The Capella Hotels & Resorts portfolio consists of properties in Singapore, Düsseldorf, Shanghai, Sanya, and Ubud, with hotels in Bangkok, the Maldives, and Sydney set to open in the near future. As the brand continues its expansion, Capella Ubud and Capella Singapore have refocused their commitment to sustainability, with several programmes in place to ensure environmental protection.
A luxury tented camp designed by Bill Bensley, Capella Ubud is nestled amidst the unspoiled beauty of Bali’s luscious rainforest. With the conscious idea of “minimal intervention,” thoughtful care was taken in the design of the hotel, and all trees and local plants were left untouched and protected throughout the construction process – not a single tree was cut during the camp’s creation, and as such, there are several trees intercepting the property’s accommodation, restaurants and the spa tents.
Capella Ubud has an onsite organic garden, crayfish farm, and beehives – in addition to the garden being used for menu preparations within the camp, Capella Ubud plans to expand the garden and enable the local villagers to sell goods and benefit from the proceeds. In line with their dedication to support local village residents, the property also has a scholarship programme, whereby they teach children a hospitality-related skill and offering English classes in order to set them up for future success within the industry. Instead of asking for monetary repayment, Capella Ubud asks students to “pay” by bringing a bag of empty plastic bottles to each class, which the team will recycle with all proceeds benefit the village.
Offering an authentic insight into the way of life in Bali, from its perch between sloping rice terraces and the dense untouched rainforest of the sacred Wos River, Capella Ubud is dedicated to excluding any use of single-use plastic across the property. This is an initiative being supported by Capella Hotels & Resorts at the group level, as they aim to minimise their use of plastic, having recently committed to PACT (Plastic ACTion), an initiative launched by the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF), and supported by Singapore’s National Environment Agency (NEA).
Similarly, Capella Singapore is situated on 30 acres of natural rainforest, with a lush, tropical environment surrounding the guest rooms, villas and manors. Home to more than 5,000 trees across 60 different species, as well as more than 415,000 smaller plants, Capella Singapore has mapped out a comprehensive base for irrigation works to ensure that the vegetation receives adequate amounts of water daily, and The Singapore Heritage Trees Panel has identified several mature trees across the country for conservation under the law. The property is home to several heritage trees, namely the Angsana Tree, Johor Fig and Common Pulai.
Over the past year, Capella Singapore has made conscious efforts to preserve energy, reducing electricity usage by 8.57%, water usage by 11.18%, and gas usage by 6.14%, using an Energy Management System and promoting electric combi steamer instead of gas stove cooking. They have recently joined EarthCheck, the world’s leading scientific benchmarking, certification and advisory group for travel and tourism, which seeks to deliver clean, safe and healthy destinations for travellers to visit. Alongside EarthCheck, Capella Singapore will take a holistic view to sustainability, forming a dedicated team to commit to adopting an Environmental and Social Sustainability Policy and conducting regular audits to track their progress.
Recognising the importance of culture and the local context, each property sits in harmony with its environment, offering Capella curated guest experiences both on and off-site, expertly designed to offer a glimpse into the soul of each locale. All Capella Hotels & Resorts are taking conscious efforts towards sustainability.
For more information about Capella Hotels & Resorts, please visit https://www.capellahotels.com.