TORONTO—Keeping with its commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts will participate for the fourth consecutive year in Earth Hour, a global event organized by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) to raise awareness about climate change. On Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 8:30 p.m. local time, all of Fairmont’s 64 world-class hotels and resorts will participate by turning off their lights for one hour.
“Climate change impacts us all and is an issue we must address collectively,” said Chris Cahill, president, Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. “We continually encourage our hotels to be innovative with their energy conservation efforts and offer creative ‘green’ programming that our guests and colleagues can participate in year-round. We remain a strong supporter of Earth Hour and WWF and look forward to participating in this awareness campaign.”
In addition to switching off principal lighting and hosting candlelit dinners in many locations, a number of Fairmont properties will also mark this eco-friendly event by involving hotel guests. In Abu Dhabi, the Fairmont Bab Al Bahr is taking Earth Hour beyond 60 minutes by generating 24 hours of renewable energy. The lobby of the hotel will be outfitted with stationary bicycles and with the use of dymo technology, a full 24 hours of cycling shared amongst the hotel staff, guests, dignitaries and the community will generate energy to offset some of the power normally used by the hotel.
Tree Planting by Moonlight
At the historic Fairmont Mount Kenya Safari Club guests will be treated to a moonlight walk that will end with a special tree planting. After the walk guests can head back into the Club for hot chocolate and for something with a little more kick a special Earth Hour wine is available, with proceeds from each bottle sold donated to the WWF.
Fairmont Mayakoba, located in the heart of the Riviera Maya, will celebrate by hosting a fête on the terrace of La Laguna restaurant where guests can enjoy live traditional pre-Hispanic and colonial Mexican music, organic and sustainable canapés and other festivities to cap off the evening. In honor of every guest attending the celebration, the hotel will donate a tree per person through the hotel’s Adopt-a-Tree program.
In the heart of Banff National Park and within a UNESCO World Heritage Site, The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise is inviting guests to head outside and take a snowshoe moonlit tour during the hour. At The Fairmont Banff Springs, the festivities will start while the sun is still up; the hotel will turn lights off throughout the day in areas of the hotel where sunlight provides ample lighting.
Environmental Talk in Egypt
On the banks of the Nile River, Fairmont Nile City, Cairo will host guests on the rooftop of the city center hotel where an environmental specialist will give a talk and guests will be treated to an acoustic musical performance under the night sky. Guests at the LEED certified Fairmont Pittsburgh can groove through the hour with a special acoustic jazz performance and cocktails by candlelight in Andys, named for two of the city’s most famous residents: Andy Warhol and Andrew Carnegie.
The Fairmont Turnberry Isle, Miami will hold a Chef’s Garden Tour followed by a tree planting, and for guests looking to unwind the hotel is offering 20 percent savings on the signature Willow Stream Elements experience—which combines a medicinal Moor mud wrap, therapeutic bath and massage. For a relaxing Earth Hour experience in The Orient guests at Fairmont Singapore can head to the Willow Stream Spa and enjoy a special candlelit massage experience.
A few hotels have created signature drinks for the event. The Fairmont Chicago, Millennium Park will be offering a special cocktail, the HUMing Bird, made of organic botanic HUM liqueur, freshly squeezed lemon, organic puree and ginger. A dollar from every cocktail will be donated to the Grant Park Conservancy, the hotel’s Eco-Signature Project. Fairmont Beijing will be serving a special Earth Hour cocktail garnished with glow stick stirrers; adding to the drink and the ambience the stirrers will provide the only lighting.
An Eco-cocktail Called ‘Kermit’s Katana’
In Canada’s capital, Fairmont Château Laurier, Ottawa is inviting guests to Zoe’s Lounge to sip and savor a special Shot in the Dark cocktail along with a selection of green bites. At Fairmont Pacific Rim, Vancouver the night includes acoustic entertainment in the lobby and an eco-cocktail called Kermit’s Katana that features local artisanal sake from Granville Island, cucumber slices, fresh lime juice and vodka.
At The Fairmont Orchid, Hawaii, located on the tropical Kohala Coast, guests will be able to celebrate the occasion by enjoying complimentary hot chocolate and cookies around an oceanside fire pit underneath the stars while being treated to a complimentary talk from a local astronomer. Along with The Fairmont Orchid, Bermuda’s The Fairmont Southampton, Fairmont Le Château Montebello in Quebec, and The Fairmont Chateau Lake Louise will be inviting guests to step outside and enjoy roaring bonfires, s’mores and marshmallows underneath the night sky.
On a corporate level, Fairmont’s LEED certified corporate office will also be dimming the lights to honor the occasion.
Earth Hour is a global WWF climate change initiative. Individuals, businesses, governments and communities are invited to turn out their lights for one hour to show their support for action on climate change. The event began in Sydney in 2007, when 2 million people switched off their lights. 2010 marked the biggest ever Earth Hour with hundreds of millions of participants and a record 128 countries and territories joined the global display of climate action.
Go to Fairmont and Earth Hour.
