Marriott’s Quest for Sustainability in Asia: Being Better for People, Planet and Business

BySCMP Events

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The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, integrates sustainability into the design, operations and guest experience at the hotel – from using sustainably sourced building materials, to installing solar panels and introducing the Jean-Michel Cousteau’s Ambassadors of the Environment Program to educate guests on how to protect the delicate ecosystem of the Maldives.

Published: 12:00am, 14 Nov 2022

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Actions speak louder than words and today’s consumers all demand that sustainability commitments are not just made, but actually met.

For Marriott, being sustainable is not only the right way to do business, but it’s the better way. In support of its global commitment towards net zero, the group is strengthening its sustainability efforts in Asia Pacific across five key areas: renewable energy, plastic reduction, food waste reduction, sustainable design, and purpose-driven guest experiences.

Bringing More Renewable Energy

In the bid to achieve a minimum of 30% renewable electricity use across the business, Marriott is expanding its electric vehicle program across the region. Beyond mainland China, more than 100 EV charging units will be installed at Marriott hotels in India, Thailand and Indonesia, with more markets to follow.

“To help achieve net zero, we need to ensure that our energy consumption comes from renewable sources and is used as efficiently as possible,” said Neeraj Govil, Senior Vice President, Operations, Asia Pacific (excluding China), Marriott International. “From installing solar panels to recycling rainwater, we are piloting different projects to identify scalable solutions for sustainable energy consumption.”

Hua Hin Marriott Resort & Spa installed 702 solar panels on the resort’s rooftop to help reduce 512 tons of carbon emissions annually.

Ending the Use of Unnecessary Plastic

In 2019, Marriott announced to eliminate tiny, single-use toiletry bottles from its hotels worldwide. Within Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), around 70% of Marriott hotels have stipulated this reform and the company is accelerating efforts to get all hotels to comply. When fully implemented globally, Marriott International expects to prevent about 500 million tiny bottles annually from going to landfills.

Diverting Food Waste from Landfills

Marriott is also helping its hotels to enroll in a digital food waste tracking system. This helps monitor food waste levels and provide insights to address unsustainable habits and behavior.

Food waste from The Ritz-Carlton, Hong Kong, are sorted and sent to O-Park, an organic resources recovery center on Lantau, where they will be converted into biogas or compost

“In China, we are using AI and big data, to track, control and reduce our food waste,” said Michael Malik, Senior Vice President, Operations, Greater China at Marriott International. “Food waste management is one of our key focus areas. From inventory to consumption, we have introduced a new system across 29 hotels in China to implement innovative solutions.”

In Hong Kong, a partnership was also initiated with O-Park, an organic resources recovery center on Lantau, to convert food waste from 13 Marriott hotels in the city into electricity. A total of 162.1 tons of food waste has been reduced between September 2021 to September 2022.

Integrating Sustainability into Hotel Designs

Another key component in sustainable hotel development starts from the design and construction phases, such as using responsibly sourced timber and growing native species for landscape design. At The Ritz-Carlton Maldives, Fari Islands, a marine team studied the oceanographic conditions to ensure minimal impact to coral reefs.

“We are enhancing our design standards to build more sustainable hotels,” said Ralph Frehner, Vice President, Design Development Operations, Marriott International, Asia Pacific. “From construction materials to restaurant concepts and transportation links, new hotels and renovation projects can opt for customizable, sustainable design solutions.”

Purpose-Driven Guest Experiences

Travelers today are looking to make a positive impact on the destinations they visit. Marriott launched the Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy™ program to give guests the opportunity to create a positive impact across communities in Asia Pacific.

From locating ghost nets in the ocean to planting seedlings in the forests, these curated experiences are designed to drive action and awareness. Launched in 2021, the program has since expanded to nearly 100 hotels.

As part of Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy™, The Westin Resort & Spa Ubud, Bali, invites guests to participate in a trash cleanup activity in neighboring communities, and learn about recycling solutions and the impact of waste on the environment.

“The pandemic has brought an enhanced sense of purpose and travelers are looking for more meaningful ways to travel,” said Bart Buiring, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Marriott International, Asia Pacific. “Good Travel with Marriott Bonvoy™ is well-positioned to allow guests to reimagine travel from a pure leisure experience to one that can positively impact the places they visit.”

What’s Next?

As travelers and the wider community become more eco-conscious, it is imperative for hoteliers to bring a more holistic and strategic approach to sustainability. Marriott International is refining its sustainability priorities in the region to rebuild the travel industry sustainably, with more details to be released in the coming months.

More details about Marriott International’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) efforts and Serve 360 can be found at Marriott.com/Serve360.