Six Senses chose Soneva Kiri, which opened last November, as the staging ground for its most ambitious project to date: a prototype of a zero-emissions villa. Over the past four years, I’ve been covering the environment and travel in Asia, and it’s disheartening how little is still being done to preserve our corner of the planet. True, a growing number of hoteliers are developing a conscience. Some have set up social responsibility departments and announced plans to be certified by LEED or Green Globe— respected environmental building and operating standards from the United States and Australia. Some have also announced carbon-offset programs, though they’re sometimes criticized as get-out-jail-free cards. But many more hotels are guilty of wan attempts at addressing environmental concerns. I can’t count the number of times a hotel has trotted out its towel re-use cards—a measure most guests ignore—as proof of their eco credentials. Sensing a marketing opportunity, a few add
“eco” to their names. But question them closely and you’ll discover little evidence of any real action. And the greenwashing continues. One press release landed in my inbox touting “Asia’s first environmentally planned resort island”— with an international airport, a port and three golf courses. Worse yet are the resorts that clearly don’t give a damn. A weekend we’d spent at one modish beach resort was made miserable by the lack of natural light and ventilation, all thanks to the architect’s vision: Brutalist. And don’t get me started on leaky faucets, inefficient air conditioning and shoddy building materials that betray the owner’s plans to pull the whole thing down once land prices double. Not that holidaymakers should don hair shirts. Part of the fun of being on holiday is ordering room service and running a bath—the things you wouldn’t, or couldn’t, do at home. That’s where Six Senses comes in: they promise to deliver the comforts you’d expect when you pay more than a grand a night, but with less guilt. For the most part, they »
Eco Glam Clockwise from below left: Arriving at the resort; cooling down at the ice-cream bar; inside one of the resort’s circular-shaped villas; the beach always awaits on Ko Kood; a wine cellar with a difference; don’t miss the chance for some of Soneva Kiri’s ice cream.
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