You’d be hard-pressed to find someone these days that isn’t supporting some sort of eco-friendly activity, and that definitely extends to hotels. Formerly bastions of all things eco-UNfriendly, most hotels today are working toward a greener environment, too, with initiatives like environmentally friendly electricity and heating/cooling systems, recycling programmes and water conservation techniques. We’ve even blogged about some of Europe’s best eco-friendly hotels in the past.
Well, the folks over at HotelsCombined.com have done their homework and come up with quite a few great hotels that are supporting Earth Hour. For those not familiar, Earth Hour started back in 2007 in Sydney and has become a global phenomenon. Every March 26, business and individuals all over the world turn their lights off to take a stand against climate change. Last year, hundreds of millions of people participated in 88 different countries and 4000 cities around the world, and this year promises to be even bigger.
Hotels Participating in Earth Hour
Now owned and operated by Fairmount Hotels, the Mount Kenya Safari Club is a distinguished, historic hotel in Nanyuki, Kenya. The hotel has seen such distinguished guests as Winston Churchill and Bing Crosby. For Earth Hour next week, guests of the Mount Kenya Safari Club will be taken on a moonlit walk during the hour, culminating in a tree-planting ceremony. Other Fairmont Hotels are participating as well, such as the Bab Al Bar Hotel in Abu Dhabi, which will be generating 24-hours worth of energy through lobby stationary bicycles.
Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe Resort
This Delta Hotel overlooking Victoria Harbour in British Columbia is one of a number of the Delta family that will be participating in Earth Hour. Families should take note, because at Delta Victoria Ocean Pointe, Earth Hour will be celebrated through a children’s reading of the Dr. Seuss book The Lorax, along with complimentary cookies earth-decorated biscuits and milk.
This skyscraper hotel along Australia’s Gold Coast is a true visual masterpiece, with its crown tip and looming spire that hover right out over the beach. For Earth Hour, Q1 will be extinguishing the lights that normally grace its iconic top tower for a very visual representation of what Earth Hour is all about.
As one of Singapore’s most attractive and centrally located hotels, right along the busy shopping district of Orchard Road, the Orchard Road Hotel is dynamically placed to support Earth Hour amid the lights and noise of such a busy district. The hotel offers a rather romantic take on Earth Hour festivities by hosting a darkened dinner and cocktails, “Happy Earth Hour” along with an organic “Dinner in the Dark”. So, even if you’re not a guest, you can still participate in this lovely event.
This mega-hotel company encompasses several major hotel names that you’re probably familiar with, such as Westin, St. Regis, Sheraton and Le Méridien, all of which will be going dark during Earth Hour 2011. Incredibly, these hotels will be turning off all of their non-essential lights, including exterior signage, lobby lighting and in-room lighting, and warning guests about the observances through voicemails and notices. Guests are not required to participate in their own rooms, but are encouraged to do so, and Starwood is offering 100 points for participating in the Hour to members of its “Preferred Guest” programme.
Tags: Earth Hour, eco-friendly, Hotels
