For Andrea Kleinloog, an interiors whiz and the cofounder of Hesse Kleinloog Studio in South Africa, designing a sustainable hotel starts with the site. At the new Molori Mashuma in Zimbabwe, the walls are made with thatch and textile cladding; the decks are built of local wood; and the couch cushions are fashioned from waste fabric and embroidered as part of a community initiative in South Africa. Sustainability, Kleinloog says, requires a holistic approach that varies by location. “There is no blanket solution.”
Andrea Kleinloog and Megan Hesse (left); A bathtub with savanna views at Molori Mashuma in Zimbabwe (right).
Kleinloog and her business partner, Megan Hesse, are part of a set of creative women who have taken the lead in defining what sustainability means for hospitality design. This includes prioritizing upcycled materials, always emphasizing the local, and doing everything in one's power to minimize environmental impact. They are the heirs to the group of industry titans—including Kit Kemp, Kelly Wearstler, and Alexandra Champalimaud—who have brought freshness and joy to hotel design over the last few decades.
Other members of this rising class include Nicole Hollis, the force behind the seven-month-old Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort, a 150-room property set along the palm-fringed Kona Coast of Hawaii's Big Island. The first Hawaiian hotel to receive LEED v4 Gold Certification, it has muted standalone rooms called hale with wood-paneled walls, natural fibers lampshades, and intricately carved tables. Designing with an eco-conscious approach is a priority for Hollis, whose clients have raised their expectations. “Guests are demanding accountability in regard to sustainability and the environment,” says Hollis, who says that her studio “strives to find the most sustainable ways of manufacturing—requesting less packaging and working with natural fibers such as jute, cotton, and linen.”
Designer Nicole Hollis says guests have high expectations for sustainable hotel design.
A two-bedroom kauhale suite at Hawaii’s Kona Village, a Rosewood Resort.
For many, organic integration with the environment is key. Mexican architect Frida Escobedo, who often blurs the line between art and architecture, recently completed Boca de Agua, a 26-room hotel stilted above a translucent lake in Bacalar, Mexico. Building in this vulnerable area prompted her to look to the local architecture for inspiration. “We wanted to focus and draw inspiration from the environment, letting the spaces speak for themselves and tell their story over time,” she says. For the four-month-old, 37-room Nobis Hotel Palma in Mallorca, Swedish architect Helena Toresson's approach repurposed a 12th-century Islamic palace, partnered with
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In the much-awaited second season of The Reluctant Traveler, which premieres March 8 on Apple TV+, award-winning actor, writer, producer and comedian Eugene Levy isn’t quite as adamantly travel-averse as he used to be. In fact, last year’s filmed far-flung journeys have worked magic on Levy, who now anticipates getaways with less apprehension and more appreciation. While he still dislikes the getting there via airports part of travel, Levy loves staying at pampering hotels. Who wouldn’t? This year’s seven distinctive European hotspots, where Levy slept, are fascinatingly cool. Which one would be your fantasy destination?
The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Hotel Sustainability Basics program has reached a milestone number of hotels joining the initiative, with over 1,700 hotels verified across 70 countries.
The World Travel & Tourism Council’s (WTTC) Hotel Sustainability Basics (Basics), the global initiative helping hoteliers on their first steps to improve their sustainability ratings, has reached a significant milestone with over 1,700 hotels verified across 70 countries worldwide. In her speech at ITB Berlin, WTTC President & CEO Julia Simpson celebrated the achievement and highlighted the commitment of the industry towards a more sustainable future. Basics is a key pillar to making hotels more sustainable and giving the public an at-glance verification.
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