Sustainability has become the heart and soul of the hospitality industry and travel trade, especially with travellers being more concerned of the environment, climate change and well-being of local communities. Hospitality brands across the world are now opting for sustainable approaches to enable this mandate. This is further validated by the findings from the Sustainable Travel Report 2022 published by booking.com, where 78% of global travellers intend to stay in a sustainable property at least once during this year while 71% of travellers expect to put in more effort during the year to travel more sustainably.

Sustainability being the cornerstone of Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts and across its properties in Sri Lanka and the Maldives, continuously redefines new benchmarks in terms of sustainability and inculcating its core values of compassion, inclusivity, empowerment, and diversity.

Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon, a property managed by Cinnamon Hotels & Resorts, home to one of the best coral reefs in the Maldives has taken a step ahead in its sustainability endeavours. The resort focuses on several sustainable initiatives including minimising the usage of plastic, producing organic fruits and vegetables in-house and conservation of coral reefs.

Minimising waste and single use plastic

During the bygone year the resort was able to reduce its plastic usage simply by replacing plastic garbage bags with washable and re-usable garbage bags and plastic laundry bags has been replaced by hand-made paper bags which are mad out of magazines found in the property. Moreover, the resort has replaced its plastic water bottles by introducing refillable, customized drinking water bottles and has introduced wooden key cards, paper bags, wooden straws, and wooden bins with the objective of further reducing the usage of plastic within the property. Through all these efforts the property has been able to reduce the usage of over 11,500 KG of plastic material during 2021 and 2022.

Taking a step ahead, the resort has introduced tote bags which are purely made of damaged umbrellas found within the property. These bags have become a popular accessory among guests within the resort.

Farm to Plate

The resort has introduced a special initiative, ‘Farm to Plate’, an organic vegetable farm which focuses on producing fresh fruits and vegetables within the property. The farm has a dedicated composting area where dry leaves are converted to compost and wastewater is used as the main source to water the farm. The resort works closely with the local community to recycle coconut palm leaves to make roofing covers for public areas within the resort.

Conservation of Coral Reefs in the Maldives

As part of its marine life conversation programme, the resort has placed several artificial Reef Cubes made from crushed glass to increase fish population around the property. In addition, monthly reef & beach clean-ups are arranged by the resort where guests are encouraged to participate. In an effort to reduce its carbon footprint, the resort has introduced various initiatives including the use of solar power, reduction of Carbon Dioxide emission and water saving initiatives.

Sustainability, which is a driving force has been embedded into the DNA of Cinnamon Hotels and Resorts and is an ongoing pledge and Ellaidhoo Maldives by Cinnamon is dedicated to make a real difference by driving an eco-friendly change and delivering value to its guests, people, and planet. With a number of sustainability projects on the horizon, the resort remains well focussed on the current sustainability initiatives, and the future projects would draw more attention to the conservation of coral reefs, marine life, and ocean literacy, all while creating greater awareness on various issues related to sustainability and wellbeing. As a brand built on its core values and principles, Cinnamon Hotels & Resort is committed to creating a better tomorrow, both socially and environmentally.