AS pressure to save water increases in Victoria, some members of the hotel industry are trying to do their bit to get their guests to help conserve the precious resource.

Accor’s Novotel Melbourne on Collins is giving all its guests a complimentary three-minute shower timer when they check in as part of its strategy to cut consumption across its 324 rooms.

In addition to promoting the three-minute showers, the Novotel is introducing other water saving initiatives. They include ckludelcud including installation of water reducing shower heads in all rooms, water restrictor pipes to all rooms, variable speed motors and metres to monitor water monthly meter readings throughout the hotel and inclusion in the water management plan with City West Water and the Federal Government’s Greenhouse challenge to reduce all energy omissions.

Novotel general manager Erkin Aytekin said the hotel had received positive feedback from regular and new guests alike.

“The Novotel is an environmentally conscious hotel wherever possible and over time we are confident guests will embrace these initiatives as part of the Novotel experience,” Aytekin said.

The Novotel Melbourne on Collins will also be part of an Accor company wide global environmental initiative taking place next week. Accor has declared 22 April as ‘Earth Guest Day’ and have asked regions across its global network to support an environmental initiative close to their heart.

In North America for example, hotels will concentrate on the rejuvenation of plants and trees in public spaces, in Europe it is the reduction of carbon emissions and in Australia, fittingly, it is the conservation of water. More than 10,000 Australian hotel staff will adopt the three-minute showers at home accompanied with a week of education on water saving initiatives. The plan is to then pass these ideas on to guests to encourage environmentally friendly practices throughout Accor hotels.