Eco-minded travelers, locals and expats have an open invite to celebrate Earth Hour 2015 which takes place from 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Saturday at some leading hotels in town.
A two-time winner of the ASEAN Green Hotel Award, the Caravelle Saigon in downtown HCMC will run candlelit dinners at the Reflections Fine Dining on level 3, and Nineteen Buffet Restaurant and Cafe de l’Opera on ground floor and Saigon’s iconic roof top bar, Saigon Saigon on level 9. These places will serve dinner and drinks by candlelight for the entire evening.
In 2014, the Caravelle received its second ASEAN Green Hotel Award for sustainable practices, and was the only hotel in the city to earn the HCMC Environmental Award, which aims to honor outstanding groups and individuals in environmental protection. Over the course of the past year, the Caravelle also managed to reduce its annual CO2 emissions by 5.3%, and recycled some 40,000 cubic meters of wastewater.
The New World Saigon on Saturday will have candlelight setups at Parkview restaurant, Dynasty restaurant, and The Lounge for the dinner during the Earth Hour. The dishes are locally produced and herbs are from the hotel’s herb garden on The Terrace. The hotel also runs a low carbohydrate menu to customers and switch off non-essential lights and devices like copiers, fax machines and printers between 8:30 and 9:30 p.m. Many departments and associates of the hotel are encouraged to save energy in the office and share energy saving tips with each other.
The Sheraton Saigon Hotel & Towers will activate a range of energy-saving measures including a call on all associates to participate in this event at home and at work; turn off exterior signage lighting; dim or turn off non-essential interior lighting; air conditioning and other electric devices; use candlelight in appropriate public areas such as restaurants and bars; and use in-room voicemail messages and in-room television messages to inform guests about Earth Hour observances.
Earth Hour, a global environmental movement by WWF, began in Sydney, Australia in 2007. The event has since grown to engage more than 162 countries on six continents in its aim to raise awareness about climate change.
For more information about Earth Hour 2015, visit: www.earthhour.org