It’s lights out for Starwood Hotels and Resorts across India
The hotels will join millions around the world in turning off lights for Earth Hour 2014 to illuminate a powerful message about environmental awareness and action.
Earth Hour 2014 takes place on March 29 at 8:30 p.m. local time. Created by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), Earth Hour is the largest movement for the planet in human history, spanning 7,000 cities, over 150 countries, with a digital reach of 200 million.
This year’s theme is “Use Your Power.” With that in mind, Starwood Hotels will activate a range of energy-saving measures during Earth Hour. Starwood Hotels will turn off exterior lighting, dim or turn off non-essential interior lighting or use candles for lighting in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars. The hotels will also be using in-room voicemail and television messages to inform guests about Earth Hour observances.
Le Meridien Delhi will be serving organic food and drinks along with the creation of the Earth Hour logo curated with candles. Candlelight dinners will be held at various restaurants across participating Starwood Hotels such as Chingari at Le Meridien Pune, Asian Kitchen at Four Points by Sheraton, Mumbai, The Eatery at Four Points by Sheraton, Ahmedabad, Panash at Four Points by Sheraton, Pune and Kangan and Prego at Westin Hyderabad Mindspace.
Bene, Feast, Persian Terrace and Durbar at Sheraton Bangalore will observe a candle light hour with minimum lighting to highlight this movement, paired with specially crafted cocktails for the evening like the Earth Hour ice tea and the Blue Sky Martini to name a few. Bene and Persian Terrace will also be hosting a culinary tour of Persia to Italy in an elegant candle lit ambience.
Westin Hotels and Resorts will be contributing to this special movement with their specially designed menu to reduce the carbon foot print, for example 85% of the ingredients sourced for the buffet at Seasonal Tastes Westin Mumbai Garden City will be from a 10 mile radius. Aloft Bengaluru Whitefield will also be turning off all non-essential lights considering all safety measures.
Last year, Earth Hour broke records to cement itself as the largest voluntary action for the environment. Iconic buildings and landmarks from Asia Pacific to Europe and Africa to the Americas switched off. People across the world from all walks of life turned off their lights and came together in celebration and contemplation of the one thing we all have in common – our planet.
“It’s a privilege for us to support such a powerful movement with such a simple gesture,” said Dilip Puri, Managing Director, India and Regional Vice-President, South Asia, Starwood Hotels and Resorts. “Earth Hour also reflects a philosophy we try to practice year-round: The small steps each of us take can make a big difference together.”
Starwood’s pioneering Global Citizenship philosophy reflects the same dedication to sustainability among its 181,400 associates worldwide. In 2013, nearly 600 hotels participated in Earth Hour in various ways.
This year will mark Starwood’s sixth annual participation in Earth Hour, making it one of the largest worldwide companies to make a pronounced global statement with a voluntary hour of darkness. Earth Hour is just one of the many ways Starwood acts in support of its 30/20 by 20 goals, which is the company’s commitment to reduce energy consumption by 30% and water consumption by 20% by 2020 across its entire portfolio.