitan, an English-style bar that offers cocktails, live music and happy hour, and the Gourmet Deli, a complete delicatessen that offers Swiss pastries and sandwiches.
Growth and change
More than six years ago and under the general management of Sergio G. Rosarios, Hotel Oro Verde Guayaquil began a process of remodeling in areas such as restaurants, social areas and lounges.
This was an important step that allowed him to adapt to the process of urban regeneration carried out by the council. In this way, Hotel Oro Verde Guayaquil took firm steps in the hotel industry while meeting the high quality standards demanded by The Leading Hotels of the World.
For social or corporate events, Hotel Oro Verde Guayaquil has ten rooms with a capacity of up to 1400 people, all of them recently remodeled, to provide its customers with much more comfortable spaces; according to the new line of development of the city. To this is added the fact that in Guayaquil hotels lead the gastronomic quality and social events. In order to give more space and a more European touch, the main lobby was remodeled in the second instance, which was given a design in accordance with the latest trends in modern hospitality.
Friends of the environment
The process also included a complete adaptation in the air conditioning system, previously to diesel and now have a cold water centrifugal plant that works based on liquefied gas, LPG, less polluting and whose use is consistent with the ISO 14.001: 2004 certification; and the replacement of plastic pipes with copper pipes (in order to offer much cleaner water). "There were also changes to power grids, fire alarm control panels and security systems; in addition, both the HVAC/R system and the security system were completely modernized," explained Jorge Morales, Reception, Marketing and Public Relations Manager. As a complement to these actions of care for the environment, an important recycling program was implemented that involves all areas of the hotel. Likewise, the cellars, grease traps, garbage rooms and kitchen were reorganized, which now has a good amount of structured and efficient equipment, not only for the daily work of the Hotel but for the environment. In this regard, Jorge Morales adds that kitchens were also built adjacent to the living rooms so that they have their own infrastructure.
To better serve them
The last phase consisted of structural changes in the distribution of the rooms. "To optimize our supply and meet the demand that is 70% corporate, we sacrificed some suites to have more single and double rooms, and have a Club Floor (Executive Floor) of the level we now have," said Jorge Morales.
The Oro Verde Club Floor has a different concept that offers guests all the comforts: wireless Internet, fax service and laptop at your disposal (subject to availability). "Each room was equipped with state-of-the-art technology, such as programmable lights, double glazing that removes outside noise and, by minimizing heat, allows significant energy savings," Morales explained.
It was a total investment of between seven and eight million dollars and required the effort of a whole work team headed by the general management and the different heads of department "As a result of obtaining the certifications, all employees had to go through an integrated process in order to channel our actions to what iso standards and Smart Voyager dictate, sustainable tourism certification program," jorge concluded.
Oro Verde Hotels
The Oro Verde Hotels chain has five hotels in Ecuador: two in Guayaquil, Hotel Oro Verde Guayaquil and Unipark Hotel, and the rest in Cuenca, Machala and Manta.
The Hotel Oro Verde Cuenca is built in harmony with the architecture of the city, named Cultural Heritage of Humanity and the Andean landscape. Located just five minutes from the historic center and located next to the Tomebamba River, it has 77 rooms including three suites; as well as cafeteria, restaurant-bar, room service, conference and banquet rooms, business center and fitness club.
Hotel Oro Verde Machala is the first establishment of this category in the city. It is located in a residential area, at the entrance of the city just ten minutes from the city center and the airport. Designed in the New Mexico style, it is distinguished by its extensive tropical gardens.
Hotel Oro Verde Manta is located at the foot of El Murciélago beach, just 10 minutes from the airport and in the center of business, commerce and recreation. For its human warmth and hospitality, the inhabitants of Manta make this the most welcoming tourist city in Ecuador.
Unipark Hotel Guayaquil, located in front of the Iguanas Park and the Cathedral, has 139 rooms, electronic locks, safes, cable TV, telephones with international direct dialing and Internet connection.
