Joining a global effort to promote sustainable tourism is Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, who is committed to advancing sustainability actions in line with Hyatt’s World of Care objectives to ensure the resilience of their destination and local communities.
The hotel has been awarded the Silver Certification by GreenRE, Malaysia’s leading green building certification body, for its commitment to green building excellence. Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu is dedicated to consistently enhancing its environmental performance to promote responsible tourism that benefits both people and the planet.
Ruben Schrijver, General Manager of Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, said, “We, at Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, are dedicated to fostering collective efforts towards sustainability by spreading awareness among our staff, guests and business associates. Despite being a young establishment of just seven months, we have the vision to emerge as one of Malaysia’s prominent eco-conscious hospitality providers. We have formulated concrete measures to uphold our hotel’s Environmental Policy and Management Plan, with a focus on a 20% reduction in food waste and the reduction of all single-use plastics.”
Energy & Water Conservation
Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu, the first hotel in Sabah to utilize air-cooled chillers with 300 tonnes of cooling capacity, eliminates the need for condenser pumps and saves up to 35% of energy consumption. It also runs a cutting-edge water condensation programme that recycles condensate water from air conditioning, which is then used in the hotel bamboo gardens, at ON22 restaurant and ON23 rooftop bar. All cooking appliances in the hotel use 100% green electricity, offering fast and sustainable cooking while reducing heat in the kitchen. The hotel employs LED light bulbs for all hotel lighting fixtures and utilizes a card-activation system for energy in guest rooms and suites, integrated with smart lighting and air conditioning features to enhance energy efficiency.
Responsible Sourcing
Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu prioritizes responsible sourcing of food and beverages and is actively seeking Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) certifications to ensure sustainable seafood procurement. The hotel plans to collaborate with sister hotel, Hyatt Regency Kinabalu to work with local farmers to purchase Cage Free Eggs by 2025 as part of Hyatt Global goals. Sustainability is also considered when purchasing cleaning chemicals and detergents, with preference given to EcoVadis-certified products.
Refillable drinking water is made available in the hotel through use of water jugs in the meeting rooms and water carafes at ON23. Eco-friendly room amenities with large-format soap and shampoo dispensers further support the hotel’s aim to eliminate plastic waste. Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu has also implemented an environmental data tracking system, EcoTrack, to monitor the recycling of reusable materials like paper, carton boxes, glass, and metal.
Raising awareness on the environment
This first Hyatt Centric-branded hotel in Southeast Asia is committed to raising awareness about the environment and taking steps to protect it. They minimize pollution and support biodiversity through various measures. Wastewater is treated before being discharged, and they strictly prohibit any trade or promotion of illegal wildlife products.
Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu ensures that all staff members are aware of sustainability priorities through training during orientations. The hotel’s World of Care Committee leads initiatives and identifies best practices, while business partners are informed about the hotel’s environmental commitment.
In collaboration with local organizations like Arm of Hope Sabah, the hotel supports the community through projects such as food donations and cleaning services. They also work with partners like Happy Plastics and CarlsBot for recycling and upcycling initiatives. Currently, the hotel team is partnering with Jireh Home for the RiseHy initiative, a Hyatt global program to provide the underprivileged youth an opportunity to undergo job training and gain employment skills in the hospitality industry at Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu.
For people, profit, and planet
For transparency, regular measuring and reporting tools using Hyatt EcoTrack is important in monitoring environmental performance which allows the group and hotel to pursue reputable certifications.
General Manager Ruben Schrijver added: “Embracing sustainability isn’t just an option, it’s our collective responsibility. Hyatt Centric Kota Kinabalu is fully dedicated to leading the charge in caring for the planet, people, and responsible business. Let’s monitor, improve, and make a strategic environmental impact together”.
