Hotels want you to skip housekeeping for the environment. That saves them money on labor and cleaning products. Hotels want you to re-use your towels for the environment. That saves them money on staff time, detergent and water.
None of this has really anything to do with cost-savings, of course, making it possible to pay fewer housekeepers and buy fewer supplies. It’s all because, as good corporate citizens, the property owners want to shift the burden of taking care of their local environment onto you and their staff.
Of course when they save on shampoo placing wall-mounted bottles in the shower, and refilling those out of disposable plastic, that’s supposed to be for the environment too. They choose not to use individual toiletries in biodegradable packaging. Make it make sense.
For April Fool’s Day I wrote that Marriott was promoting a new “If It’s Yellow Let It Mellow” campaign to get guests to flush less and reduce water usage.
So it’s not surprising I guess that the Salt Lake City Marriott Downtown at City Creek puts the $9 Fiji Water right next to the sign explaining their environmental consciousness.
FIJI Water comes from an aquifer in the Yaqara Valley on Viti Levu in Fiji. The water is bottled at the source there, and is then shipped to different locations around the world.
Marriott is eliminating single use plastics when it saves them money toiletries, but they’re placing larger plastic bottles of water that have been shipped using fossil fuels from literally Fiji in every room because those sell for $9. You didn’t believe any of this was really about the environment though, did you?
(HT: Joe)
I have always said how absurd it is to buy Fiji water, what could be less environmentally friendly? I am not a militant environmentalist, but it does not take a genius to see how ridiculous it is to ship bottles of water 5,000 miles when tap water is perfectly safe. I always carry an insulated water bottle when I travel. I refuse to pay $5 for a bottle of water in the gift shops.
Only a Moron – OR- a Greenie in name only( non-thinking) would want to ship drinking water 10,000 miles on ship, trains, trucks ALL burning the dastardly FOSSIL FUELSwould be a good way to save Mother.Gaia….baffoons!!!
Was in Fiji last year. Call me a libcuck, but if you actually understand that Fiji imports much of its consumer goods via container ship, and those containers would go back empty otherwise; that’s why they bottle their water and fill those boats, then they go back to China, Los Angeles, Europe, etc., and elsewhere. So, ironically, not as ecologically insane as it seems, though it is still a ‘wild’ concept.
I’m waiting for someone to post something along the lines of:
“Shame on you Gary! It may not be perfect, but at least they’re TRYING to save the planet.”
To add to 1990’s comments, Fiji is not a wealthy nation. If they can convince foreigners to pay $9 for a bottle of local ground water, why wouldn’t they? Sure, it’s bad for the planet, but it probably brings in a ton of money they otherwise wouldn’t get. Besides, it’s not like shipping French handbags or Italian silk or other overpriced luxury goods around the world is any better.
That being said, Americans in general need to get over their fear of drinking tap water. On a recent cruise, I told some elderly ladies from Atlanta that I drink tap water and they were HORRIFIED, to the point that one of them literally clutched her pearls.
How does our resident travel expert not know that the wall shampoos are *NOT* refilled? (At least not the type used at Marriotts)
They are designed so that you can not open them and when they are empty housekeeping slides them off the wall mount and REPLACES them (which is why you see the mix-and-match branding sometimes, they’re still working through the inventory.)
Seriously. Next time you’re at a Marriott, try and open one.
@Arcanum — Like many island nations that rely mostly on tourism, I feel for the locals who often have few options. Sure, they live in what many in colder climates or ‘big cities’ tend to dream of, but ‘island fever’ is real. After a few weeks in a ‘tropical paradise’ most folks do get bored. Costs to import basic consumer items, like televisions, appliances, etc., come at a premium. It’s a fascinating story about logistics and economics. Or, we can just whine about overpriced water at hotels. Bah!
I don’t think anyone is dumping on Fiji for selling bottled water, but rather Marriott for virtue signaling hypocritical BS.
If it were up to me…ALL bottled water would be banned for sale…..
charge for a refillable container at 25 dollars and here is the tap……
It was absurd to start doing it…then the beverage industry convinced people tap water was unsafe (well except in FEW rare cases).
the use of aluminum cans at SFO is laughable…they should have done what i suggest above to really make a green point…but as you say…its about the $$$$.
Good news for American Airlines passengers holding devalued AAdvantage miles! Due to recent United States increases in tariffs on various goods from Fiji, the tariff rate for Fiji has risen to 32%, the highest among affected Pacific nations. As a result, Marriott International properties will be raising the price of their popular $9 Fiji Water to approximately $12. Thanks to this price increase, valued guests will now earn more AAdvantage miles when using their Citi® / AAdvantage Business™ World Elite Mastercard® or the Citi® / AAdvantage® Executive World Elite Mastercard®.
Fiji Water, known for its soft and smooth taste enhanced by natural minerals, is refreshing. However, please consume Fiji Water responsibly to avoid serious health issues such as seizures, coma, and even death from water intoxication, hyperhydration, or hyponatremia.
Like his predecessor, Capuano is a vicious rodent who doesn’t care about guests in the least. Environmental concerns are apparently viewed with the same importance. Much more important to come up with yet another lifestyle brand.
@Arcanum Fiji is not charging $9 a bottle nor is it getting $9 a bottle….. Since it is an American company, I’m willing to bet the actual island gets less than $1 per bottle in wages and taxes.
Reading the Wiki on Fiji water paints the company is a particularly negative light.
Lots of interesting comments. I would never buy water in a light plastic bottle. Never!
God Bless Fiji for keeping its plastic bottles! I love the taste of their Fiji water. The bottles are reusable so there!
I worked at a Residence Inn. They did have separate commingled recycling pick up, BUT the bins marked for recycling were just thrown in the garbage. They really only recycled the cardboard, Companies often seem to want to do the right thing, BUT it requires individuals to step up AND management to set standards higher
I live in Tampa Bay Florida. I grew up in England. I never needed bottled water there. Here the smell of chlorine as the water comes out of the tap is disgusting!
Tap water in some cities with old lines is kind of gross, so not providing water is inexcusable. The green scam I’ve seen a lot lately at Marriott is selling a $1 reusable water bottle for $10 and making you run around the hotel to find the two water refill stations. Trying to take your meds first thing in the morning or last thing at night? Hope you remembered to travel with a water bottle and fill it before getting undressed.
We’re finding that at all Marriott properties except luxury 5-star we’re being told that skipping service is no longer optional. Recent stay at a Springhill in NoLa for example – was told at check in they’ll only clean every 3rd day. On 3rd day they didn’t show up. On 4th day we demanded a cleaning and only got a refresh. They didn’t even change the sheets. We had to steal towels daily off the housekeeping carts, and even though we didn’t do so, we noticed there were piles of dirty towels all along the hallways.