The Sarojin, Thailand's luxurious 56-roomed boutique residence and 2018 winner of the Responsible Thailand Award (Hotel category), has further enhanced its green practices with the installation of a brand-new bottling plant. Alongside the addition of the new on-site plant, the residence has also implemented new beach maintenance and mangrove planting initiatives to further support and protect the local environment.

New Bottling Plant

To further reduce its plastic waste, The Sarojin has invested $50,000 in a new on-site water bottling plant, which is expected to reduce the hotel's plastic consumption by up to 120,000 plastic bottles per annum.  While the plastic bottles are recycled, the new bottling plant enables The Sarojin to dramatically reduce the need for plastic bottles at the resort.

Having ditched the straw in favour of lemongrass straws and introducing bamboo disposable cutlery, the hotel's owners, Kate and Andrew Kemp, believe the bottling plant is the next step in the right direction and further drives the property's focus on reducing plastic waste. The glass bottles will be filled by the hotel, from its own water supply that is treated to the high and exact standard necessary for safe drinking water.

Andrew Kemp, Owner & Executive Director, The Sarojin said: “When The Sarojin opened, the need for 'sealed' plastic bottles of treated water was of paramount importance, as travellers were concerned for drinking water safety when travelling in South East Asia. Nowadays, that fear has largely gone, trust in the hotel's brand and the fact that a hotel “like The Sarojin” would only provide good water enables us to move to the clip sealed and reusable glass water bottles we are now using. Although this requires investment, we firmly believe that is everyone responsibility to reduce plastic consumption and we are delighted that we are able to further reduce our consumption with this brand-new facility.”

Conservation and Mangrove Planting That Guests Can Get Involved In

From this month, The Sarojin will be inviting guests to join the team on specific mangrove planting days in the Khao Lak area, helping to raise awareness of a local project and support the local mangrove eco system. The introduction of this is part of The Sarojin's continued commitment to protecting and conserving the environment and the increasing interest in destination conservation from travellers.

The mangrove forest planting project in the Baan Nam Kem area was set up by the local fisherman village to help restore the vital mangrove ecosystem which was damaged by the 2004 tsunami. It is a continuing project which The Sarojin, and its staff, actively supports with a keen desire to help restore this ecosystem to be healthy and productive.

Beach Maintenance Project

One of the key allures of Khao Lak is the 11km stretch of pristine white sand beach that curves against the Andaman Sea. To ensure that this beautiful coastline and natural habitat remains unspoiled, The Sarojin's staff help maintain the beach and collect any litter they do see. Now any guests that want to help protect this beautiful shoreline can do so by picking up a recyclable bag at the hotel's beach hut and bringing back any plastic or waste items that they do happen to see. The hotel then processes these in the most sustainable way possible. The children of the local Camillian Centre help paint the recyclable bags, an activity that assists The Sarojin's community efforts. The boutique residence also invites guests to visit the Camillian Centre to paint the bags with the children if they wish, creating valuable interactions with the children of the centre.

The Sarojin's team also collaborate with other local hotels each year to visit the local Surin and Similan Islands before their seasonal opening in October, to help clean up any rubbish that has washed up and help preserve the ecosystems and beauty of the national parks.

The new initiatives are part of The Sarojin's commitment to practices that enable the resort to minimise its impact on the environment and support the local environment, as well as the Khao Lak community. 

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About The Sarojin

The Sarojin is beautifully set on an 11km stretch of secluded white sand beach in Khao Lak, just a 55-minute drive north of Phuket Airport, and is surrounded by five spectacular national parks and the world-famous dive sites of the Similan and Surin Islands. Designed in a contemporary Asian style, the five-star resort's 56 deluxe residences are nestled within ten acres of tropical grounds leading directly onto the beachfront. Each guest room features its own private garden and “sala” sundeck, couples' baths with waterfall showers, and plunge and relaxation pools that blend into the natural habitat. Other facilities include an attentive “Imagineer” who can create tailor-made experiences for hotel guests and complimentary use of a fully equipped fitness centre, mountain bikes, sailing catamarans, sail boats, sea kayaks and windsurfing boards. Tranquility is guaranteed as no children under the age of 10 are permitted to stay at The Sarojin.

The Sarojin has been recognised for its fine dining offering by The MICHELIN Guide Bangkok, Phuket, and Phang-nga 2019. The highly-regarded restaurant guide honours those that consistently provide diners with high quality products, a 'mastery of flavour and cooking techniques' and value for money, as well as demonstrating the chef's personality within the cuisine.

The Sarojin was voted second in Conde Nast Traveller's Top 20 Resorts in Thailand: Readers' Choice Awards 2019. 

For further information on The Sarojin, please visit: www.sarojin.com and The Sarojin 360 Tour

For media information and images, please contact Rebecca Pasha at Hume Whitehead on (0)203 375 4054 or email: Rebecca@humewhitehead.co.uk.