BERKELEY, CALIF.—Fairmont Hotels & Resorts of the Greater Bay Area will celebrate Mother Earth, with unique activations and initiatives for both Earth Hour (Saturday, March 25, 8:30 p.m.) and Earth Day, April 22, 2022.
One of the greatest threats facing our society today is climate change. This crisis has been ongoing for decades, with every year seemingly worse than the last. However, once a year there are worldwide events that remind us of the importance of climate change and provide an opportunity to make long standing sustainable choices.
Fairmont’s parent company, Accor, supports a collaborative approach to sustainable tourism that respects the environment and local communities through its Planet 21 program. The Planet 21 program demonstrates Accor’s ambitious stewardship goals, based around four strategic priorities: work with its employees, involve its customers, innovate with its partners and work with local communities.
Lights Off for One Hour
Earth Hour is now a globally recognized initiative that has grown in popularity and strength throughout the years. This event occurs every year on the last Saturday in March, with the goal of having all lights turned off for one hour from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. local time. From private households to hotels, this event has become a pillar in demonstrating people’s commitment towards saving our planet.
The Fairmont San Francisco will honor Earth Hour by implementing the following initiatives:
- Switching off façade, signage, and non-essential lighting, as well as dimming the lights in public areas, restaurants and exterior spaces, (where possible)
- Increasing chiller temperatures by 1 or 2 degrees
- Turning up AC or turn down heating
- Encouraging guests to reuse towels and linens, highlighting current Planet21 initiatives for Earth Hour upon check in
- Continue to encourage paperless transactions
- Candle-light dinner specials
Environmental stewards at Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn & Spa will celebrate both Earth Hour and Earth Day. On Saturday, March 26, 2022, the resort’s acclaimed dining room, Santé will serve a regionally sourced candle-lit dinner in the restaurant. Candles will also serve as the primary source of light throughout the resort to honor the hour. Acknowledging Earth Day, the Wine Country stewards will sponsor and lead a neighborhood clean-up. Additionally, during their regularly scheduled daily wine tasting, they will cameo the biodynamic and certified organic wines of neighboring Benziger Family Winery. Special regionally sourced organic menus and beverage offerings will round out the Earth Day tribute.
Guided by the principles of reduce, re-use and recycle the ladies and gentlemen of Claremont Club & Spa, A Fairmont Hotel care for the planet daily. In addition to numerous operational conservation projects, last year the resort installed a bee hotel in partnership with Bee Ranchers. The busy honeybees increase pollination which make for more flowers and higher yields on fruiting trees and vegetables. Much of the beauty around the resort can be chalked up to the hard and focused work of honeybees. The hotel will also begin work on a native plant (wild flower) landscaping reclamation project as well as further their seasonal chef garden footprint.
