Cathay Members’ Choice Awards 2024: Asia’s must-stay sustainable hotel

Welcome to the Cathay Members’ Choice Awards: our flagship awards which celebrate everything that makes the world so amazing – as voted for by you, our global community of members. Discover the winner that captured your hearts – and your votes – as well as the contenders that made it to the shortlist. 

Not a member yet? It’s free to sign up and unlock a world of benefits, rewards and experiences – not to mention the chance to vote in next year’s awards. 

Winner: Janu Tokyo, Japan

The first outpost of Aman’s new sister brand, Janu Tokyo goes well beyond eco-friendly toothbrushes and razors (though it has those, too) by partnering with local artisans, using renewable energy and recycling used water. When it comes to F&B, Janu works with local beverage suppliers, sources 75 per cent of ingredients locally, strives to reduce food waste through innovative kitchen techniques and donates a portion of waste to local farms to use as fertiliser. 

Potato Head Suites & Studios, Bali, Indonesia

It doesn’t get much greener than Bali’s Potato Head Suites & Studios . In addition to being Asia’s first carbon-neutral hospitality brand, the pioneering company sends just 3 per cent of its waste to landfills, instead transforming it into high-end lifestyle products. Moreover, the rooms brim with tasteful eco-conscious details – think recycled plastic chairs and slippers made from coconut husks – and the restaurants serve fantastic plant-based cuisine alongside zero-waste cocktails. 

Amankora, Bhutan

As the world’s first carbon-negative country, Bhutan has made great strides to protect its natural environment, so it’s only fitting that hospitality ventures follow suit. With five wood-clad lodges peppered across the country’s forested valleys, Amankora goes beyond the call of duty. As part of their high-end, low-impact strategy, the lodges champion responsible water usage via reverse osmosis and filtration systems, participate in temple restoration projects, and support community service projects for local schools. 

Song Saa Private Island, Cambodia

Beachfront bliss and conservation go hand in hand at this luxurious island retreat . In 2007, the founders established Cambodia’s first protected marine area and built the resort using reclaimed materials. Since then, the Song Saa Foundation has introduced many initiatives to protect biodiversity, recycle water and waste, restore forests, and provide medical and educational support to local communities. The foundation is also leading a new eco-hospitality park, the Song Saa Reserve, near the Banteay Srei Temple in Siem Reap. 

1 Hotel Haitang Bay, Sanya, the Chinese Mainland

From the moment you arrive at 1 Hotel Haitang Bay , you’ll feel immersed in nature. For starters, lush green walls sprout across the building’s vast facade. Then there are the tropical gardens, raw lava stone, reclaimed wood, locally sourced bed linens and a fleet of electric Audis. The LEED-certified hotel doesn’t stop there. You can also expect farm-to-table dining – with ingredients from the hotel’s organic farm – and several wastereduction measures behind the scenes.