The Ascott, the wholly-owned business unit owned by CapitaLand investment, has launched the Somerset Sustainability Passport Program to engage guests in several environmentally friendly activities, wellness programs and community initiatives. The program has also been developed as part of Ascott’s sustainability goals in Ascott CARES, which was created last November.
A global initiative, the Somerset Sustainability Passport, will encourage a sense of community and shared purpose through Ascott’s Somerset brand, Ascott said in a statement. A key growth brand in Ascott’s portfolio, Somerset is designed for multi-generational families with its flexible offerings and multi-bedroom units.
Starting November 20, the new program will be rolled out in all Somerset hotels to promote family bonding. Guests can participate in several on-site sustainability initiatives along with sustainability passports with tasks to be completed.
“As sustainable travel gains pace, Somerset brand’s philosophy of finding harmony within ourselves, with the people around us, and being in harmony with the environment, is exactly in line with shifting traveler demands to embrace greater mindfulness and sustainability when they travel and in their daily lives,” said Tan Bee Leng, Ascott’s managing director for brand and marketing. “Positioning ourselves as forward-thinking and socially responsible in a world that increasingly values sustainability and inclusivity is a strategic imperative for Ascott, which goes beyond the transactional nature of business.”
The initiatives align with Somerset’s brand philosophy of ‘where harmony is second nature,’ revolving around three pillars of harmony: with the environment, with oneself and among guests.
IN HARMONY WITH THE ENVIRONMENT
Somerset Suzhou Bay Suzhou in China conducts a plant adoption drive and teaches guests how to cultivate plants in reused bottles and cups. Somerset Rama 9 Bangkok in Thailand offers children the opportunity to plant herbs in the hotel’s rooftop garden. Recently, Somerset Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam hosted a floral sea-themed art workshop helping guests transform reused waste materials into art pieces. At the Somerset Central Salcedo Makati in the Philippines, children and their families were encouraged to explore the Jaime Velasquez Park to learn about flora and fauna.
IN HARMONY WITH ONESELF
Somerset seeks to educate guests on the significance of mental and physical wellbeing and encourages them to reduce their screen time and participate in craft workshops and workouts.
Somerset Sudirman Jakarta in Indonesia promotes clean eating habits and offers nutritious snacks and beverages such as healthy crackers and milk for children upon check-in. Somerset Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia has a mini salad station in the lobby for guests. Somerset Pattaya in Thailand features an ongoing collection of fitness classes like yoga, aqua aerobics and muay Thai (Thai boxing). To encourage mindfulness, Somerset Al Fateh Bahrain has launched meditation and yoga classes for guests of all ages.
IN HARMONY WITH PEOPLE AROUND
Somerset aims to promote family bonding and interaction with the local community.
Somerset Ginza East Tokyo in Japan conducts cultural workshops so guests can understand and appreciate local traditions. At Somerset Maslak Istanbul, guests can participate in local experience tours and visit landmarks to explore the rich local culture and heritage.
ENRICHING CHILDREN
Seeking to educate children on environmentally-conscious and community-related tasks that they undertake in their everyday lives, the Sustainability Passport program offers a Sustainability Passport booklet.
The booklet can be used to explore the hotel while completing tasks, such as sorting recyclables, conserving energy, referencing a green message from the hotel’s digital compendium and gardening.
The program has a common task of calling for families to opt for GoGreen, an initiative allowing guests to select a reduced housekeeping frequency from the Discover ASR app. Guests can receive Ascott Star Rewards that can be redeemed for future stays.
Upon completion, children will be rewarded with limited-edition collectibles unique to each hotel.
MORE SUSTAINABILITY EFFORTS
Guests staying at Somerset Central Bundang in South Korea are encouraged to donate items for a charity bazaar, which was held on November 23. Proceeds of the sale will be donated to support Seongnam-si Hanmaum Welfare Center, a charity that helps persons with disabilities.
Other hotels’ sustainability efforts include:
- Somerset Greenways Chennai in Chennai, India, recycled plastic water bottles into T-shirts that were gifted to guests in appreciation of their sustainability efforts.
- Somerset hotels in China have repurposed around 40,000 plastic bottles to make school uniforms, which were donated to underprivileged students through the Lingshan Charity Foundation.
- Somerset Bencoolen Singapore has stopped the usage of bottled water and uses in-room water dispensers. The hotel has also swapped all the lights on its corridors to eco-friendly LED lights.
Somerset properties have received the Excellence in Design for Greater Efficiencies (EDGE) certification for achieving at least a 20% reduction in energy consumption, water consumption and embodied carbon in construction materials.
Ascott now has around 30 EDGE-certified properties, more than double that of 2022.