1. INNOVATIVE GUEST EXPERIENCES
The Coralarium at Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi is the first and only coral regeneration project in the Maldives that comes in the form of an underwater art installation
No longer satisfied with cookie-cutter itineraries and typical tourist attractions, new-age luxury travellers seek to create positive memories through unique and individualised engagements. Travelling becomes a part of their identity and an important step in understanding the world and themselves.
At Fairmont Maldives Sirru Fen Fushi, guests can deep dive into the Indian Ocean for an inspiring introduction to marine life and discover phenomenal underwater art that helps rejuvenate the coral reefs. The Coralarium is the first and only coral regeneration project in the Maldives that comes in the form of an underwater art installation. Designed by renowned underwater sculptor and marine activist, Jason deCaires Taylor, this submerged museum acts as an artificial reef as the artworks are seeded with coral. This helps to attract fish and crustaceans, giving the resort’s guests close encounters with the marine species.
A resident marine biologist is on hand to take guests on guided snorkelling tours day or night and to explore the marine environment on diving tours. The resort aims to educate guests on the delicate balance between man and nature and on the importance of caring for our oceans in order to protect the future existence of these beautiful atolls.
Farm-to-table dining at Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai - MGallery
Veranda High Resort Chiang Mai – MGallery, Thailand offers a Green Elite Experience, inviting Accor loyalty members to embark on an eco-friendly journey, featuring delicious and nutritious farm-to-table meals. This includes a tour of the PUR farm with its founder, Tristan Lecomte, to learn how the project has helped to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while creating employment opportunities for locals. Other activities include tree-planting and a waterfall excursion. As part of its commitment to sustainability, Accor is looking at introducing Green Elite Experiences across multiple hotels and resorts to immerse guests into the natural habitats surrounding its properties and allow them to learn more about how they can play a part in protecting the planet and its people.
2. TRANSFORMATIVE TRAVEL
Sofitel Inle Lake Myanmar introduces its new holistic Wellness Programme with a UNESCO-listed biosphere as its serene backdrop
Modern luxury travellers crave empowering moments and meaningful, lasting changes in their lives. Typically in the form of community work, yoga retreats and wellness getaways, transformative travel helps to bring out the best in everyone.
The luxurious Sofitel Inle Lake Myanmar has introduced a new holistic Wellness Programme, to help guests connect with the destination and themselves and to learn how to slow down in an increasingly busy world. It comprises an extensive list of therapies, nutrition, educational wellness programmes, fitness activities and coaching, traditional treatments, and a range of fully curated programmes for every wellness need. Each package is tailor-made to reboot and rejuvenate the body, mind and spirit. With a stunning UNESCO-listed biosphere as their serene backdrop, guests are given the opportunity to be transported to a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being while learning about Burmese traditions and treatments.
3. MINDFUL PURCHASING
Shanghai noodles with mixed julienne vegetables and clear tofu soup - made from leftover food at Racines, Sofitel Singapore City Centre
Hungry for more authentic local immersion, travellers often start with what they eat, which drives hotels to scrutinise the origin and procurement of their food products.
Accor aims to create an innovative supply chain that delivers organic and sustainable products at a competitive price to the consumer in collaboration with suppliers, partners and local governments. In Singapore, Accor has partnered with brands focusing on reducing food wastage such as Treedots, Treatsure and The Food Bank to help the hospitality giant achieve its food waste reduction target of 30% by 2021 as well as further educating Accor hotels to be mindful of the community and their environment.
Click here to discover how to create French and Chinese dishes from your leftovers, as taught by the chefs of Racines, Sofitel Singapore City Centre.
4. SUSTAINABLE MENUS
The latest buzzwords on the menu, plant-based meat substitutes, are finding their way into many restaurants across Asia-Pacific.
At Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort, Executive Chef Lorenz Hoja is working with Karana, a minimally processed meat alternative that uses organically sourced jackfruit, and positions itself strongly with regional cuisine with its’ pulled pork texture. Over the past few years, jackfruit has exploded onto the global food scene, emerging from relative obscurity to becoming an emerging plant-based staple that is here to stay.
In partnership with PUR Projet, Accor supports Indonesian coffee producers and gives guests a taste of Gayo coffee - a locally-grown Arabica coffee
Meanwhile at selected Accor Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore hotels, restaurants, and bars, guests can enjoy a good cup of Gayo coffee, an Indonesian locally-grown Arabica coffee. Since 2016, the Group supports Indonesian coffee producers to diversify their crops and income streams by planting native trees in the area of Takengon, Central Aceh District, Sumatra in partnership with PUR Projet.
All the trees planted provide economic and practical benefits to the famers through their fruit production and commercially viable timber, including medicinal and beauty products. These trees are integrated into coffee farms as shade trees in agroforestry systems. In addition, trees providing shade will improve the coffee quality, enrich soil fertility and aid in preventing pests on the farms, thereby helping to reduce the farmers’ dependence on chemical fertilisers and pesticides. Shade trees prevent soil erosion and protect crops from naturally-occurring events. Besides producing fruits and timber, these trees also protect and improve the coffee productivity. The project ensures the coffee quality and availability while increasing diversified income sources for farmers and their families.
5. WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP
From left to right: Lucy Lu, first female Pullman General Manager in Greater China | Gillian Millar, Senior Vice President of Operations at Accor New Zealand, Fiji & French Polynesia | Lisa P. Sanjoyo, General Manager at Mercure Jakarta Cikini | Angela Brown, Executive Chef, Raffles Grand Hotel d'Angkor
As the only hospitality group invited as a founding member of the United Nations’ HeForShe movement, Accor has set concrete objectives to foster diversity and equality in the workplace, as well as equal pay. Foreseeing that more women will take up leadership positions in the wider industry in 2020, Accor is paving the way to create change by committing to having at least 35% women General Managers in its hotels by the end of 2020, with a longer-term goal of 50%.
Another area which the Group is tackling to achieve its gender balance objectives is food & beverage. Accor Asia Pacific recently launched WILD F&B (Women in Leadership Disrupting Food and Beverage), an initiative which sets out to tackle the imbalance of gender diversity in the Food & Beverage industry by offering support for female talent such as career guidance and leadership forums. WILD F&B is a network of female food and beverage leaders in Asia Pacific who will provide support for our female talent by role modelling their own career success, offering career guidance to young talent, giving an outlet for open discussions to share ideas and challenges, and help Accor to create a more inclusive working environment for F&B talent.
