Hotels encourage guests to 'dine in the dark' for Earth Hour

[Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Marriott International Beijing and Tianjin Hotels will encourage guests to "dine in the dark" for this year's Earth Hour on March 25.

The 15 participating hotels will join millions around the world in turning off lights and will light up candles for one hour on March 25 starting at 8:30 pm. The campaign is to illuminate a powerful message about environmental awareness and action.

The hotels have also partnered with bike-sharing company Ofo.

A cycling event will be held where participants will set off from JW Marriott Beijing Central and ride past some iconic Beijing scenic spots.

In the evening, Ofo cyclists and other public transport users can enjoy 40 percent off dinner in designated Marriott International Beijing & Tianjin hotels.

"We'll spare no effort to support this event to contribute to the community. This is not only our social responsibility, but also reflects our wish for a blue planet as well," Wolfgang Boettcher, area vice president of North China, said.

The 15 hotels offering a 40 percent discount on dinner are: JW Marriott Beijing Central, The St. Regis Beijing, The Westin Beijing Financial Street, The Westin Beijing Chaoyang, Sheraton Grand Beijing Dongcheng Hotel, Renaissance Beijing Capital Hotel, Four Points by Sheraton Beijing, Haidian Hotel & Serviced Apartments, The Imperial Mansion, Beijing Marriott Executive Apartment, The Astor Hotel, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Tianjin, The Westin Tianjin, Renaissance Tianjin Lakeview Hotel, Sheraton Tianjin Hotel, Jixian Marriott Hotel, Renaissance Tianjin TEDA Convention Central Hotel, Sheraton Tianjin Binhai Hotel.

"It's a privilege for us to support such a powerful movement with such a simple gesture," Vice President of Sustainability and Supplier Diversity Denise Naguib said. "Earth Hour reflects a philosophy we try to practice year-round that we all must do our part and together we can make a big difference. Climate change affects everyone and it also has an impact on the continued success of our business."