Weddings

5th June, 2023

Weddings

5th June, 2023

Plan your fairy-tale wedding in Malta 

Malta boasts around 300 days of sunshine every year making it one of the sunniest countries in Europe. So what better way to say your vows then under the beautiful Mediterranean sun? 

As a wedding abroad location, Malta caters to all tastes and is blessed with predicably good weather and beautiful backdrops, making it a very attractive option. 

With friendly locals who all speak English, easy flight connections and the minimum of red tape for getting married abroad, Malta ticks a lot of boxes. 

What to expect 

A wedding in Malta offers stunning scenery, beautiful architecture and an established destination wedding industry with some fantastic local wedding planners. 

Your wedding celebration can take whatever form you wish, from a dinner feasting on local delicacies, to a cocktail party or a lavish reception. Large wedding receptions are very much part of the traditional Maltese wedding and experienced and professional caterers can tailor-make a menu for your party, whatever the size. 

The location 

The Sheer Bastion, set atop Senglea’s centuries old bastions creates an exceptionally romantic atmosphere for you to exchange your vows and start your happily ever after. From the roof of the old bastion, one of the most iconic wedding venues in Malta, you can enjoy a unique panoramic view of the Grand Harbour, the “three cities” and across to Valletta. The venue can accommodate up to 600 guests or seating for 300. And our hotel Cugó Gran Macina gives you the opportunity to share your perfect wedding experience to the full with your family members and those dear to you. 

The Cugó Gran Macina is truly a hotel with a difference. Historical fortress walls contrast with modern interior design and bespoke luxury fittings, with most of the 21 suites having unobstructed views of the Grand Harbour and the surrounding marina.  

The hotel includes a swimming pool, tucked discreetly on the rooftop of the annex building with a terrace looking out across the water to Vittoriosa and Cospicua. Other features include airy communal spaces, a fully fledged bar and a fine dining modern Mediterranean restaurant. 

Some tips 

• Plan your attire, especially the grooms clothing accordingly, as it can get quite hot in Malta, especially in Summer. 
• Plan ahead as weddings are usually booked up to 12 to 18 months in advanced. 
• As soon as you know your wedding date, book your photographer and videographer. 

• Organise a post wedding brunch or activity. 
• Provide guests with as much information as possible. 
• Send out accommodation details to guests well in advance. 
• Don’t expect things to work the same way as they do in your home country. Ask as many questions as you can in order to make sure you get the answers you need. 

If you would like to plan your wedding in Malta and at the Cugó Gran Macina, we can offer you a tailored package. Contact us on sales.malta@cugogran.com for further details. 

World Environmental Day

26th May, 2023

World Environmental Day

26th May, 2023

Cugó Gran Collection says no to plastic pollution 

Cugó Gran Collection is joining millions around the world this World Environment Day on 5th June to #BeatPlasticPollution. The day is being celebrated across all of our properties with enthusiasm and fervour, with the hotels taking up different initiatives to motivate staff as well as guests to take care of the environment. 

This year, we have taken up a commitment to accomplish a series of sustainability goals across all of our hotels. Our world is at risk, and every action has consequences. We are committed to continuously improve and set a good example to our peers, colleagues and guests and we are contributing to sustainability efforts through a number of measurable actions including reducing energy and water consumption across all of the hotels, removing single use plastics and reducing our food waste, amongst other things.

This World Environment Day is a reminder that our actions on plastic pollution matters. The steps governments and businesses are taking to tackle plastic pollution are the consequence of this action and therefore it is time to accelerate this action and transition to a circular economy. It is time to #BeatPlasticPollution.  

At Cugó Gran Collection and IBB Hotel Collection we have removed plastic bottles and instead use refillable water bottles in each of the guests’ rooms to do our part and reduce plastic pollution. 

“As the world moves towards beating plastic pollution, we want to make our mark and be part of this action. At every hotel in our Group sustainability drives our choices, and we have compiled a blueprint of best practices that we now share with everyone to encourage adoption of an ever-more sustainable business model,” said Anuschka von der Heyden, Head of Sustainability at Von der Heyden Group.

Some of the initiatives that the IBB Hotel Collection and the Cugó Gran brand have taken up this year to protect the environment include: 

• Making 60% of all meal options across our IBB hotels in Europe, as well as our Cugó Gran brand, to be vegan and vegetarian as of 2024. 
• Announced our long-term plan to reduce water consumption across all our hotels by at least 20% by 2030. 
• Reduce our food waste by 30% by 2025 and by 80% by 2030. 

The truth is that we all need to do our bit to turn off the tap on plastic pollution at source. So this World Environment Day, join us in our pledge to stop using one-time plastic once and for all. 

There are many things that you as an individual can do – from asking the restaurants you visit to stop using plastic straws, to bringing your own coffee mug to work, to pressuring your local authorities to improve how they manage your city’s waste. Take the  pledge and adopt new habits to limit your plastic footprint. 

If you would like to learn more about this year’s pledge on World Environment Day watch this video. 

Cultural Diversity Day

11th May, 2023

Cultural Diversity Day

11th May, 2023

Achieving cultural diversity in the workplace

Why cultural differences are crucial for the success of Cugó Gran Collection

Let’s face it; today’s world is set on a global stage. Technology has made our world smaller and has given companies the opportunity to recruit the best people wherever they are. At the moment the words on everyone’s lips are ‘cultural diversity’. It is a trend that is most definitely here to stay, but what is it exactly?

Cultural diversity is a population where all differences are represented. So from a business perspective, types of workplace diversity include race, ethnicity, age, ability, language, nationality, socioeconomic status, gender, religion, or sexual orientation. And we all know that in the hospitality industry we get to interact with different people and cultures from across the world.

At Cugó Gran Collection, we know first hand what it means to be immersed in a culturally diverse environment and we pride ourselves in having a culturally diverse and international team that comes from different parts of the world.

On the 21st of May, the day celebrating World Day for Cultural Diversity, we are celebrating our culturally diverse team and highlighting not only the richness of the world’s cultures, but also the essential role of a culturally diverse team in the hospitality industry.

We believe that ultimately, workplace diversity and inclusion allows us to build teams that bring different viewpoints and talents to the mix, increasing innovation and driving higher revenues.

Our whole team interestingly and constantly mention how variety is the spice of life. Many feel very lucky to be part of such a diverse team and because we welcome guests from all 4 corners of the world and from different cultures, between the whole team we can normally manage to find someone who can truly understand their needs.

At Cugó Gran Collection we believe that a culturally diverse workplace empowers people to develop their talents and skills. A range of ideas and expertise enables those to learn from a more diverse collection of colleagues and it can also boost problem-solving capabilities and increase happiness and productivity.

“In an environment where all voices are heard, this spirit of innovation and encouragement to contribute can drive success,” said Anuschka von der Heyden, Head of Sustainability at Von der Heyden Group.

Each and every team member know how to play to each other’s strengths, and who would be the best person to deal with any given situation. They are there for each other both in and out of work, and the results that they see when they all pull together are truly remarkable and something they are all very proud of.

Also, since as a business we are aiming to tap into different markets and new countries and are very much excited to open our doors beyond Europe in the future, we believe that the best way to learn about other cultures and ethnicities is by talking to people with that background.

Research can only get you so far and has a far less personal touch. By communicating with someone with a different culture or background we not only gain first hand knowledge, but also connect directly. This is very important for us as a business, and we try to make sure that this mantra is adhered to each and every single day.

The teams’ knowledge of different cultural perspectives, and the many skills and backgrounds certainly helps us create a better guest experience, where our culture very much informs the way we shape the experience for each of our guests. Working with a multicultural team also puts each team member outside their bubble, allowing them to see the world from a different lens.

Personalisation is key when creating an experience and at IBB Hotel and Cugó Gran Collection we try and make each guest feel as special as possible.

If you are interested in World Cultural Diversity Day and would like to have a look at some outcomes of the first phase of implementation of the UNESCO Culture|2030 Indicators in countries and cities from all regions of the world take a peek at this video.

Keep your eyes open for our next actions this year. We have big ambitions for 2023 – and have been accomplishing a series of sustainability goals across the group’s hotels and will continue to do so throughout the whole year.

And if you would like to read more about our other sustainability initiatives for 2023, you can do so here.

Stop Food Waste

24th April, 2023

Stop Food Waste

IBB Hotel Collection says no to food waste

24th April, 2023

As part of our 2023 sustainability initiatives, this month we are celebrating Stop Food Waste Day. Started in 2017 by Compass Group USA, Stop Food Waste Day, celebrated on 26 April 2023 is now recognised in every corner of the world as everyone unites to educate and ignite change.

Did you know that 1/3 of food produced for human consumption is globally lost or wasted?

Food waste is central to some of the key challenges facing the world today, including hunger and poverty, climate change, health and wellbeing and the sustainability of agriculture and oceans. Wasting food is also a waste of energy to grow, harvest, process and cook, and food waste in landfills can cause methane emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. 

The mission of Stop Food Waste Day is to ignite change regarding the global food waste issue. This is done by drawing attention to the problem and at the same time educating through engaging with society at all levels and sharing practical, creative, and impactful ways we can all change our behaviour to minimise food waste.

It’s easy for everyone to get involved with reducing the impact of food waste, not just on Stop Food Waste Day, but day in, day out – both in our personal and professional lives. 

What are we doing to stop food waste?

During this day and the whole year, we are celebrating ways our teams are tackling food waste, one of our pillars to reduce our impact on the environment. Let’s take a closer look at how this commitment is being brought to life in our hotels.

We serve millions of meals a year and we would like to take concrete action to shape the future of travel and deliver a more sustainable model. Because we can see that today’s model is no longer viable. And because our customers desire innovative food products and experiences that have a positive impact on our planet and communities.

Therefore, our main aim going forward is to reduce our food waste by 30% by 2025 and by 80% by 2030.

We plan to:

• Prevent food waste at source, by storing food optimally, making use of every edible part of the ingredient and planning meals ahead of time;
• Inspire guests to waste less, and repurpose more;
• Repurpose food by redistributing any surplus to the local community or giving a second life to ingredients that most commonly go to waste.

How can you waste less food?

Make every day Stop Food Waste Day.

To further raise public awareness of Stop Food Waste Day, Compass Group USA created a digital food waste cookbook for home cooks, featuring recipes from 45 chefs across 30 countries which give a second life to ingredients that most commonly go to waste in home kitchens, including stale bread, bruised fruit & vegetables, and discarded peels. You can download the cookbook here.

We hope you get to replicate these recipes and enjoy them at home! Help us in our mission to Stop Food Waste.

Keep tuned for our next sustainability initiative in May. And if you would like to read more about our other sustainability initiatives for 2023, you can do so here.

World Water Day

20th March, 2023

World Water Day

Championing World Water Day 2023

20th March, 2023

Another month is with us, and we all know what that means. We are promoting another eco-action, and this month, we are celebrating World Water Day. This day, which took place for the first time on March 22, 1993 celebrates water and draws attention and action to the billions of people who lack access to this vital resource.

It is critical that we draw attention and action to water conservation, as this vital resource remains at the core of sustainable development and the survival of people and ecosystems across the globe. That’s why #WorldWaterDay, and our operations at IBB Hotel Collection and Cugó Gran place focus on inspiring action towards the scarcity of fresh ground-water.

The reality is that:

• 4 million people die annually and 74 million will have their lives shortened by diseases related to poor water, sanitation and hygiene.
• Today, 1 in 4 people – 2 billion people – around the world lack safe drinking water.
• Almost half of the global population – 3.6 billion people – lack safe sanitation.
• 8 billion people use or work in health care facilities without basic water services.
• Globally, 44 per cent of household wastewater is not safely treated.
• Global water demand (in water withdrawals) is projected to increase by 55 per cent by 2050, mainly because of growing demands from manufacturing (400 per cent increase).

But it’s not just doom and gloom. Between 1990 and 2015, the amount of people using an improved water source increased from 76% to 90%.

World Water Day 2023: Accelerating change

This World Water Day is about accelerating change to solve the water and sanitation crisis.  And because water affects us all, we are taking action. 

Our long-term plan is to reduce our water consumption across all our hotels by at least 20% by 2030. We will be achieving this through the redesign and reintroduction of notices to guests, across all the hotels, to encourage them to join us in our goal to reduce water consumption across the ball.

We want to make a positive impact, and let our actions speak for themselves. Therefore we are also making sure that our mission to continue regular staff training on sustainability measures in general will continue to be adhered to. We are excited to make this happen and look forward to looking back at this moment a year from now to see how far we have come.

We strongly believe that no effort is too small to count. On top of these wide-initiatives, we would also like to highlight some unique water-saving initiatives.

• Our hotel rooms are installed with perlators, which reduce water consumption by up to two thirds.
• We use glass water bottles to refill fresh water daily.

If we want our communities to thrive, we must allow nature to thrive as well.

How Can You Help?

There are a number of indirect and direct ways to champion water stewardship at home. You can start off by learning more about the scarcity of fresh ground water on the World Water Day website. We encourage you to share your learnings with your community through social media, events, and casual conversations.

If you want to be more direct, you can take actions as follows:

• Save water: Take shorter showers and don’t let the tap run when brushing your teeth, doing dishes and preparing food.
• Eat local: Buy local, seasonal food and look for products made with less water.
• Break taboos: Talk about the critical connection between toilets, water and menstruation.
• Be curious: Found out where your water comes from and hot it is shared, and visit a treatment plant to see how waste is managed.
• Make it equal: Share water fetching between women and men, girls and boys.
• Protect nature: Plant a tree or create and raingarden – use natural solutions to reduce the risk of flooding and store water.
• Flush safe: Fix leaking water and waste pipes, empty full septic tanks and report dumping of sludge.
• Build pressure: Write to elected representatives about budgets for improving water at home and abroad.
• Stop pollution: Don’t put food waste, oils, medicines and chemicals down the toilet or drains.
• Clean up: Take part in clean-ups of rivers, lakes, wetlands and beaches.