< PreviousThe mountainous geogrpahy at Olympos. Opposite, from top: Golden sands at Ölüdeniz; Iztuzu Beach TRAVELLER PROMOTIONFor more information visit goturkey.com KABAK BAY Surrounded on three sides by pine forests, Kabak Bay is the ideal spot for nature lovers. In a secluded and quiet location, it’s considered to be one of Turkey’s secret paradises. Here, adventurers can camp directly on the beach or stay in a charming bungalow set amid the wildlife. A destination typically frequented by backpackers and hikers trekking along the Lycian Way, Kabak Bay is less than 10km from the Blue Flag destination Butterfly Valley. KAPUTAŞ BEACH Touted as one of the most exquisite beaches in the Mediterranean and the go-to summer spot for locals, Kaputaş is located between the seaside towns of Kalkan and Kaş. Visitors flock here for its azure waters and golden sands while the beach itself has made the cover of many travel magazines. A long staircase separates you from the beach, but be sure to take the time to drink in the panoramic view before your descent. KONYAALTI BEACH Among the most popular beaches in Antalya, Konyaaltı is another nature haven situated between the sea and the Beydağları mountains. The seven- kilometre beach provides the perfect backdrop for a stay full of seaside fun, including a plethora of restaurants, cafés and shops alongside vibrant nightlife. Spend evenings strolling the seafront promenade or dancing the night away at a live music bar in this buzzing beach town. ÖLÜDENIZ Located 15km south of Fethiye, Ölüdeniz, meaning “dead sea”, was named for its calm waters known for remaining flat even during storms. The sheltered lagoon is surrounded by a lush national park on one side and a long white-sand beach on the other. Home to several Blue Flag beaches, Belceğiz and Kumburnu are among the most resplendent in Turkey. Common activities in this ever-tranquil lagoon include sun- lounging, water sports and even paragliding. PATARA BEACH Situated a few hours from Antalya’s city centre, Patara stretches 18km and is one of the most well- preserved beaches in the region. The biodiversity trove is an animal lover’s dream, with the soft sands and shallow sea a favourite of loggerhead sea turtles. When in town, make sure to explore the ancient city of Patara and visit the charming village of Gelemiş. MEXICO CITY | DAVID MAYER DE ROTHSCHILD WHERE TO STAYFebruary 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 63 ROOM FOR CHANGE From investing in renewable energy to reducing food wastage, here’s how the hospitality industry is looking inward to reduce its negative impact on the planet, writes PRASAD RAMAMURTHYW ildfires in Brazil, Greece and Siberia, drought in Australia, repeated floods in Kerala – the drastic impact of climate change is evident the world over. Severely hit by these disasters like every other industry, hospitality also shares the blame for adversely impacting the health of the planet. The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) has estimated that hotels worldwide contribute to about one per cent of total greenhouse gas emissions. Putting that in context, the Accor (accor.com) group has estimated that its environmental impact is “equivalent to that of a city of 500,000 inhabitants”. And that’s one hotel group with about 4,900 properties worldwide. Now imagine the impact of nearly 200,000 hotels. A study published in 2018 in Nature Climate Change reveals “between 2009 and 2013, tourism’s global carbon footprint has increased four times more than previously estimated, accounting for about eight per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions.” The study took into account everything from air travel to souvenirs. If the world’s hotels are to meet the Paris Agreement goal of limiting temperature rise to under 2˚C, they will have to reduce carbon emissions by 66 per cent come 2030 and by 90 per cent by 2050. This, according to the International Tourism Partnership (ITP), a grouping of hospitality’s most powerful companies. All the measures recommended to achieve these goals aim to make businesses sustainable, and hotel owners are responding in small and big ways – doing away with non-recyclable plastic, reusing printer cartridges, adopting renewable energy and reducing portion sizes. Middle Eastern and international hotel groups are insisting suppliers have certifications from agencies like The Rainforest Alliance, which uses nearly 100 social, environmental and economic criteria to examine a company’s policies. The Marine Stewardship Council does just that, but on the seafood supply end. In fact, there are over 140 different green certifications in use – EarthCheck, LEED, Green Key, Green Growth 2050, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Global Sustainable Tourism Council, among several others. These are applied to everything from construction standards to how ethically a product or ingredient is sourced, and are based on a mind-boggling array of factors. “Green Growth 2050 has over 400 indicators covering all aspects of operation, from the environmental and plastic use to local hiring and workplace health,” explains John Roberts, group director of sustainability and conservation, Minor Hotels (minorhotels.com). “From very basic stuff like getting rid of plastic water drinking bottles, which we did when we first became members in 2008, to a whole section on occupational health and safety and human rights now. The list, quite literally, goes on.” The best-known certification, perhaps, is the LEED, which was conferred by the American Green Building Council (and now has a Middle East and North Africa chapter). In India, properties of ITC Hotels (itchotels.in) were the first to achieve the highest such rating. “LEED Platinum standards address energy and water efficiency, indoor environmental quality, reduction, reusing and recycling of waste, sustainable site selection and usage of sustainable material,” explains Dipak Haksar, CEO of ITC Hotels. “More than 53 per cent of electrical energy demand is currently met by our own wind and solar farms. More than 50 per cent of the paper, stationery and wood is either FSC-certified, sourced locally or recycled. We have reduced water consumption across ITC Hotels by 50 per cent over the last five years.” USE OF PLASTIC From key cards to toiletries, one of the biggest challenges a hotel – or even the Earth – faces is plastic. Most significantly, single-use items such as straws, which are not recycled and do not disintegrate easily. Accor recognises this and earlier this year announced its commitment to join the UN Global Tourism Plastics Initiative, aiming for the worldwide elimination of single- use plastics across the guest experiences at its hotels by the end of 2022. Look at the numbers: Marriott International (marriott.com) – with some 7,000 hotels worldwide – uses over a billion plastic straws, “The hospitality industry is doing much more than just funding afforestation and supporting beach clean-up drives to better the planet”February 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 65 HOTELS GO GREEN From top: Fairmont supports endangered bees with apiaries; a bedroom in QO Amsterdam; a dish at Niyama Private Islands Maldives. Opposite: The beach at Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort. Previous pages, from left: The organic garden at Six Senses Qing Cheng Mountain in China; a Residence at Six Senses Fiji 25 million plastic stirrers and 35 million toiletry mini-bottles annually. Almost all of this goes straight to landfills. In 2018, the group announced it is phasing out plastic straws and stirrers, replacing them with more eco-friendly options that would be provided on request. It has also begun replacing mini-toiletry bottles with larger, reusable bottles. A number of other leading hotel brands, including InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) (intercontinental.com), Hyatt (hyatt.com), The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels (HSH) (hshgroup.com), Soneva (soneva. com), Jumeriah Hotels & Resorts (jumeirah. com), Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL) (ihcltata.com), ITC and Minor, have adopted both these measures. Closer to home, all restaurants run by Jumeirah have stopped using single-use plastic materials such as straws and stirrers. In fact, at Jumeirah at Saadiyat Island Resort (doubles from AED 910; 00971- 2-811 4444, jumeirah.com), water is served in reusable glass bottles. Jean-Michel Cassé, COO, India and South Asia at Accor, says, “We’ve emphasised how straws are not necessary for drinks… F&B directors can design drinks and glassware that don’t need straws.” Plastic used in packaging is another scourge that sustainability teams are attempting to find solutions for. For example, Ibis (ibis.accor.com) hotels across India are experimenting with boxes and tableware made of bagasse, a sugarcane by-product that is 100 per cent biodegradable. Individual hotels are also making the switch from disposable plastic bathroom amenities to recyclable options. The Hyatt group across North America has removed single-use, non-recyclable earbuds from its fitness centres, replacing them with recyclable versions. And Six Senses (sixsenses.com) has pledged to use products in its resorts that are biodegradable or even fully compostable. Lastly, there’s the problem of room key-cards made of non-biodegradable PVC. While bigger chains grapple with finding scalable eco-friendly options, standalones are forging ahead. In 2018, The Ranch at Laguna Beach (doubles from AED 775; 001- 949-499 2271, theranchlb.com) in California started using keys made of bamboo and embedded with radio-frequency identification – a biodegradable option that encouraged conversations about sustainability with guests. FOOD & DRINK Agriculture is considered a leading cause for the extinction of wildlife species. Hotels are taking note of scientific studies and moving toward reducing their carbon footprint by buying local produce, choosing eco-labelled condiments and demanding that suppliers only provide cage-free eggs, deliver ethically raised beef and bring seafood farmed responsibly to the table – measures most international and Middle East-based hotel chains such as IHG, Emaar Hospitality Group (emaarhospitality.com), Jumeirah, Hyatt and Accor are in various stages of implementing. Marriott International reports that it reserves over 70 per cent of its spending for vendors who provide eco-certifications and/or are involved in conservation efforts. But deciding on what makes sense to source isn’t always easy. Accor’s Cassé explains, “The major challenge from an operations standpoint is the availability of information for accurate whole-life costing. Where is the product from? How is it made? What is it made from? How far does it travel? How is it packaged? How is it maintained? How much does it cost to maintain? How is it disposed of? What does it break down into? What does that do to the environment? And working out the Net Positive combination of all these parameters is extremely difficult.” On the marine front, HSH, which owns and operates The Peninsula Hotels (peninsula.com), has removed ingredients like shark fin from its menu, after concerns that excessive consumption is nudging certain species toward extinction. Farming within kitchen’s view is another trend that’s catching on among hoteliers. Using techniques like aeroponics and hydroponics, chefs are planting thousands of kitchen gardens and using them to grow not just exotic herbs but veggies as well. The Orlando World Center Marriott (doubles from AED 520; 001-407-239 4200, marriott.com) has partnered with hydroponic farming company HyCube to create a soil- and pesticide-free space that can grow 25,000 plants. Apiaries are a huge draw among brands like Fairmont Resorts & Hotels (fairmont.com), to not just support endangered bees but to also create their own lagers. 66 Condé Nast Traveller February 2020 USE OF GREEN TECHNOLOGY Given the challenges, especially for large chains involving thousands of properties, in reducing wastage of energy, water, food and other nature-dependant resources, hotel brands are employing smart technology to make smarter choices. To reduce energy consumption and cooling costs, roofs are tiled or painted with reflective material, walls are built with insulation and the number and kind of openings calculated. The Oberoi Group (oberoihotels.com), which includes properties in the UAE, uses fly-ash, a by-product of power plants in its constructions. On the inside, it uses materials with high amounts of recycled content, FSC-certified wood as well as composite wood products. IHG’s QO Amsterdam (doubles from AED 695; 0031-20-220 5650, qo-amsterdam. com) sourced one-third of the concrete it used from the recently demolished offices of Shell nearby. The façade is built using over 1,600 thermal panels that regulate the indoor temperature based on climatic conditions outdoors. “The hotel also uses an aquifer thermal energy storage system to stock unused heated water underground until it is needed up top,” reveals Pascal Gauvin, managing director, India, Middle East and Africa at IHG. Apart from building new structures, brands are also adapting existing structures as hotels. The Wick (doubles from AED 535; 001-833-843 9425, thewickhotel.com), a former candle and soap factory, opened as a boutique luxury hotel in Hudson, New York, in 2018. Alila Fort Bishangarh (doubles from AED 715; 0091-723- 005 8058, alilahotels.com/fortbishangarh) in Rajasthan used the shell of an old fort to fashion out very modern digs. In cities like Paris and Mumbai, pollution- control norms require hotels to treat discharge before it enters the city’s drainage system. Given the harmful effects that chemicals in washing and cleaning substances have on marine ecosystems, Oberoi relies on biodegradable options and champions the use of natural fertilisers and biopesticides in its gardening and landscaping. Also, showerheads that lessen water consumption and sensors for lights and ACs are becoming the norm. In a region where water is limited, Dubai’s Madinat Jumeirah (jumeirah. com), home to four hotels and over 50 bars and restaurants, has reduced the use of potable water in its operations by nearly 16 per cent; this between 2008 and 2017. A desalination plant provides all the water needed by the resort’s chilling system, and a smart ventilation system uses cooled air that might otherwise have been wasted to reduce the temperature of the new air entering the system. This, in turn, has resulted in cost savings. Hotel chains such as Oberoi, ITC, IHG, Four Seasons (fourseasons.com), Accor, Hyatt and Marriott are investing in machines that recycle food waste into grey water (used for flushing and watering plants), compost and biofuel. Properties are also employing digital tools to monitor and report resource usage. Emaar has signed on tech firm Winnow, whose AI-based software is helping the group reduce food wastage. The technology is in use across 12 properties, and the Armani Hotel Dubai (doubles from AED 1,700; 00971-4-888 3888, armanihoteldubai.com) alone has reduced wastage by 47 per cent. Visual recognition cameras and tablet devices quantify what’s going into the bin and down the drain to calculate excess. A welcome move, considering the cost of food wastage in the UAE is currently pegged at AED 13 billion. There’s also a big push toward adopting greener forms of energy. As of 2018, Marriott group hotels across Africa and the Middle East managed to reduce carbon-based energy consumption by almost 20 per cent from the “Hotels are reducing their footprint by buying veggies locally, demanding cage-free eggs and choosing eco- labelled condiments” From top left: The agro-forestry project of Accor in Indonesia is part of its worldwide green initiative with PUR Projet; a manta ray at Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru. Opposite: Anantara Al Sahel Villa Resort on Sir Bani Yas Island PHOTO: FOUR SEASONSHOTELS GO GREEN previous year. The JW Marriott Hotel Cairo (doubles from AED 580; 0020-22-411 9459, marriott.com), for instance, is using solar panels installed on its rooftop to generate 273,000 KW of power, which results in savings of about AED 91,000 per year. In the Maldives, under threat of rising sea levels, Niyama Private Islands Maldives (doubles from AED 2,910; 00960-676 2828, niyama.com) converts used cooking oil to fuel generators and desalination plants. Other interesting uses of technology include moves by HSH and Westin Hotels & Resorts (westin.marriott.com) to upcycle linen and create clothing. In 2018, Westin rewove 30,000 pounds of bed linen and terry cloth. And Alila Hotels & Resorts (alilahotels.com) is converting waste plastic like wraps and films “into a light green crude oil that will be distilled down to diesel, kerosene, gasoline for reuse” across its flagship hotels. INVESTING IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES On the environmental front, hotels have been helping keep beaches clean, build coral reefs and protect endangered species. Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru (doubles from AED 5,270; 00960-660 0888, fourseasons.com/maldiveslg) works with the world-renowned expert Dr Guy Stevens on the Maldivian Manta Ray Project. It’s the founding project of the world’s largest manta ray charity, Manta Ray Trust. Meanwhile, over a period of 16 years, Jumeirah has funded the rescue, rehabilitation and release into the wild of over 1,600 turtles, with a sanctuary that guests can visit at Jumierah Al Naseem (doubles from AED 735; 00971-4-366 8888, jumeirah.com). Abu Dhabi’s Anantara Sir Bani Yas Island (anantara.com/sir-bani- yas-abu-dhabi) runs a cheetah conservation programme that helps introduce cats bred in captivity into the wild. It has also planted and maintains thousands of mangrove plants on the island, with a nursery that’s home to thousands of saplings. In Oman, Alila Jabal Akhdar (doubles from AED 1,715; 00968- 2534 4200, alilahotels.com/jabalakhdar) has managed to create a green ambience that uses relatively little water, using only native flora and the traditional Omani irrigation system. In the Maldives, where rising global temperatures are accentuating a drinking-water crisis, Soneva, apart from running a range of stellar conservation products, is using its solar-powered desalination plant to supply water to residents of neighbouring atolls. And in North America, Repeat Roses is giving Marriott’s used floral arrangements a proper spruce up, then delivering them to hospitals, nursing homes and cancer treatment centres. In India, Taj Hotels’ (tajhotels.com) collaboration with the Last Wilderness Foundation and the Panna Forest Department is a pioneering example. Pashan Garh, A Taj Safari (doubles from AED 1,580; 0091-22-66- 01 1825, tajhotels.com) is a lodge near Panna National Park tiger reserve, where its naturalists mentor youth from the highly marginalised Pardhi community to develop community- based tourist trails. The aim: to prevent the next generation from joining poaching rings. “The uniqueness of the Walk with The Pardhis initiative lies in the fact that the community’s natural entrepreneurial streak and flair for tracking animals and reading the forests are leveraged to create an alternate livelihood path linked to the growing tourism in this region,” says Dr PV Ramana Murthy of IHCL. “This project also furthers the preservation and promotion of natural and cultural heritage and wildlife conservation.” The hotel’s attempts to empower marginalised groups also includes supporting 14 skill-training centres that impart short courses in hospitality and tourism to less privileged youth. Such moves are in keeping with ITP’s 2030 goal for the hospitality industry to aid one million youths below the age of 25. It’s an important goal given that the International Labour Organisation estimates over 40 per cent of the world’s youth is unemployed or lives in poverty. While Hyatt says it plans to recruit 10,000 youths by 2025, Marriott is putting down AED 18 million to train and skill those from at-risk and underserved communities. THE SUM OF IT ALL By 2017, Marriott International – arguably the world’s largest hotel chain with around 7,000 properties – had reduced its carbon intensity (a metric used to measure emission of pollutants) by eight per cent. The goal is to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions by 30 per cent and water consumption by 20 per cent by 2020. The Hyatt group says it has already achieved its 2020 goal of reducing water use and greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent in Asia and the Middle East. IHG’s Gauvin says utility costs are the second-biggest expense of its hotels: “Throughout 2018, hotels using our online sustainability platform, IHG Green Engage, avoided costs of AED 246 million,” he says. Minor’s Roberts adds that the 10 to 15 per cent improved operations at their resorts “equated to a AED 2.1 million saving in energy and water costs in the first half of 2019.” Clearly, the hospitality industry is going far beyond replanting coral reefs, funding afforestation and supporting beach clean-up drives. If that isn’t good long-term business sense, we don’t know what is. RHEA SARAN checks out a new Maldivian playground that is equal measures fun and blissful HURUVALHI MALDIVES FIRST REVIEW The Standard As a former New Yorker, The Standard hotels are familiar to me. I’ve had many a catch-up with friends in the Biergarten at the base of the one at the High Line and been up for epic Manhattan views from the Top of the Standard. The boutique brand has always been playful, social, irreverent and glitzy – it’s where the Met Gala afterparty happens, after all. Totally apt for New York, LA (where it got its start), Miami – and London, where the first international hotel from the group landed early last year – but as I boarded my seaplane in Malé, bound for the Raa Atoll, I was bursting with curiosity to see just how The Standard has interpreted a rather more relaxed, less urban environment in the Maldives. For starters, there’s a disco ball in the bathroom of each villa at The Standard, Huruvalhi Maldives. It makes you want to pull out your phone and do a silent-disco Instagram post. Though it might be worth waiting till Friday night when there’s an actual disco at Beru Bar, overhung with what the hotel claims is the country’s largest disco ball. I have no reason to doubt that assertion, given that the ball is about five times my size and that I’ve never actually seen another disco ball in the Maldives. In addition to Friday party nights, there’s a DJ spinning at the main pool on Saturday afternoons for a pool-party vibe, and on Sunday evenings you can belt out some karaoke back at Beru (which is also great for more leisurely evenings of simply watching the oil-painting-worthy Maldivian sunsets). If this so far sounds quite atypical of the Maldives resort experience, you’re quite right. It is. But then The Standard hotels have never been about conformity – even their logo is presented upside down. That’s not to say it doesn’t have your favourite Maldives elements, too – it does. There are 115 overwater lagoon and ocean villas to sleep in with private plunge pools and beach pool villas hidden amid privacy-protecting shrubbery. There are long stretches of soft-sand beach to loll about or play on, and turquoise waters to snorkel in. There’s a kids’ club and tennis court, a dive centre and a mini water park. Plus Baby Island, a large sandbank dotted with a few palm trees that you can swim out to, and Castaway Island, accessible by boat, that can be booked for a true Robinson Crusoe experience (with a gourmet picnic and a phone to call for assistance, of course). Yet the social opportunities and more quirky, design-led elements do set it apart. Aside from the disco ball over the Jacuzzi in the bathroom of my overwater Residence, there was also a bedroom wall displaying practical “artwork”: hot-pink and white snorkelling gear artfully arranged for a funky take on marine-themed interior design. (Given the hype over a banana taped to a wall at the most recent February 2020 Condé Nast Traveller 69 CNT EXCLUSIVE history from the chef; a tuna curry was enhanced by tart pickled onions and the texture of crunchy moringa leaves – and with no cutlery, you really are immersed in the local way of eating. The whole evening was an enjoyable, educational – and delicious – homage to Maldivian culture. There’s a more subtle cultural nod at the overwater spa, all white on the inside but with a dramatic mural on its exterior by Brooklyn- based artist Romon Kimin Yang (aka Rostarr), who incorporated elements of the local Dhivehi script in his work. In keeping with the unconventional ethos of The Standard, there’s a treatment on the spa menu that is all about the unexpected: the Huruvalhi Healing Treatment is a completely free-form 90-minute massage, interpreted in varying ways depending on your therapist, who brings his or her own strengths to the table while reading what your body might need on that particular day. My 90-minute treatment extended into 135, and involved a range of methods including deep tissue, hot stones and sound healing, delivered by talented therapist Elgar Richards (who previously spent seven years at The Standard Miami). I walked out feeling not just relaxed but lighter in every way. Of course I then promptly dispatched myself to BBQ Shak, a real toes-in-the-sand island dining experience, for a bit more indulgence. Which led me to think, the best way to approach this resort – and truth be told, most holidays – is in detox-retox-repeat mode. There’s a party to be had when you want it, and a quiet haven to return to when you don’t. Pro tip: the healing menu at the spa’s Tonic Bar includes the Blue Day Hangover Tonic. You can thank me later. Villas from AED 1,700; 00960-658 5555, standardhotels.com Clockwise from top left: Beach villas; 3D ping pong at Todis; bedroom décor; a Maldivian feast. Opposite: Beru Bar Art Basel Miami, perhaps the design minds at The Standard were on to something.) There are cheeky touches mixed with clean, contemporary design also at Joos Café, where winking-eye cushions sit on comfy couches that you can sink into with a book and a salad, and at Todis Bar, which boasts 3D tubular ping-pong tables that look like art installations. Pops of colour are evident everywhere, from the blues at reception, simulating an underwater world, to the yellow cushions by the pool – and the warm oranges and mustards and cool pinks and blues painted on the exterior of the overwater villas, inspired by colourful homes on local Maldivian islands. Indeed, drawing inspiration from its locale is something The Standard prides itself on. And the best interpretation of local culture at this resort comes at Guduguda. The speciality Maldivian restaurant wasn’t fully open when I visited (it’s due to be completed this month), but what I experienced was enough to be convinced that executive chef Christoph Pentzlin is doing something special. Over a chef’s table evening, I learnt more about Maldivian culinary history and culture than I have in all the years I’ve been visiting the country, all while sampling authentic flavours presented in a fine- dining setting, elevating the local cuisine. My favourite mashuni salad came rolled up in a light chapati, accompanied by an oral “THE SOCIAL OPPORTUNITIES AND MORE QUIRKY, DESIGN-LED ELEMENTS DO SET THE RESORT APART”Next >