SMALL IN SIZE, BIG ON SUSTAINABILITY

In August 2021, the UN published the IPCC’s climate report warning that we are officially at ‘code red’, confirming human activity is the main cause of the climate collapse.

Proving that luxury is compatible with longevity, Small Luxury Hotels of the World (SLH) has been working behind the scenes to activate their hotels to strengthen their sustainability efforts, making it easier for travellers to choose and stay at a community of Actively Sustainable Luxury Hotels certified as the Considerate Collection – a new ethos-driven green and ocean blue standard for boutique hotels that go the extra eco-mile.

The Three Pillars

In collaboration with Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) and Greenview, the three pillars ensure all hotels are Community Minded: Proactive, positive members of the local community; Cultural Custodians: Protectors and preservers of cultural heritage; and Environmentally Conscious: Maximising benefits to the environment. Launched in October 2021, the Considerate Collection currently features 33 hotels across 25 countries, each meeting the highest criteria in sustainability.

Defining a New Luxury

Luxury travel is no longer synonymous with the extravagance and self-indulgence of former times. A fresh wave of forward-thinking travellers is driving the demand for luxurious eco-friendly holidays. They are planning trips with more purpose, more care for the planet and the communities they are visiting.

SLH is sowing the seed for the Considerate Collection to grow with new additions over time, as well as providing ongoing support to their wider portfolio of over 520 hotels with bespoke toolkits developed by leading sustainability consultants. By applauding small independent hotels to share their social and environmental ‘best practices’, SLH is striving to actively effect big positive impacts.

In the Mekong Region, the Considerate Collection leads with Keemala and The Racha in Phuket, and Pimalai Resort & Spa in Koh Lanta, Thailand.

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SAMORNPUN SOMNAM

“Once you arrive at Keemala, it is the personal touch and bespoke experiences that really make a lasting impression for our guests,” she says. “From personalised villa host service to customised celebrations ranging from romantic date nights to engagements and weddings, private excursions, and cultural immersion experiences. For us, and our guests, it is these little touches that make all the difference.”

AT THE EXCELSIOR

IHHVTC is part of the Inle Heritage Foundation, a not-for-profit organization working to preserve and enhance the culture of Inle Lake and the people who call it home. The Foundation began as just “Heritage House”, a stilt building in the middle of the lake used as a sanctuary for Burmese cats being reintroduced to the country.

A NATURAL THING

Aung Kyaw Swar is the owner of A Little Eco Lodge, a small guesthouse on the outskirts of Nyaung Shwe. We are looking out on a field of a couple of acres where in a few months – and then only for several weeks – a hundred heads of sunflower will bloom. The sound of monks from the nearby monastery is receding into the distance.