With travel inching back to pre-Covid levels, more and more travelers are starting to think about the environmental impact of their trips. According to Expedia’s 2022 Sustainable Travel Study, 65% of travelers are interested in booking sustainable lodging or transportation on their next trip. But what exactly does sustainability in hospitality really mean?
As consumers grow increasingly aware of greenwashing or social-washing, hospitality outlets are looking past surface-level practices to dive deep into their business processes in order to authentically embrace sustainability. PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore, a lifestyle luxury hotel under the Pan Pacific Hotels Group that opened in 2020, is a shining example.
Passing through the doors of PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore is akin to stepping through a portal to a tropical oasis. A 13-meter-tall lush green wall of soft moss and plants welcomes guests upon entry, offering weary travelers a welcome respite from the concrete jungle outside.
But the green doesn’t stop there. The hotel’s real sustainability genius lies in its two-pronged approach:
- HOLISTICALLY ADOPT ECO-FRIENDLY PRACTICES THROUGHOUT THE HOTEL’S CORE FUNCTIONS
- OPTING TO REJUVENATE THE HOTEL
Holistically adopt eco-friendly practices throughout the hotel’s core functions
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Photo by Darren Soh
With the holistic implementation of sustainability throughout the property, the Marina Bay fixture has managed to utilize renewable energy sources – rooftop solar panels help power its 13 elevators and emergency lighting – and eliminate 360,000 single-use plastic bottles annually, with the installation of a water filtration system in all of its 583 guest rooms.
Conceptualizing the space with sustainability in mind from the very beginning has also helped the hotel save considerable energy. The adoption of double-glazed glass and the low emissivity of their atrium’s skylight allows natural daylight to filter in while limiting heat. Lesser heat, lesser air conditioning. The luxury property has reported shaving approximately 2°C from their central air conditioning.
Additionally, the property’s 150-square-meter Urban Farm, one of the biggest in the central business district, is home to over 60 varieties of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and edible flowers, fulfilling approximately 20% of the hotel’s culinary requirements. The fact that the food is picked and served at its freshest is a welcomed bonus.
- HOLISTICALLY ADOPT ECO-FRIENDLY PRACTICES THROUGHOUT THE HOTEL’S CORE FUNCTIONS
- OPTING TO REJUVENATE THE HOTEL
Opting to rejuvenate the hotel
Rather than completely reconstructing the hotel in 2020, the hotel chose a rejuvenate approach, resulting in prevention of 51,300 metric tonnes of carbon emission. To help put things in perspective, 51,300 metric tonnes of carbon emission is akin to chopping down 10,000 hectares of forest, an area that is larger than all of Singapore’s nature reserves combined.
Photo by Daniel Budiyanto
Aiming to push the envelope further, PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore is in the midst of installing a rainwater harvesting system and vertical farming to be launched later this year, further reducing their water consumption and increasing their food supply resilience, no doubt. But the modern hotel’s commitment to sustainability doesn’t just stop with savings – it regularly hosts educational building tours, where they share their experience and knowledge with students from a variety of backgrounds. To date, they have shared their know-how of seamlessly integrating sustainability with hotel operations to over 500 local and international students.
Naturally, such commitment will not go unnoticed. It is, therefore, not surprising to learn that the hotel has bagged numerous sustainability accolades and awards since they opened their doors in 2020. Most notable awards include the Global Green Model Building 2022 Award by Sustainable Cities and Human Settlements Awards, an annual worldwide prize awarded by Global Forum on Human Settlements and supported by the United Nations Environment Programme, Sustainable Hotel of the Year 2022 by The ULTRAs, and International Sustainable Awards 2023 by Luxury Lifestyle Awards.
PARKROYAL COLLECTION Marina Bay, Singapore demonstrates that sustainability, when applied purposefully, can yield incredible results – not just for the hotel’s own pockets, but for the environment and the generations to come.
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