Hyatt Regency Maui Gets International Award for Sustainability

We’re excited to announce that Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa recently received the international Hyatt Thrive Leadership Award for its Excellence in Sustainability.

Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa recently received the international Hyatt Thrive Leadership Award for its Excellence in Environmental Sustainability at the recent Hyatt 2016 Awards Week.

The Hyatt Thrive Leadership Award recognizes hotels and field offices that embody Hyatt’s commitment to thriving communities by demonstrating exemplary leadership in environmental sustainability and/or community engagement.

As Hawaiʻi’s first LEED-EBOM Silver resort, Hyatt Regency Maui’s list of leading environmental initiatives include LEED-EBOM certification maintenance by the resort’s own Green Team; sustainability and recycling tactics supporting renewable energy and recycling; the recent installation of one of the largest photovoltaic solar panel systems in Hawaiʻi that significantly reducing the resort’s carbon footprint; and a new sustainability tour for guests to learn about environmental initiatives on site.

“We’re overjoyed to receive an international award for our sustainability efforts,” said Allan Farwell, General Manager at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa. “We’ve made incredible enhancements to the 36 year-old resort in the past few years. We are passionate about moving our mission forward and look forward to continued success in making Hyatt Regency Maui a sustainability leader in the hospitality industry.”

“We’ve all worked so hard in making the resort environmentally sustainable and to see the hotel and our associates be recognized for this prestigious award is thrilling. I couldn’t be more grateful,” added Gary Bulson, Senior Director of Engineering and leader of the resort’s own Green Team, a group of resort employees involved in sustainability initiatives.

Hyatt’s recent 2016 Awards Week also marked the first ever recognition of Hyatt hotels receiving the Hyatt Thrive Leadership Award in all three regions across the globe. Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa was acknowledged along with Hyatt Regency Makkah and Grand Hyatt Melbourne.

Since becoming Hawaiʻi’s first LEED-EBOM Silver resort in 2014, the resort has continued its commitment to the environment with the following sustainable initiatives, among others:

• Green Team: Led by Gary Bulson, Senior Director of Engineering at Hyatt Regency Maui Resort and Spa, the Green Team is a group of dedicated resort employees from each department who meet regularly to discuss and advance sustainability initiatives at the property, including reviewing LEED-EBOM criteria to keep the hotel on track for improving its certification level, organizing Honokowai Valley restoration trips, beach cleanups, recycling drives, and more.
• Sustainability tactics: Six million gallons of water saved annually through high efficiency reduced flow shower heads installed in all 806 guest rooms; complimentary digital newspapers made available for guests through most mobile devices and computers reducing paper waste; motion-sensing air conditioning that turns off when lanai doors are open, or when guests leave the room; recycling receptacles in every guest room; and incorporation of non-turf landscaping which is 100% native and the addition of adaptive plants, among others.
• One of the largest rooftop photovoltaic systems in Hawaiʻi – The solar panel installation produces more than 6% of the resorts annual electricity needs, which is equivalent to supplying grid electricity to 158 homes. The project was in partnership with Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Host Hotels and Resorts, Maui Electric Company, Resort Energy Ventures as the designer and project manager, and HNU Energy as the contractor.
• Sustainability tour: The on-site, self-guided sustainability tour consists of eight signs strategically placed around the property to educate guests, visitors, and associates alike of the sustainability efforts that are made in relation to food and food waste, water, materials and recycling, renewable energy and energy efficiency, ocean and landscape, indoor air quality, and green cleaning.

Hyatt Regency Maui recently received additional recognition for its sustainability initiatives, including the Hawaiʻi Green Business Program Award, the Best Eco/Green Hotel Smart Stars Award by Successful Meetings, and the Resort Energy Ventures Sustainability Award.