HI 28 GREEN ISSUE LR FINAL

ISSUE NO. 28 - 2016A HOTELIER’S BIMONTHLY INSPIRATION - THE GREEN ISSUE

GreatBritain

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VOICE WITH THE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

CONCIERGE A HOTELIER’S HELP DESK

PUBLIC REPORT STR GLOBAL

Q & A GREEN GOALSTalking with NH Hotels’ Monica Chao, Environment and Sustainability Corporate Manager.

THE BEST: Landscape–Conscious HotelsDesert ResortsGarden Suites

PROFILES:ONE WORLDBarry Sternlicht’s 1 Hotels Group is a brand on a mission.

COSTA RICA’S LAPAS RIOS ECO-LODGESustainability starts with community.

SWITZERLAND’S ROCKRESORTThe heights of green living.

SPAIN’S MAS SALAGROSCreating a family-friendly green hotel.

DENMARK’S GREEN SOLUTION HOUSEFifty shades of green at this experimental conference centre and hotel.

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Take for example Denmark’s Green House Solution,

featured in this issue. Its construction and operations are truly

pioneering, making the hotel feel a bit like a mere excuse for a

cutting-edge sustainability experiment, not that we’re complaining.

Starwood Hotels’ new brand, 1 Hotels (also featured this issue),

is a more mainstream approach to green hospitality, although

it too is breaking moulds and challenging traditional business

models. The people behind both projects claim that they hope to

be imitated and thus make a far-reaching impact on the industry.

We’ll be doing our part too, anxiously following the

changes in our industry and, hopefully, inspiring our readers with

ideas worth imitating.

Over the years, Hotelier International has covered

many eco-friendly hotels and innovative sustainability

approaches, both in our annual Green Issue and in other

articles. In putting together this year’s edition, I was struck

by how much our coverage of these issues has changed.

Not long ago, a door tag asking guests to hang towels

was the only visible commitment to conservation in many

hotels, and several of our articles addressed the issue of

‘how to go green without turning off guests.’

Now, of course, there’s not a serious hotel group out

there without a loudly touted sustainability plan and goals of

reducing its carbon footprint. The hotel industry still has a long,

long way to go to reach true sustainability, but our expectations

are certainly more exacting than they’ve ever been before.

S I N C E R E LY,

SARAH ANDREWS — EDITOR-IN-CHIEF —[email protected]

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CONCIERGE CONCIERGE

ISSUE NO.28 2016 A HOTELIER’S HELP DESK

CONCIERGECLEAN AND GREEN BY BOYD FARROW

BATHROOM AMENITIES GET A THOROUGH GREENWASHING

As mil lennials expect hotels to have

some sustainabil i ty element bui lt into every

aspect of their hotels’ operations, hotel iers

have embraced the opportunit ies presented

by their amenit ies kits. Here, relatively cheap

luxury products can be offered to guests while

bio-degradable packaging and recyclable

cartons can subtly reinforce the hotel’s

phi losophy. Indeed, some hotels are giving

so much attention to the l ist of ingredients

and free-from claims on bottles that guests

are now as l ikely to f ind parabens in the

ensuite as polonium in the restaurant.

One industry shift is away from

luxury perfume brands to “pure” or

“virtuous” brands in reassuringly humble or

medicinal packaging. The new green chain 1

Hotels says it tr ied more than 100 brands of

toi letr ies before deciding to create their own

natural, paraben-free brand. Another trend

is bigger, ref i l lable amenit ies bottles. Some

of the hotels using regular-sized shampoo

and gel bott les include The Greenwich Hotel

in New York, the SLS Hotel Beverly Hil ls and

al l Soho House hotels. Meanwhile, Starwood

Hotel and Resorts’ specialty brands, which

include Element and Four Points, recently

instal led gel dispensers in every bathroom.

These can reduce waste by up to 70 percent

and also save staff the t ime that it costs to

replace amenit ies on a dai ly basis.

“A lot of research went into making

this decision and real ly the big question was,

are guests open to using a dispenser for their

bath products?” says Brian McGuinness,

Starwood branding chief. “Through tr ial, we

found that they’re very amenable to it.” Many

of the hotels that sti l l l ike to give their guests

individual bott les, such as Travelodge, the

Ritz-Carlton, Hilton, Hyatt and Le Meridien

have joined the sustainable recycl ing scheme

Clean the World that repurposes soap for

hygiene packs sent to bl ighted parts of the

world.

- BF

DIRTY LITTLE SECRETXEROS’ POLYMER BEADS ARE SLASHING THE WATER COSTS OF A HIDDEN RESOURCE GRABBER—LAUNDRY

Led l ights, check. Eff icient

insulation, check. Local cuisine in the

restaurant, check. But in many hotels, there’s

a resource hog hiding in plain sight: laundry.

With laundry responsible for some 20% of

many hotels’ overal l water consumption,

the washing machine should be an obvious

target of conservation efforts. Those crisp,

clean sheets and f luffy towels come at a cost

of mil l ions of l i tres of water a year; in the

UK alone, the hospital ity industry uses about

156 bi l l ion — yes, bi l l ion — l itres of water

annually.

In comes Xeros, whose polymer

bead washing system promises to consume

80 percent less water and 50 percent

less energy and detergent than tradit ional

washing machines, far outperforming even

the most eff icient aqueous methods. The

company has a strong presence in the US,

with seven of the 10 largest hotel groups

already using the system, says Global

President of Laundry, Jonathan Benjamin.

“The f it with hotels’ needs and

aspirations is very strong,” Benjamin says.

“Of course these lower water, energy and

detergent consumptions also translate

directly into reduced costs, which can make

a signif icant impact on the laundry bottom

l ine.”

Xeros’ polymer beads mix with a

small amount of detergent and water (as

l i tt le as 4 l i tres per ki lo), and dirt from the

soi led items is then attracted and absorbed

by the beads.

The Hyatt Regency Reston was one

of the f irst hotels to adopt the system and

offers high praise: “Xeros has absolutely

del ivered on the promises of savings

and superior performance,” says general

manager David Elsenman.

DINING INCOMPETITION OVER LUXE ROOM SERVICE OPTIONS

As many hotels narrow their room-

service options or do away with them

altogether, some higher-end properties are

going against the grain by stepping up their

in-room food and beverage options as a

point of differentiation.

Take the city of Chicago, where the

f lurry of high-end hotels has made business

ultra-competit ive. In-room dining options at

the 611-room JW Marriott include Japanese

bento boxes and a str iped bass dish f inished

in the room with a miso broth.

Across town at the new Thompson,

guests can have each dining course

brought separately to their room from the

hotel’s buzzy restaurant. Kimpton Hotels &

Restaurants, which InterContinental Hotels

Group acquired last year, also offers guests

room-service del ivery from restaurants

adjacent their 60-plus hotels.

At the other end of the spectrum,

Chicago’s ACME Hotel Company has

pioneered a service cal led Knock & Drop

that lets guests order food and have it

del ivered in a brown paper bag with a simple

knock at the door. No need to search for

money for gratuity. Hi lton is now fol lowing

suit, rol l ing out an in-room delivery service

from Herb N’ Kitchen, its casual grab-

and-go lobby eatery. At the same time,

brands l ike Conrad and Four Seasons are

encouraging guests to order “no-signature”

room service via apps, while Aloft Hotels

has introduced an emoji-only room service

menu, enabling the terminal ly lazy to order

sugar rushes or hangover kits from their

smartphones. Many hotels are also replacing

minibars with fr idges, encouraging guests to

purchase sandwiches and drinks in the hotel

to consume later. For a f lat fee of $95, the

Fresh Fridge option at The Epiphany hotel

in Palo Alto offers seasonal produce from

Farmer’s Markets, plus house-made power

bars, seasonal house-made salads, local

trai l mixes, yogurts and juices. - BF

16 17

CONCIERGE CONCIERGE

IF YOU CAN’T BEAT THEM… BOUTIQUE HOTELS JOIN THE LISTINGS ON AIRBNB AND SIMILAR SITES

Readers of the American business

magazine Fast Company were recently

shocked to discover that small boutique

hotels are advertising their properties

on Airbnb, the website for people to l ist,

f ind, and rent lodging in 190 countries.

Indeed, the art icle created quite a buzz in

cyberspace.

For independent hotel iers who

have just a few rooms to f i l l , using Airbnb

makes a lot of sense. Managers say they use

the platform similarly to the way they use

booking services l ike Expedia and Pricel ine,

which typical ly charge hotels a 10% to 25%

fee per reservation. Airbnb, by contrast,

charges hosts a 3% fee.

Many properties are in a grey area

where B&Bs blur with small hotels. Fast

Company highl ighted The Box House Hotel

in North Greenpoint, Brooklyn, which offers

apartment-style suites, for example, and The

Riff in Manhattan, which recently converted

from hostel to hotel, and which l ists one

private room in a “hipster hotel/hostel”.

Larger and less ambiguous

examples are easy to f ind simply by

searching for lodgings for a few people who

each require their own room. The Hotel du

POSTCARDS FROM THE EDGE OF YOUR NOSEHOTELS USE VIRTUAL REALITY TO INSPIRE REAL TRIPS

This year many of us wil l travel

around the world without leaving home as

augmented real ity headsets are increasingly

used as part of hotels’ marketing campaigns.

Marriott was the f irst hotel brand

to step into the world of virtual real ity

with #GetTeleported, its partnership with

experiential marketing agency Relevent

and Oscar-winning VFX studio Framestore.

Inside the “teleporter”—a phone-booth-l ike

glass structure—several curious people

got to wear an Oculus Rift virtual real ity

headset and wireless headphones, while

simultaneously being subject to various

sensory elements such as heat, wind and

mist.

This type of “destination sampling”

has ramped up with Shangri-La Hotels

introducing Samsung Gear VR headsets to

al l global sales off ices. The hotel group has

produced immersive VR videos for more

than a quarter of its 94 hotels and resorts,

with plans to complete the set by mid 2016.

Example videos include seeing the views

from Beij ing’s tal lest bui lding, Shangri-La’s

China World Summit Wing.

Steven Taylor, the company’s

marketing chief, said in a statement: “Not

only wil l Shangri-La’s immersive videos

provide travel experts a better understanding

of the Shangri-La product and experience,

but there are many creative applications”.

A travel planner, say, could virtual ly walk a

CEO through a function room prior to a big

product announcement.

Several hotels, such as “hub”, the

tech-driven brand from the UK’s Premier Inn

chain, are start ing to use augmented real ity

to enhance guest experience. Each hotel

room at “hub” includes a wall map of the

surrounding area. Travel lers can point their

smartphone at it and view information about

local points of interest.

Other hotels are developing

capabil i t ies into their apps that would enable

guests to “point their phones” and discover

the nearest tube station or what streets

looked l ike in different periods.

.

Collectionneur Arc de Triomphe is just one

Parisian four-star hotel advertising in this

way.

Many hotel analysts bel ieve that a

whole slew of independent hotels wil l begin

testing the channel in 2016. Smaller chains

should soon fol low and—“within 18 months”,

says Del Ross at Noctober Value Partner—

at least one major chain wil l be l ist ing a

signif icant inventory on the site.

At the same time, many hotel

chains are spying other opportunit ies in the

accommodation website sector. Wyndham

Hotels has just taken a stake in Love Home

Swap, a sort of Match.com for vacationers.

This comes hot on the heels of Hyatt Hotels

Corp.’s $40m funding of Onefinestay, a

London-based competitor.

- BF

- BF

18 19

CONCIERGE CONCIERGE

ALL IS NOT LOSTBY SUZANNE WALES

THANKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA AND ONLINE TOOLS, IT’S EASIER THAN EVER TO RECOVER LEFT-BEHIND ITEMS

It’s a famil iar scenario to hotel

guests the world over; something is forgotten

in their room, probably an item of clothing.

In vague hope of retr ieving it, they cal l the

hotel and get bounced between reception

and housekeeping with no luck. Action is

repeated various t imes over next few days.

Guest gives up and satisfaction with hotel

takes a nosedive.

“When the guest has left something

behind, this is when customer service is put

to the test, says Paul Mercer. “Fai l here and

you wil l never see that guest again.”

Mercer is president of I Left My Stuff,

one of a handful of new cloud-based system

providers that manage the tradit ional ly t ime-

consuming lost and found process for both

hotel staff and guest.

The process is simple: the hotel

enters a found item on a web-based inventory.

The guest cal ls, the item is identif ied, and

through the same system the guest pays

for a courier to have the item returned. The

hotel prints the del ivery sticker, the courier

is automatical ly notif ied, and the guest can

track his shipment in the usual manner.

Mercer claims that about 5 percent of guests

leave something behind, and deal ing with it

in an affective and eff icient manner has “a

huge affect on customer loyalty.”

Or, given the t ime and manpower,

you could deal with it imaginatively. This

was the case in Adare Manor in southwest

Ireland. When a toy bunny was recently

found, they posted pictures of him on their

social media. By the t ime he was col lected by

his young owner the next day, he had been

photographed enjoying al l of the hotels’ f ive

star amenit ies – including high tea and the

poolside – and the story had gone viral.

EATS, SHOOTS AND SLEEPS ATHLETES BREAK IN TO THE HOSPITALITY SECTOR WITH A GROWING NUMBER OF SPORTS-THEMED HOTELS

The Portuguese hotel company Pestana Group recently

made headlines by partnering with the county’s most famous soccer

star, Crist iano Ronaldo, to open four hotels within two years under

the CR7 brand (7 is Ronaldo’s shirt number). The partners plan 400-

room hotels in downtown Lisbon, on Madrid’s Gran Via, near the

Funchal cruise port on the island of Madeira, and near New York’s

T ime Square. They wil l be “boutique in style and wil l appeal to the

modern day, mil lennial traveler.”

The venture is only the latest in a wave of sports-inspired

hotels. In the US, the hospital ity giant Omni is partnering with two

American teams, the Dallas Cowboys in San Francisco and the

Braves in Atlanta, on the construction of two vast hotels. Omni,

which has 60 hotels and resorts, bel ieves these ventures wil l boost

its visibi l i ty beyond the regular customer base.

Last year Ronaldo’s former teammates Gary and Phil

Nevi l le, Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt opened Hotel Footbal l next to

Manchester United’s Old Trafford ground. The former footbal lers

have since sold a 25 percent stake to Rowsley, a l isted Singapore

real estate company, sparking talk of an international branded chain.

Last autumn Liverpool got its own footbal l hotel, The

Shankly, named after legendary manager Bi l l Shankly. The 86

bedrooms have Xboxes and 50-inch TV screens aimed at guests

who want to play Footbal l Manager. But both North-West England

rivals wil l be ecl ipsed in 2020, should Real Madrid successful ly

integrate a massive hotel inside its proposed new €500m Santiago

Bernabeu stadium complex.

Of course it is not only footbal l that can give a bounce to

the hospital ity sector. Wil l Coll ier and Olly Kohn, two former players

at the English rugby team Harlequins, recently launched the Banger

Bar at the London Ace in trendy Shoreditch. - BF

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CONCIERGE

CARBON CHALLENGEBY ETHAN GELBER

HOTELS IN NYC PLEDGE EMISSIONS CUTS

It’s upl i ft ing to think that we might

have turned the corner on cl imate change. At

the end of last year, 195 nations adopted the

f irst-ever, universal, legal ly binding, global

cl imate deal. The so-cal led Paris Agreement

purportedly puts the world on track to

moderate global warming, although the

agreement wil l only enter into ful l force after

being ratif ied by 55 countries representing at

least 55% of global emissions.

One big question is how responsibly

the tourism industry wil l act. Skeptics are

legion and loud about seeing change from

the air l ines. But what’s been happening with

hotels, another sector not necessari ly known

for cl imate consciousness?

One gl immer of hope recently came

out of New York City in the form of the

mayor’s NYC Carbon Challenge for Hotels

(part of a larger Carbon Challenge aiming to

reduce citywide greenhouse gas emissions

to 80% below 2005 levels by 2050). At the

end of 2015, 17 leading hotels representing

more than 11,000 rooms committed to

making energy-eff iciency investments in their

bui ldings. The goal: a reduction of 32,000

metric tons of emissions for an estimated

$25 mil l ion in energy cost savings.

Participating hotels include 1

Hotel Brooklyn Bridge, 1 Hotel Central

Park, Crowne Plaza T imes Square, Dream

Downtown, Grand Hyatt New York, Hotel

Pennsylvania, Hudson Hotel, Loews

Regency Hotel, Lotte New York Palace,

The Pierre (a Taj Hotel), The Peninsula New

York, InterContinental New York Barclay,

InterContinental New York T imes Square,

Roger Smith Hotel, Viceroy Hotel, Waldorf

Astoria New York and The Westin New York

at T imes Square.

Though the init ial number of

part icipants is small, the Hotel Association

of New York wil l continue to urge more of its

275 member hotels to get on board.

U.N. CLIMATE CHANGECONFERENCE HELPS HOTELS

IN PARIS RECOVER

22 23

Following the tragic attacks in Paris this past November, the city was in a state of shock. A centre for art, fashion, business and tourism, the City of Light draws millions of visitors from all over the world every year. International support for Paris has been inspiring, as the city continues on the road to recovery.

For Paris’ hotel market, the effects of the attacks were clear. Compared with November 2014, occupancy dropped to as low as 39 percent in the days following the attack, and performance numbers through December indicate that it may take some time until the market returns to normal.

However, only three weeks after the attacks, Paris hosted an event that showed the city may be down, but is certainly not out.

UN Climate Change ConferenceOn Monday, 30 November the 2015 United Nations Climate Change

Conference started in Paris. The day before the event kicked off, Sunday, 29 November, occupancy in Paris was up 24.9% compared with the same Sunday in 2014, and up 22.0% for Monday 30 November compared with the same Monday in 2014. The average daily rate (ADR) for 29 November was 68.3% higher than in 2014 and 71.5% higher for 30 November. This combination of occupancy and ADR performances helped the city achieve increases in revenue per available room (RevPAR) above 100% for those two days, which is a major accomplishment considering what happened in Paris just a few weeks before. Because representatives from countries around the world came together in Paris to work towards improving the environment, Paris’ hotel market experienced a great bounce back. Although it will take time for the market to fully recover, this conference proved that the effects of these attacks are only temporary.

About STR GlobalSTR Global provides clients—including hotel operators, developers, financiers, analysts and suppliers to the hotel industry—access to hotel research with regular and custom reports covering Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia Pacific and Central/South America. STR Global provides a single source of global hotel data covering daily and monthly performance data, segmentation data, forecasts, annual profitability, pipeline and census information. Hotel operators can join the surveys on a complimentary basis and benefit from free industry data. STR Global is part of the STR family of companies and is proudly associated with STR, STR Analytics and Hotel News Now. For more information, please visitwww.strglobal.com.

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Q&A GREEN GOALS Q&A GREEN GOALS

AN INTERVIEW BY: SUZANNE WALES

GREENGOALS

TALKING WITH NH HOTELS’ MONICA CHAO, ENVIRONMENT AND SUSTAINABILITY

CORPORATE MANAGER

Q&A

30 31

32 33


At NH Hotels, wine corks are

gathered for cladding walls and corporate

guests can track how much energy a meeting

or event consumes. But the group’s green

measures are more than skin deep. Since

2007, this quiet achiever has significantly cut

its energy and water consumption, resulting

in a carbon footprint drop of over 70%. For

a hotel group with nearly 400 hotels in 29

countries of Europa, America and Africa,

more than good intentions were required to

make such a striking change. Here, Monica

Chao, NH’s Environment and Sustainabil ity

Corporate Manager, explains the importance

of a green action plan.

Hotelier International: How does one go

about making a sustainable hotel?

Monica Chao: The first thing you have to do

is set goals and make a concrete plan. At

NH, we are now on our second plan, using

the results from the first phase. We now have

a wider focus, which is more about the client

and how can we use sustainable actions to

make them feel more ‘at home.’

HI: What are the main achievements of NH’s

sustainabil ity plan?

MC: We are currently making a huge

investment in renovating our hotels, and

these projects must adhere to a certain

sustainable criteria. This is not only about

construction, but also usabil ity for the

disabled, our amenities, and the food we

serve. For example, we now help the client

experience local cuisine, and this opens up

the market for local suppliers.

HI: NH Hotels has a dedicated sustainable

department and budget, but what can a

small hotel do to become more ‘green’?

MC: The first thing is to gather data. Although

it sounds crazy there are many hotels out

there that don’t know how much energy or

water they consume and how this affects

operating costs. Once you have the data, you

can set clear goals and then make an action

plan that wil l reduce energy consumption.

These actions need not be complicated; they

are more about common sense than making

sweeping changes. We need to remember

that a hotel is not a factory that consumes

a ‘fixed’ amount of energy; it depends on

the occupation of the hotel and if there are

any events. You need to adjust your levels

of l ight, heating etc. according to this. When

you do, you wil l notice a substantial drop in

energy consumption.

HI: Many of these measures are not visible to

the client. How do you communicate to them

that you are committed to sustainabil ity and

not just ‘green washing.’

MC: That’s a very diff icult thing to do, because

the most important thing for them is comfort.

What you can do is give them the option, l ike

re-using towels, or something that benefits

them, l ike technology. For example, if you

put bicycles in the lobby, or charge stations

for electric cars, these are innovations that

scream ‘sustainabil ity’ and also benefit the

client. Organic or gluten-free products at the

breakfast buffet wil l communicate your green

values. Curiously, it’s business travellers that

are more demanding of green measures than

those that travel for pleasure.

HI: Really? That almost seems contradictory.

MC: It’s an interesting time - private

companies are driving sustainabil ity. We don’t

have a legal or governmental framework,

but we have international organisations and

lobbies that have a lot of clout, and they are

influencing large private corporations. This

is where the change is going to come from.

When an important client asks for certain

requisites, then we all jump.

HI: What about certif ications such as Green

Seal? Do they attract l ike-minded guests?

MC: There are hundreds of certif ications, and

at the end of the day they don’t mean much to

the client. But many tour operators demand

them, so they are important for capturing the

conference and event market.

HI: What about booking portals, should they

be adding green amenities to their search

criteria?

MC: I think the ‘Green Leaders’ initiative from

Trip Advisor is fantastic, and it has advanced

the cause a lot. It’s not a certif ication, but

you can put the badge on your web page.

It would be great if booking sites such as

Booking and Expedia included green data in

their search criteria too.

HI: Luxury is generally equated with

34 35


abundance. Can a luxury hotel be truly green?

MC: Luxury isn’t about consuming

irresponsibly, but it’s true that many luxury

hotel owners think they always need to leave

the lights on. Luxury hotels generally have

systems in place that eat up energy: large

kitchens, 24-hour service, large numbers of

staff etc. But that doesn’t mean they can’t

make these more efficient. It’s a l itt le tacky

to ask guests to take the stairs, but you can

make changes.

HI: Your final piece of advice?

MC: Involve everybody that works in the

hotel in your sustainabil ity plan. Becoming

green is a goal that every member of staff

is happy to take on and oftentimes wil l step

up and volunteer for. So once you have the

commitment, and give them the means,

motivation does the rest.

Author Bio: Suzanne Wales is an Australian

writer, consultant and media professional

based in Barcelona. Specialised in the

luxury travel and lifestyle sector, her writing

appears in publications like Wallpaper*,

Vogue, Concierge.com and The Australian

Newspaper. She is also the author of a

plethora of first-edition travel and design

books on Barcelona.

IT’S AN INTERESTING TIME - PRIVATE

COMPANIES ARE DRIVING SUSTAINABILITY.

36 37


THERE ARE MANY HOTELS OUT THERE THAT DON’T KNOW HOW MUCH ENERGY OR WATER THEY

CONSUME AND HOW THIS AFFECTS OPERATING COSTS

Q & A GREEN GOALS Q & A GREEN GOALS

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THE BEST LANDSCAPE – CONSCIOUS HOTELS

WHAT IS THE DEFINITION OF A LUXURY RESORT? FOR SOME, IT’S A HIGH RISE BY THE BEACH WITH ENDLESS INFINITY

POOLS AND A DIFFERENT RESTAURANT TO DINE IN DAILY. FOR A GROWING NUMBER, IT MEANS A CABIN IN THE WOODS, FAR

AWAY FROM MADDING CROWDS AND THE CACOPHONY OF MODERN LIFE. TRULY GREAT ARCHITECTURE WILL ALWAYS TAKE REFERENCE FROM, AND BE HARMONIOUS WITH, ITS

SURROUNDINGS. WHEN LANDSCAPES ARE AS SPECTACULAR AS THESE THE RESULT IS BREATHTAKING.

BY: SUZANNE WALES

THE BEST:LANDSCAPE-CONSCIOUS

HOTELS

4342

Over two hours north of Christchurch, and nestled between the Kaikoura Mountain Range

and the vast Southern Pacif ic Ocean, Hapuku Lodge & Tree Houses echo the isolation

and green sensibi l i ty that is tangible throughout New Zealand. The property consists of

four rooms in the main lodge, together with f ive luxury tree houses nesting 10 metres off

the ground above a canopy of native trees. Trees, and the preservation of them, is part of

Hapuku’s culture. For every guest night spent at the hotel, the owners plant one native tree

or shrub. This admirable effort not only helps the local bird population to f lourish, but also

off-sets the carbon footprint of day to day operations, contributing to the hotel’s aim of

being carbon neutral. Hapuku’s green efforts are implemented in other ways as well. New

Zealand’s chi l ly temperatures are kept under control with the best insulation, double-glazing

and über-eff icient f ireplaces. Al l kitchen waste, including meat and protein, is composted,

and nearly everything on the restaurant’s menu is sourced local ly, including the wine.

HAPUKU LODGE & TREE HOUSES

KAIKOURA, NEW ZEALAND www.hapukulodge.com

THE BEST LANDSCAPE – CONSCIOUS HOTELS THE BEST LANDSCAPE – CONSCIOUS HOTELS


This remarkable concept, only an hour from Porto, combines avant-garde architecture and

cutt ing edge technology in a romantic, outdoor sett ing, The Pedras Salgadas Park has been

popular for over a century for its thermal springs, boat lakes, gardens, and abundance

of redwood, cypress and beech trees. It took much longer for the destination to become

a styl ish l i tt le eco resort carried out by Lisbon-based architect Luís Rebelo de Andrade,

together with Modular System, manufacturers of modular construction solutions. The project

consists of two accommodation models—small, pitched-roof ‘Eco Houses’ made of three

pre-fab modules, and two ‘Tree Snake Houses’, elongated tree houses that seem to gl ide

between the trees. In each case the structures sit on sti l ts, so as not to damage the soi l, and

are covered in slate and native t imbers so as best to integrate with the environment. Each

unit has a sl ightly different layout dictated by existing topography, yet al l enjoy state-of-the-

art creature comforts governed by green principles.

PEDRAS SALGADAS SPA AND NATURE PARK

BORNES DE AGUIAR, PORTUGALwww.pedrassalgadaspark.com

Tasmania, Austral ia’s southernmost ‘ island’ state, is one of the world’s last great

frontiers. To add to its heritage-l isted forest scenery, it’s now garnering a reputation as a

top-class gourmet and cultural destination as well. It’s taken a while for the hotel scene

to come to terms with Tasmania’s newfound fame. The Saff ire Freycinet resort, situated

on the remote Freycinet Peninsula, harnesses the natural beauty of its surroundings

with high design and award-winning architecture. The resort consists of 20 suites, al l

with sweeping views of Great Oyster Bay and the Hazards Mountains – famous for their

dist inctive pink hue. Tasmanian architect Robert Morris-Nunn took reference from the

Hazards’ gentle peaks for the main lodge’s undulating roof, while underneath the curved

structure is wrapped in low-reflective glass to ensure optimum views no matter the t ime

of day. The interior brims with the high-quality craftsmanship Tasmania is known for, with

an abundance of stone, leather and of course t imber.

SAFFIRE FREYCINETTASMANIA, AUSTRALIA

www.saffire-freycinet.com.au

THE BEST LANDSCAPE – CONSCIOUS HOTELSTHE BEST LANDSCAPE – CONSCIOUS HOTELS


It takes some effort to get to Treehotel. After arr iving at Stockholm airport, you need to

f ly a further 70 minutes northward to Luleå, capital of Sweden’s northernmost county.

In the neighboring vi l lage of Harads you wil l do your check-in at a quaint 1950s – style

B&B, then be led into the woods to the Treehotel, a col lection of six avant-garde mini-

bungalows perched in the tree tops. Each one has a singular appearance; the geometric

Mirrorcube looks l ike a piece of modern sculpture, and the futurist ic UFO tree house

seems suspended in mid-air. Al l are designed for utmost immersion in nature and sol itude

and adhere to str ict bio guidel ines. Construction had scant effect on the surroundings,

while bathrooms have combustion toi lets and only enough water to wash hands (showers

are taken in a separate unit). Guests can either have meals at the B&B or del ivered to

their tree house, before a restful sleep and waking up with the birds.

TREEHOTELHARADS, SWEDISH LAPLAND

www.treehotel.se

53

DESERTS ARE THE STUFF OF MYTHS AND EPIC TALES. FOR THE TRAVELLER, AFTER THE EFFORT OF GETTING THERE, THEY HAVE GENERALLY MEANT CAMPING IT OUT UNDER A PINWHEEL

OF STARS, WHERE AMENITIES SUCH AS HOT SHOWERS AND BUG-FREE BEDS HAVE BEEN FORSAKEN FOR THE

OPPORTUNITY TO GET CLOSE TO EXTREME NATURE. NOT SO AT THESE DESERT RESORTS, WHERE THE ULTIMATE IN LUXURY

ACCOMMODATION IS PRESENTED IN THE MOST REMOTE PLACES ON EARTH.

THE BEST:DESERT

RESORTS

THE BEST DESERT RESORTS

To many people, the concept of a ‘ luxury cave hotel’ maybe an oxymoron, but they

probably haven’t spent a night at Yunak Evleri, an upmarket hotel in Cappadocia. Yunak

Evleri is not the only ‘cave hotel’ in this region, which is famous for its abundance of

hoodoos (bulbous spires of rock) and ancient, otherworldly appearance. But others don’t

have the added value of a 19th-century Greek mansion, site of the reception, a restaurant

and a rooftop terrace with fabulous views over the stony landscape. The hotel’s 30 rooms

are situated in adjacent caves, each connected by a patio. From the exterior, it’s hard

to distinguish the hotel from the cl i ff face, though inside the rooms are resplendent in

Ottoman-era antiques and have been instal led with a personal spa. Yet the Yunak Evleri’s

wow factor is definitely outside, part icularly at dusk when the property twinkles with fairy

l ights casting magical shadows.

YUNAK EVLERICAPPADOCIA, TURKEY

www.yunak.com


The Bardenas Reales are l i tt le-known but mind-blowingly spectacular badlands in

southern Navarra, Spain. The region’s eruptions of chalk and clay pinnacles, plateaus

and terraces make for an otherworldly geographical landscape. The Aire de Bardenas

hotel opened here seven years ago and sti l l today remains thoroughly cutt ing edge. The

owners of Aire de Bardenas wished it to have as l i tt le impact as possible on its unique

surroundings. The project consists of a cluster of bungalows – single storey in order to

minimise visual ‘noise’ – set around a central courtyard. Inside the sparsely chic rooms,

large picture windows frame the surrounding landscape, al lowing guests to enjoy the

lunar-esque view from al l angles. Al l have l i tt le patios, where guests can soak up the

scenery from oversized, egg-shaped baths. Floors have been made of stone taken from

the desert itself, and an attractive windbreak around the hotel is bui lt from wooden

crates used by local farmers. These folk also supply the hotel with organic produce,

including the cogollos (cos lettuce) that the region is famous for.

AIRE DE BARDENASTUDELA, SPAIN

airebardenas.com

THE BEST DESERT RESORTS THE BEST DESERT RESORTS


Only a 45-minute drive from Dubai, the Al Maha Desert Wildl i fe Reserve is the largest

– and one of the only – protected land areas in the UAE. It came into being in 1999 via

royal decree and through a major thrust from Emirates Air l ines. A resort was part of the

programme, but one that, according to a str ict brief, would eschew the strain of f lashy

‘western’ architecture mushrooming in Gulf cit ies and instead embrace tradit ional Bedouin

culture, aesthetics and rapidly disappearing ‘desert architecture.’ Taking inspiration from

a typical caravansary, the Al Maha Desert Resort consists of 42 luxury tents distr ibuted

amongst the dunes and clustered around the bui lding. In keeping with Arabic custom,

this contains two majl is (male and female meeting rooms) along with an extensive l ibrary

and the restaurants and bars. Custom-made furniture, hand-carved walls, and more than

2,000 artefacts sourced from the immediate area create a luxury tale of 1001 nights and

also give a boost to local craftsmanship, one of the project’s main aims.

AL MAHA DUBAIwww.al-maha.com

With average dai ly temperatures of 47° C and dunes stretching beyond the horizon,

the Empty Quarter – the world’s largest expanse of sandy desert – may not seem

the most obvious place for a luxury retreat. The Anantara Group blends f ive-star

amenit ies with the sprit of Lawrence of Arabia at the Qasar Al Sarab resort, where

guests have at their disposal a long menu of activit ies, from desert hunting to dry

sai l ing. Qasr Al Sarab has recently expanded with The Royal Pavi l ions: ten self

-contained vi l las set away from the main property. Here guests, who can be shuttled

in by hel icopter from Dubai or Abu Dhabi airport, are treated to a falconry display

upon arrival, then a tête à tête with a chef to discuss bespoke cul inary options

during their stay. Meals can be eaten in the vi l las of course, or guests can take a

r ide to the main restaurant on a camel, led by their personal camel master.

QASR AL SARABUAE

qasralsarab.anantara.com

THE BEST DESERT RESORTSTHE BEST DESERT RESORTS

Fragile, bushfire-damaged terrain, sacred Aboriginal sites and the continued survival of

small desert marsupials. There was a lot to consider during the construction of Longitude

131°, a luxury resort near Uluru (Ayers Rock) in Austral ia’s Red Centre. Accommodation

consists of 15 luxury tents inspired by an African safari camp. In order to save on water

there are no baths, and guests dine under the stars, accompanied by an indigenous

expert on the night sky. The project, completed in 2003, set a standard for eco resorts

around the world by r igorously adhering to condit ions laid down to protect this unique,

UNESCO landscape. Pre-fabricated structures and l ightweight machinery minimized

impact during construction stage, and consultations with local land councils assured

that the cultural signif icance of the site was not being compromised. If necessary, the

entire hotel could be quite easi ly dismantled and relocated, leaving the site in its original,

and unaltered state.

LONGITUDE 131°AVALON, AUSTRALIA

longitude131.com.au

THE BEST DESERT RESORTS THE BEST DESERT RESORTS

Aman, the Singapore based company that excels at creating hyper luxurious resorts in

remote places, is behind Amangir i, whose name means ‘peaceful mountain’. Peace is

something the hotel’s privi leged guests can be assured of; Amangir i is located in a region

known as the ‘Grand Circle’ which is surrounded by f ive national parks offering rugged

desert scenery. Amangir i puts guests r ight in the centre of it. As much landscaped

art as architecture, the resort’s low-rise geometric suites sit in a curve of a val ley and

provide starkly minimalist accommodation in textures and colours that echo its singular

surroundings—concrete, natural t imbers and stones, and black steel. Views of the mesas

and mountains are perfectly framed within deep windows, and when guests feel l ike

gett ing out into the terrain they have a long l ist of activit ies avai lable, from private jet

charter to workshops conducted by renowned wellness gurus.

.

AMANGIRIUTAH, USA

www.aman.com/resorts/amangiri


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ACCESS TO GARDENS AND NATURE CAN TRANSFORM A GUEST’S STAY WITH COLOUR, AIR AND FRAGRANCE.

ALTHOUGH THESE HOTELS HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF BUCOLIC ENVIRONMENTS AT THEIR DOORSTEPS, THEY HAVE NOT

OVERLOOKED THE IMPORTANCE OF A THOUGHTFULLY PLACED GARDEN WALL, INDOOR PLANTER BOX OR BALCONY BURSTING

WITH FLOWERS.

BY: SUZANNE WALES

THE BEST:GARDEN SUITES

THE BEST GARDEN SUITES

65

Guests immerse themselves in al l facets of rural Tanzania at Gibbs Farm, an award-

winning eco retreat set on a working farm. From cow milking to coffee roasting, the hotel

provides a ton of hands on activit ies whilst adhering to str ict sustainable standards.

Some would be easy to implement almost anywhere; glass bottles are col lected and

donated to local bead makers, and guests are encouraged to pack items that would be

suitable to donate to the local community. Accommodation consists of charming guest

cottages set amidst the estate’s lush gardens. Guests wake up to a cacophony of bird

song, and after breakfast they can accompany local natural ists to document avian

behaviour. The surrounding Ngorongoro Conservation Area offers an abundance of native

plant and wildl i fe, which guests can enjoy from the comfort of their private veranda over

a cup of tea, or on a walking safari.

GIBBS FARM TANZANIA


www.gibbsfarm.com



‘There are things to do – or just do nothing’ is the ethos at Francis Ford Coppola Resorts

– a small col lection of earthy eco-hotels in exotic locations. Each is woven into its

singular landscape, offering back-to-nature tranquil l i ty along with a sense of adventure.

The famous f i lmmaker’s search for a property at the centre of Mayan culture led him to a

rainforest high above the shore of Lake Petén Itza and near a handful of ancient Mayan

sites. Here a French couple had established a modest lodge. After purchase, Coppola

landscaped the grounds, and insti l led the thatched roof bungalows with an eclectic mix

of handcrafted items from both Guatemala and Bali. From a hammock on the front porch,

guests are immersed in an exotic jungle environment and are regularly visited by howler

monkeys that venture r ight up to the edge of the decks.

LA LANCHAGUATEMALA

www.thefamilycoppolaresorts.com



Ritz Carlton Reserve is a new brand of one-of-a-kind sanctuaries in stunning sett ings.

More than 30 are under development around the world, and three are already welcoming

travel lers in search of meaningful escapes. One is situated in Ubud, Bali’s legendary

land of r ice f ields, lush jungles and heightened spir itual awareness. Mandapa resort

consists of a series of eco-chic suites and vi l las, inspired by tradit ional architecture

and constructed using local materials. The layout takes inspiration from a tradit ional

Bal inese vi l lage, where nature is both omnipresent and l i fe aff irming. Private terraces

afford views of working rice paddies. In partnership with The Green School – a world-

renowned alternative primary education academy in Ubud – kids can take part in nature-

based educational activit ies on the resort itself. For adults, a ful l range of wellness and

detox programmes and health conscious cuisine al lows them to eat, pray and love in the

height of style.

MANDAPABALI

www.ritzcarlton.com


Is it a garden in a hotel or a hotel in a garden? This is the question visitors to the PARKROYAL

on Pickering ponder over. This landmark 367-room hotel in the heart of Singapore’s sticky

Central Business Distr ict features 15,000 square metres of four-storey-tal l sky gardens,

waterfal ls, pools and cascading greenery, al l maintained by a high-tech system of sensors

and recycled water. Reflective pools abound in the common areas, releasing a sense of

calm as soon as you enter, and over half the guest walkways and balconies in the hotel

are head-to-toe greenery. These photosynthesis power banks reduce energy consumption

by cutt ing the need for air condit ioning, and a green roof helps insulate the upper f loors.

Blue and green glass is used throughout the hotel in order to optimize solar performance.

Rooms have the same natural feel, with blondewood furniture, mossy-toned texti les and

sprays of ferns framing city views.

PARKROYAL ON PICKERING

SINGAPOREwww.parkroyalhotels.com

Hollywood’s Golden Age has been the inspiration for The Peninsula in Beverly Hills – a study

in elegance set on a verdant estate. Back in 1991, The Peninsula was the first prestige hotel

to open in Los Angeles for 20 years, and it spared no expense in recreating the opulence and

glamour the city had become famous for. A chauffeured Rolls Royce comes with the day

rate, and the draped and gilted rooms and suites have been inspired by 18th century palaces.

The most popular are the Patio Deluxe Rooms, which have a private garden patio for outdoor

cocktailing or relaxation. These rooms are pet-friendly, so guests can bring Fido for a little frolic

in the Californian sunshine. Yet the queen of the suites is the aptly named Garden Suite, where

an expansive outdoor oasis of lush plants, towering palms trees and a fire pit is accessed

through elegant French doors.

.

THE PENINSULABEVERLY HILLS

www.peninsula.com


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PROFILES ONE WORLD PROFILES ONE WORLD

BARRY STERNLICHT’S 1 HOTELS GROUP IS A BRAND ON A MISSION

BY: BOYD FARROW

ONE WORLD

OUR CAUSE IS MAKING THE EARTH A LITTLE BIT BETTER A LITTLE BIT AT A TIME. IT’S WHY WE CALL

IT 1 HOTELS—IT’S ONE WORLD, AND WHATEVER WE EACH DO TO THE ENVIRONMENT, TO PROTECT

IT OR TO HARM IT, IMPACTS OUR NEIGHBOURS.

82 83


When industry veteran Barry

Sternlicht opened Starwood Hotels’ first W

Hotel in December 1998 in New York City,

he was responding to what he saw younger,

more free-spending travellers buying into—

style and personality in their surroundings.

Almost two decades on, he is convinced that

guests' sensibil it ies have evolved and they

want something more meaningful.

Cue Sternlicht’s latest venture,

1 Hotels, which he describes as the first

“mission-driven luxury l ifestyle brand” and “a

movement with a mindful purpose” that aims

to change standards throughout the whole

industry.

“1 Hotels is more than a brand—

it’s a cause,” says Sternlicht, sounding far

more like Bono than the chairman and CEO

of Starwood Capital Group. “Our cause is

making the earth a l itt le bit better a l itt le

bit at a time. It’s why we call it 1 Hotels—

it’s one world, and whatever we each do to

the environment, to protect it or to harm it,

impacts our neighbours”.

The idea is that travellers now place

a much greater emphasis on connecting with

the world around them in a responsible way.

Each 1 Hotel is designed in collaboration

with eco-friendly architects and craftsmen,

and each property features high-design with

reclaimed and natural materials wherever

possible. The architecture, landscaping and

décor all showcase nature, creating living

spaces and rooms aimed at bringing the

outdoors in.

“It’s simple. We have an impact

on nature, and nature has an impact on us.

I decided that if I was ever going to create

another hotel, I wanted it to be more than a

brand; I wanted it to be a cause. People are

already living like this and are now looking

for ways to travel in the same fashion,” says

Sternlicht.

“At first, our guests may simply

notice the twist of driftwood in the furnishings.

However, what we are really offering is an

evolution of the entire hotel experience, one

that is more natural in regards to the way

we arrive, sleep, eat, relax and do. By focusing

on simple changes that make life better, we

wil l encourage guests to stop, recalibrate and

hopefully gain some inspiration from the small

steps we have taken to protect nature at each

property.”

At the company’s first hotel in South

Beach, Miami, for instance, guests are welcomed

by 3,000 feet of l iving wall wrapped around its

exterior with 11,000 local tropical plant varieties

and interactive hanging terrariums.

At the second hotel, overlooking New

York’s Central Park, guests get a three-storey

l iving wall of English Ivy on the building’s exterior

and will be greeted by hanging kokedamas in

the lobby and terrariums and indoor window

planters in guest rooms.

The eco-architectural f irm

Incorporated is currently working

with landscape designer Michael Van

Valkenburgh Associates to realise 1

Hotels’ goals at the soon-to-be-opened 1

Hotel Brooklyn Bridge Park site.

As part of the plan to leverage

local resources, headboards at South

Beach are made of pine stained blue (to kil l

beetles), and Ipe wood from the property’s

original boardwalk has been used to cover

the redesigned pool deck. In New York,

hewn beams and timbers from local barns

and factories have been used in guest

rooms.

Both the South Beach and Central

Park hotels were designed from existing

buildings that were overhauled to adhere to

the brand’s standards for sustainabil ity. Each

room is equipped with Triple Clear Water

fi lters in all taps, sinks and showers. The

energy-efficient heating and cooling systems

are state-of-the-art.

Guestrooms and suites feature

custom hemp-blend mattresses,

hypoallergenic 100% organic l inens and

custom-created 1 Hotels bath and body

products, made from naturally derived

ingredients. Soft socks, hangers made from

recycled paper and yoga mats are “for guests

to achieve zen at their own leisure.”

84 85


WITH A NEW RESORT, IT’S IMPORTANT TO ESTABLISH

A STRONG IDENTITY, AND HAVE A GOOD

STORY TO TELL

A paperless approach to the guest

experience includes electronic check-in,

bedside chalkboards in l ieu of notepads, and

an in-room Nexus device pre-loaded with

newspapers, magazines, and the 1 Guide,

the 1 Hotels’ app that controls all aspects

of the room, from television to temperature.

Guests also get access to Tesla premium

electric vehicle rides within a 15-block radius,

complimentary valet for all electric vehicles

for overnight guests, and complimentary

bicycle valet parking.

Inevitably the 1 Hotels’ approach to

food, from the full dining experience at on-

site signature restaurants to in-room dining,

is to focus on local and seasonal ingredients.

The brand has partnered with celebrated

chefs who put the emphasis on responsible

sourcing from local purveyors. Once a month

a “farm stand” in the lobby wil l feature local

farmers and purveyors presenting their goods

for purchase by guests and the community.

Ramping up the hippie vibe further,

the brand aims to fi l l guests’ waking hours

with happy, healthy and more meaningful

experiences. It has curated “Daylife”

activities and a collection of rituals designed

to cultivate positive connections with nature,

the community, and the local environment.

Local non-profit partners wil l offer volunteer

experiences for guests to participate in, from

planting a tree to cleaning a beach.

“With 1 Hotels, we wanted to make

a difference in the world,” says Sternlicht. “If

people copy us, we’ll be happy.”

Author Bio: Boyd Farrow is a business writer

and editor who divides his time between

London and Berlin. Farrow has written about

the hospitality sector for various international

publications, including CNBC Business, the

monthly magazine he edited until 2012, and

he reviews hotels for several magazines in the

US and Europe.

86 87


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PROFILES LAPA RIOS ECO – LODGE PROFILES LAPA RIOS ECO – LODGE

COSTA RICA’S

SUSTAINABILITY STARTS WITH COMMUNITY

BY: ETHAN GELBER

LAPA RIOSECO-LODGE

9190


92 93


Set amid a 1,000-acre rainforest nature reserve packed with endemic

plants and animals l ike monkeys, jaguars and more than 300 species

of birds, the luxury eco-lodge Lapa Rios was conceived with a deep

respect for community and sustainabil ity.

Visionary eco-pioneers John and Karen Lewis opened the

lodge in 2003 and sought “to develop a sustainable business to

protect the conservation of the rainforest” when that concept was far

from mainstream.

“We’d built a passive solar home in Minnesota long before

energy conservation or practices were trending,” commented Karen.

“That experience, together with raising our children to respect where

they l ived and the community around them, helped shape how we

would design, construct, and operate Lapa Rios.”

By 2003, the idea behind Lapa Rios had certainly found

validation; it became the first hotel in Costa Rica to receive the maximum

five-leaf status from the Costa Rica Tourism Board’s Certif ication

for Sustainable Tourism and has not stopped accumulating special

commendations since. It is a founding member of the exclusive

National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World.

Key to the success of their 20-plus years as a sustainable

hospitality enterprise is the importance of working with and for the

local community on Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, where the lodge is

located.

“One standard intentionally set things in motion: 'How

will what I do now impact the future of this land and people?' That

measuring stick even today guides our responses,” says Karen.

ONE STANDARD INTENTIONALLY SET THINGS IN MOTION: ‘HOW WILL WHAT I DO NOW IMPACT THE FUTURE OF THIS LAND AND PEOPLE?’ THAT MEASURING

STICK EVEN TODAY GUIDES OUR RESPONSES

94 95


“From the first day, we shared with our community our

intention to work exclusively with Osa residents. We learned together,”

she says. “Without the total enrollment of every stakeholder in a

business, no meaningful, long-term sustainable change can really

begin.”

General manager Marijke Mulder agrees: “There is no such

thing as a sustainable lodge in an unsustainable community.”

As a buffer for neighbouring Corcovado National Park, Lapa

Rios serves as a wildlife corridor for an incredible mix of animals

and plants endemic to the region, l ike jaguars, all four Costa Rican

monkey species, more than 300 bird species, and thousands of

other creatures. It also harbours 80 percent of the world’s Sangril lo

Colorado tree, one of 37 critically endangered species of trees. To

protect all of this in perpetuity, the founders signed a conservation

easement that preserves more than 900 acres of forest by prohibiting

all extractive activities, the construction of mass tourism facil it ies, and

even cutting too many trails.

From the private terraces of bungalows overlooking the Golfo

Dulce and Pacific Ocean, guests can observe giant iguanas collapsed

on nearby branches; soaring pairs of bright mate-for-l ife scarlet

macaws (the lodge’s namesake lapas); and the full-throated barks of

chorusing howler monkeys. After sunset, the metall ic pings of tiny

tree frogs mix with the shush of the surf and smell of the sea borne by

cool evening breezes. Flashes of far-off l ightening may il luminate a sky

brimming with refreshing rain.

Lapa Rios’ guest facil it ies consist of a main building

(restaurant, eco-friendly pool, interpretive guide hut, canopy rooftop

viewing station) and 17 thatched, open-air bungalows built with locally

harvested materials, most of them renewable. Warmly appointed with

large full-screen windows, wood furnishings and big beds draped with

just-in-case mosquito nets, each bungalow opens out to a prodigious

sea-view terrace with lounge chairs, a hammock and an outdoor

shower stocked with biodegradable amenities. (There's an indoor

bathroom too.) Boldly giving true pride of place to the surrounding

jungle, the rooms have no air-conditioning (just quiet ceil ing fans),

wifi, telephone, radio, or television.

Nor is there room service, as food attracts animals. All meals

are served at the gourmet-quality restaurant, Brisa Azul, where dishes

emphasise fresh, local, indigenous fruits and vegetables, responsibly

caught seafood, organic chicken, and grass-fed beef, as well as

gluten-free and vegetarian alternatives.

Whether subtly or overtly, the Lapa Rios experience guides

guests to “learn about the importance of conserving the land,” says

Mulder, the general manager. Through “walks, night presentations,

talks with our staff, or reading one of the books on property, a guest’s

awareness of sustainabil ity wil l not be the same after experiencing

Lapa Rios.”

Author Bio: Ethan Gelber is a freelance writer specialising in responsible

and sustainable travel practices. Ethan founded TheTravelWord.com,

a website showcasing responsible, sustainable, and local travel. He

also co-founded Outbounding.org, a community-powered platform for

identifying and celebrating excellent travel content.

96 97


LAPA RIOSNumber of rooms: 17 rooms

Rack room rate: from $340 per person (including full board, airport transfer and on-site guided tours)

Website: http://www.laparios.comOwners: John and Karen Lewis

GM: Marijke Mulder Address: Lapa Rios, Puerto Jiménez 1000,

Costa RicaTelephone: +506 2735-5130

96 97


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PROFILES ROCKRESORT PROFILES ROCKRESORT

SWITZERLAND’S

THE HEIGHTS OF GREEN LIVING

BY: BOYD FARROW

ROCKRESORT

YOU CAN SIMPLIFY SUSTAINABILITY WITH GOOD DESIGN

100 101


102 103


With 235 kilometres of diverse pistes, four

snow parks, the world’s biggest halfpipe and

five downhil l descents, Laax is indisputably

one of the trendiest winter sports destinations.

Indeed, no-one was shocked when this

sprawling playground for the active set was

recently crowned “Switzerland’s Best Resort”

for the third time in a row at the World Ski

Awards.

More surprising, however, is just how

mindful and sustainable the entire operation

is, thanks to 20 years of investment and

innovation by its driving force, Reto Gurtner,

who, as a business student became caught

up in the ecological movement of the 1970s.

Gurtner, CEO of Weisse Arena

Gruppe, which operates the Laax ski area,

has long spearheaded green initiatives, from

using hydroelectricity to power the entire

mountain, to only serving local in-season

food and recycling all food waste, to providing

electric bikes for staff to whizz around the

resort in summer months. Guests are urged

to drink natural spring water, freely available,

while branded bottled water is banned from

the site.

The spirit of experimentation

has been carried out to Laax’s showpiece

hotel Rocksresort, which comprises eight

enormous freestanding cubes made out of

500 tons of quartz mined from a local quarry

and laid around the valley station of the

Laax mountain rail. This improbable cubist

vil lage, a design-led antidote to the usual

Alpine chintz, incorporates a 70-bedroom

boutique hotel, 160 serviced apartments, six

restaurants and 14 shops.

While the complex’s exterior

glimmers as sunlight bounces on its surfaces,

inside is as anti-bling as it is possible to get

in such high-end hospitality. The accessories

ooze quality; Cassina sofas, Catellani & Smith

lamps, Alessi cutlery and Schott glassware

abound, but the flooring and staircases is

smooth bare concrete, while the cloud-

shaped lampshades, dangling from the

skylights, are made from papier-mâché.

The idea is that over-styled interiors

should not distract guests from the natural

materials. The snug, streamlined bedrooms

are done out in untreated gnarled oak, a

modern take on the cattle barns dotted around

the mountains. The quartz bathrooms double

as steam rooms for apres-ski relaxation.

“You can simplify sustainabil ity with

good design,” says Gurtner, who has managed

to heat the Porsche Design chairl ifts, which

swoop down to the rocksresort base station,

with solar panels.

Also part of the complex, The

Riders Palace is a glass and concrete

designer hostel, aimed at the affluent young

snowboarding set. The modern structure

has a neon-lit cocktail bar in the reception,

a club in the basement, and beanbags and

widescreen TVs in the bedrooms. More family

oriented accommondation is provided at

Signina, a modern take on a chalet hotel, with

a water park and spa.

Several of the Rocksresort buildings

are constructed as “minergie” buildings

and adhere to certif ied energy efficiency

standards.

“Our vision is to be the first self-

powered winter resort in the world and

thereby offer our guests a totally sustainable

holiday,” Gurtner says.

Already, Laax is possibly the world’s

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most sustainable ski destination. As well as

its use of hydroelectric power and biomass

heating, the Rocksresort solar-panelled

lift stations are built from local wood and

designed to be completely disassembled.

Indeed, the areas surrounding Rocksresort is

only mowed once or twice a year, so as not to

disturb the valuable habitat they provide for

wildlife.

But Laax aims to go much further—

producing a surplus of energy. Over the next

few years the resort plans to install three

large electricity-producing wind turbines on

top of the mountain. The wind on the nearby

Vorab Glacier—connected to roads and the

power grid—has the potential to provide

energy for 5,000 households, which Gurtner

claims is more than enough to cover the

entire destination. The ultimate goal for Laax

is to say goodbye to fossil fuels forever.

“We offer our guests experiences

within a unique, natural environment. Visitors

can enjoy it with a good conscious, knowing

they use more energy at home than they do

at Laax,” says Gurtner.

At the end of the day, however, Laax

is a dynamic business, powering Weisse

Arena Gruppe’s growing leisure and property

portfolio. Gurtner’s ecological fervour is

blended with the pragmatism of the seasoned

entrepreneur. As he says: “We are committed

to treating our surroundings in a sustainable

manner because an unspoilt environment is

a guarantee for our future and for the next

generation”.

PROFILES ROCKRESORT

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ROCKSRESORTNumber of rooms: 122 rooms and apartments

From CHF225 (€205)Website: www.rocksresort.com

GM: Christoph Schmidt Address: Via Murschetg 15

7032 LaaxTelephone: +41 81 927 97 97


WE OFFER OUR GUESTS EXPERIENCES WITHIN A UNIQUE, NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.

VISITORS CAN ENJOY IT WITH A GOOD CONSCIOUS, KNOWING THEY USE MORE

ENERGY AT HOME THAN THEY DO AT LAAX.

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PROFILES MAS SALAGROS PROFILES MAS SALAGROS

CREATING A FAMILY-FRIENDLY

GREEN HOTEL

BY: SUZANNE WALES

MAS SALAGROS

SPAIN’S

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What is the definition of an ‘eco-resort’? For many people,

it means a luxury retreat in exotic places, where they can partake in

yoga classes at dawn and spend the rest of the day being pampered

by holistic massages in an new age ambiance. Mas Salagros, a new

hotel in the small vi l lage of Vil laromanes, Spain, has tweaked the

concept, making it more dynamic, main stream and appealing to a

wider, family orientated clientele.

Situated a 20-minute drive from Barcelona in the middle of

the Serralada Litoral Natural Park, Mas Salagros has been founded

on a 500-year-old, working estate. The land and the original masia

(farm house) have belonged to the same family for five generations.

The current owner, Carles Cascante, decided to convert the property

to an eco hotel after becoming inspired by similar projects in Italy and

Austria. He was impressed with Bio Hotels, a collection of European

rural hotels that adhere to strict green guidelines. Now Mas Salagros

is the first Spanish property to be accepted into the Bio Hotels cache.

Mas Salagros takes shape with the original, and beautifully

restored, farmhouse, along with a purpose built annexe for the

standard rooms and bungalows for the suites. It’s a meandering set-

up, and guests are given a map upon check-in to help them navigate

it. Bikes and guides are on hand to explore the hil ls and pine forests

around the hotel, but there’s enough within the property itself to keep

you happily entertained for a weekend; from visiting cows, goats and

chickens in a mini farm to lazing by a pool kept clean with natural

algae.

The Roman inspired spa, with several pools of varying

temperatures, is enclosed in the ancient walls of the masia’s old

cellars. A shop sells food and beauty products baring the Veritas label

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– a well-known, organically certif ied supermarket chain in Catalunya

whose owner is also a partner in Mas Salagros. Next door to this,

kids can visit a creative playroom where they wil l be looked after while

parents visit the spa or get some ‘me’ time (the spa is also open for

the whole family on weekend mornings). In the future, they wil l be able

ride horses from the hotel’s own stable.

As fun and wholesome as these activities are, Mas Salagros’

green credentials l ie in what you don’t see. The new builds have

been constructed with heat-storing ceramic bricks, and open-sided

passageways and window placement facil itate cross-ventilation.

Instead of gas, a biomass system, using chips from local, sustainable

forests, heats the interior spaces and water, and it also fuels the

kitchen. The décor in the rooms and common areas is under-stated

yet welcoming, with aged doors serving as bed heads and wardrobe

fittings, and old marble sinks sourced from Greece. Towels and bed

linen are made from organic cotton and the super comfortable beds,

manufactured by the British Naturalmat company, from organic latex,

cotton and coco fibre.

Bio Hotels demands that all food and drink served by their

members be certif ied organic and seasonal. Mas Salagros obliges

in the 1497 gourmet res-taurant and breakfast service, where

eggs are supplied by the hotel’s hens. Occasionally, explains the

headwaiter, guests are miffed when oranges aren’t supplied out of

season. Fortuitously, the hotel is situated practically KM0 from Alella,

a boutique wine-growing region that excels in the sweet xarel.lo varie-

tal.

Not that these efforts necessarily matter to Mas Salagros’

guests. Cascante admits that green consciousness amongst them

varies widely, and may not be the reason they choose to stay. “First

and foremost you have to be a good hotel,” he says. “Over everything

else, it’s important that people l ike it and return again. Then with each

visit, hopefully they wil l become more con-scious about green values.

What is certain is that more and more people are, and are therefore

looking for this type of hotel.”

Cascante claims that it’s false economy for hoteliers to think

equate ‘green’ with ‘costly’.

“Start up costs maybe marginally more expensive,” he

explains. “But you have to be committed to your values and think

in the long term. Tax benefits for using green technology is not

widespread, but they wil l happen, and like organic food in Germany,

the more mainstream a product becomes, the more its price drops.

But it’s not all about money. On average, a hotel guest generates

50-60 kilowatts of energy per night. Our aim is to reduce that to 10

kilowatts. So above all, it’s about investing in the earth’s future.”

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OVER EVERYTHING ELSE, IT’S IMPORTANT THAT PEOPLE LIKE IT AND RETURN AGAIN.

THEN WITH EACH VISIT, HOPEFULLY THEY WILL BECOME MORE CONSCIOUS ABOUT GREEN

VALUES. WHAT IS CERTAIN IS THAT MORE AND MORE PEOPLE ARE, AND ARE THEREFORE

LOOKING FOR THIS TYPE OF HOTEL.


MAS SALAGROSNumber of rooms: 54 (with more cabins planned)

From 130 euros per night. Includes breakfast and 1.5 hours in the spa

Owners: Carles Cascante, Silvio Elías Marimón and Bonaventura Mora

GM: Franz MartinezTelephone: + 34 93 565 6060

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PROFILES THE GREEN SOLUTION HOUSE PROFILES THE GREEN SOLUTION HOUSE

GREEN SOLUTION

HOUSEFIFTY SHADES OF GREEN AT THIS EXPERIMENTAL

CONFERENCE CENTRE AND HOTELBY: BOYD FARROW

DENMARK’S

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In the recent movie The Martian, Matt Damon’s character—an

astronaut who has accidentally been left alone on Mars—finds himself

in the ultimate sustainabil ity experiment, where cultivating food is only

one of the regenerative systems he must create from scratch.

Running the six-month-old Green Solution House on the

Danish island of Bornholm feels very similar, laughs manager Trine

Richter. At this new experimental conference centre and hotel every

single thing is adapted to the circulation of nature. The building’s

entire structure is designed for disassembly and constructed of

defined recyclable materials. Solar energy produces the energy

consumed in the building. Rain water is collected and used water is

biologically cleaned and reused. Integrated greenhouses produce the

organic fruits and vegetables for the hotel’s gourmet restaurant. And

the daily material that flows from the property’s operation is either

recycled or composted.

“Everything is in continual development,” explains Richter.

“Whether we’re investigating, for example, how fungus can be used

as isolation material, or how algae can be used in solar screening.

Guests wil l certainly get an unusual experience. I just hope its

inspirational”.

Richter, whose background is in the financial sector—

“risk management, mainly” and hospitality, says that originally the

Green Solution House was envisaged to further develop tourism

on Bornholm, already a popular destination for rugged, outdoorsy

types. The renovation and expansion of a what was originally a 122-

room hotel was so complete that it was like a greenfield development

anyway.

“Because of the location, the venture was always going to

be as sustainable as possible, but once the ball started roll ing we

wanted to see how far we could go with the concept,” says Richter.

“What it has evolved into is this l iving laboratory, and some guests

come to contemplate the hotel more than our magnificent natural

surroundings. Giving tours of the premises to architects, engineers

and hospitality professionals is now part of my job.”

Driving the project has been Kasper Guldager Jørgensen,

head of the innovation unit at the pioneering Danish architectural

practice 3XN and, according to Richter, “the world’s most

environmentally conscious architect.”

Unlike many other hotels, which aim “to reduce their

environmental impact” Jørgensen emphasizes that the Green Solution

House was built to make real the concept of “circular sustainabil ity.”

“We see the whole building as a l iving organism, and the

ambition is to try to eliminate the concept of waste,” he explains.

For instance, a dedicated pyrolysis plant transforms food

scraps and biological waste into energy and ferti l iser for kitchen

gardens that supply the restaurant.

“You get new vegetables, which become new waste, which

becomes more energy again,” he explains. “We tried to establish

these loops within the building.”

Designed to vault over every green building code, Green

Solution House’s features range from the expected—photovoltaic solar

panels integrated in the balcony façades and vertical fern gardens

that clean the air—to the extraordinary. Visible algae generators

clean wastewater for reuse; carpets and wall panels neutralise

formaldehyde and other harmful elements from the air. There is an

app that allows guests to control the l ight and air in “smart rooms”

while monitoring water and energy consumption, daylight levels, air

quality, temperature and humidity levels.

Even the landscape outside the hotel features local materials

and reuses local waste such as glass, broken building materials and

rock dust from the adjoining granite quarry. Meanwhile, 20,000 cubic

metres of soil was moved to create rainwater reservoirs that have

become seasonal swimming ponds and thriving habitats for local

wildlife. By using local biotopes, the site is kept low-maintenance

and the planting is left to grow wild, helping to increase biodiversity.

The diversity of the guests is pretty varied too, according

to Richter. Apart from the “professional greens”, the hotel attracts a

large number of regular conference delegations. And then there are

the regular holiday makers, who come to enjoy the natural attractions

of Bornholm. The beach is within walking distance from Green

Solution House, along the path through the peaceful woods opposite

its front entrance.

Sustainabil ity in the hospitality business can mean both

mindfulness and luxury says Richter. Her guests, for example, can

enjoy gourmet food from the hotel’s sustainable kitchen, such as local

salmon, scallops, beef and cheeses. It also means that furniture is

reupholstered with wool texti les from local manufacturers rather than

replaced to follow ever-shifting design trends.

“Ultimately”, she says, “we think the Green Solution House

has been designed to chime with the values of the people and

companies who come stay.”

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WHAT IT HAS EVOLVED INTO IS THIS LIVING LABORATORY, AND SOME GUESTS COME TO CONTEMPLATE THE HOTEL MORE THAN OUR

MAGNIFICENT NATURAL SURROUNDINGS. GIVING TOURS OF THE PREMISES TO

ARCHITECTS, ENGINEERS AND HOSPITALITY PROFESSIONALS IS NOW PART OF MY JOB.

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GREEN SOLUTION HOUSE Number of rooms: 68 rooms and 28 apartments

From 1300DK (€175)Website: www.greensolutionhouse.dk

GM: Trine RichterAddress: Strandvejen 79 · DK-3700 Rønne

Telephone: +45 5695 1913

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PRESENTS ISSUE NO.29

THEFOOD AND BEVERAGE

ISSUE

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LAST LOOK In the Huilo Huilo Biological Reserve in northern Patagonia, Chile

rises a fern-covered mound that looks like something out of The Hobbit. It’s

the Montaña Mágica, (‘Magic Mountain’) a seven-story lodge complete with

exterior waterfall that indeed invokes thoughts of elves, wood nymphs, and

other things fantastical. The Montaña is just one of four unique lodges here,

and there are also treehouse apartments, rustic cabins and a backpackers’

hostel, all of which seem to grow organically out of the surrounding Patagonian

landscape, imitating natural forms and using local materials. The offerings

form a forest vil lage of sorts that permits guests easy access to the real

reason for coming this far off the beaten track: the temperate rainforest and

its rivers, waterfalls and wildlife.

Conservation for the area’s natural landscape and culture has been

at the heart of Huilo Huilo since its creation in 2004. The surrounding area, a

Unesco Biosphere Reserve since 2007, had long been heavily dependent on

timber, something Huilo Huilo’s founders set out to change. The hospitality

project is one part of the conservation, investigation and entrepreneurial

efforts (l ike a microbrewery) that have led to tangible results that wil l help

ensure the preservation of the Patagonian temperate rainforest as well the

future prospects of the local community. They’ve also led to a growing list

of accolades, including National Geographic’s 2015 World Legacy award for

‘Conserving the Natural World.’

PRESERVATION IS AT THE HEART OF THIS FAIRYTALE

FOREST RESERVE AND ECO-LODGE COMPLEX

CHILE’S HUILO HUILO

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HI 28 GREEN ISSUE LR FINAL

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