World’s First Hotel with Deaf Employees celebrates Signtember
Signtember at Park Inn® by Radisson in Newlands is a big month for the Radisson Group. The commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident in every facet of the business.
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The newly built Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands is the first internationally branded hotel in Claremont / Newlands - a key upmarket business and residential node in the affluent Southern Suburbs of Cape Town.
Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands and the Deaf Federation of South Africa (DeafSA)
Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands and the Deaf Federation of South Africa (DeafSA) have formed a quite unique partnership in South Africa with the opening of the hotel at the end of 2014. Currently the Park Inn by Radisson Newlands Hotel has 30 employees who are deaf or hard of hearing. Based on the partnership with DeafSA the employment of deaf and hard of hearing people was an aim from the beginning of this newly opened hotel and with a representation of close to 30% of employees with disabilities the hotel is well above the government’s target of 2% as well as the 2% to obtain points for the B-BBEE scorecard. The hotel management also explains that the legislation on employment of people with disability does not have a large influence on their employment policy.
The Park Inn by Radisson Hotel management also confirms a number of the points made in the business case on employment of persons with disabilities though the business case on disability has not been a conscious consideration in developing the hotel’s strategies. The management has found that their employees with disabilities are hardworking dependable employees, they are less absent, the retention rate is higher and their productivity and efficiency are comparable to non-disabled employees. Furthermore, they find that their employees with disabilities contribute positively to the overall diversity, creativity and workplace morale and enhance the hotel’s image among its staff and costumers. However, these factors have not been part of a HR strategy but have been a positive unexpected outcome of employing people who are deaf or hard of hearing in the hotel.
Furthermore, the fact that they have a high number of employees with disabilities and have a specific focus on accessibility (the number of accessible rooms in the hotel is significantly higher than that of other hotels in South Africa) has not so far been part of the hotel’s marketing. However, this could be a determining factor for persons with disabilities, their relatives and friends as well as DPOs in choosing accommodation, meeting or conference facilities..
About The Rezidor Hotel Group:
The Rezidor Hotel Group is one of the most dynamic hotel companies in the world and a member of the Carlson Rezidor Hotel Group. The group features a portfolio of 430 hotels in operation and under development with 95,000 rooms in 69 countries.
Rezidor operates the core brands Radisson Blu and Park Inn by Radisson in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), along with the Club Carlson loyalty programme for frequent hotel guests. In early 2014 and together with Carlson, Rezidor has launched the new brands Radisson Red (lifestyle select) and Quorvus Collection (luxury). Rezidor has an industry-leading Responsible Business Programme and was awarded one the World's Most Ethical Companies by the US think tank Ethisphere.
In November 2006, Rezidor was listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange. Carlson, a privately held global hospitality and travel company, based in Minneapolis (USA), is the majority shareholder.
The corporate support office of The Rezidor Hotel Group is based in Brussels, Belgium.
This Cape Town Hotel has been making headlines for all the right reasons, lately by exposing guests to the world of Deaf people.
Welcoming guests with the language of signs Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands is the first hotel with deaf employees Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands welcomes guests in a unique way. The brand-new and vibrant hotel in South Africa employs 30 deaf and hearing impaired colleagues.
Deaf colleagues at Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands have different taks in all departments going from transport to maintenance passing through housekeeping, security and reservation. Contrary to many hotels in the industry where hearing impaired colleagues are commonly employed in the back of the hotel - Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands offers a great opportunity to deaf people to break this handicap barrier. Elzabe van der Walt, creditor clerk, confirms: “It’s very difficult to find a job when you are deaf. I feel I’ve been given a chance here”.
At Carlson Rezidor, we are committed to diversity and inclusion, we hire staff with the ‘Yes I Can!’ attitude and train to develop employees’ skills. This was the case with our deaf colleagues since none of them had work experience in a hotel. Colleagues at Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands show an incredible amount of dedication and commitment to succeed just like any other valuable employee.
Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands put in place special measures in order to employ deaf people. The hotel appointed an interpreter and upon check-in guests are informed about the disability of some members of the staff. Guests enjoy the interaction with deaf colleagues and all employees at the hotel are now getting used to sign language.
Sign language is not just about using your hands, but also facial and body language to get the message across. Dale Holmes, M&E Supervisor and Patrick De Louw, Concierge and Hotel Driver, deaf employees say they use signs that are easy to understand for hearing people. “I sign using body language to make guests understand and feel welcome” says Patrick. On the other hand, lip-reading and eye contact are very important for Dale and Patrick in order to understand hearing people.
Approximately 30 percent of employees at the Newlands based Park Inn by Radisson are completely or partially Deaf. It's believed the hotel has the highest compliment of Deaf employees in the world.
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Signtember at Park Inn® by Radisson in Newlands is a big month for the Radisson Group. The commitment to diversity and inclusion is evident in every facet of the business.
read moreThe hotel is close to several legendary sport stadiums and institutions, such as the Newlands Cricket Ground, Newlands Rugby Stadium, South African Rugby Head Quarters and the Sports Science Institute of South Africa, Africa’s leading sports medicine, rehabilitation and high performance centre.
The prestigious University of Cape Town which is the highest ranked university in Africa is only a short distance away, as are many office parks and company’s headquarters
Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands is a 122-room newly build hotel that enjoys a prime location in close proximity to the city’s main sporting venues, shopping malls and historical tourist attractions.
The hotel is just 15 minutes from Cape Town International airport and 10 minutes from the CBD.
Park Inn by Radisson Cape Town Newlands delivers a great night’s sleep in a clean, personalized environment and guests can expect vibrant décor, and complimentary in-room high speed internet.
New Smart Meetings & Events
Park Inn by Radisson brings you a brilliant new Smart Meeting & Events hospitality concept, offering consistent Connection, Choice and Community to modern business get togethers. Smart Meetings & Events are designed to deliver the right type of smart food, drinks, event spaces and technology to support our guests' life and work styles.
The Smart Meetings & Events concept focuses on Connectivity, providing guests with Surf4Free Internet access throughout all our hotels, on smartphone, PC or tablet. Anytime. Anywhere.
Park Inn by Radisson is also a truly Responsible Business focused on making a difference in the Communities we operate in. Through our Think Planet energy saving strategy, all carbon emissions associated with your meetings can now be offset through our Club Carlson for Planners program.
"Our Smart Meetings & Events featuring Surf4Free internet is designed to create value and success for our guests every time they meet in our hotels," says Eric De Neef, Senior Vice President of Marketing & CRM, Global Branding Park Inn by Radisson. "We empower them to focus completely on achieving their business meeting ambitions, while we focus on delivering all the essential hardware and software of a successful meeting or event."