Four Points by Sheraton Palawan is reassuming the lead in sustainability and environmental stewardship in the protected Sabang Beach.
Formerly known as the Sheridan Beach Resort and Spa, which was considered as one of the country’s pioneering green resorts, the resort’s management has been taken over by the Marriott Bonvoy Group under its Four Points by Sheraton brand.
Palawan, a tourism hotspot, is known for its beautiful beaches which have become a favorite of adventure-seeking travelers.
The international resort and nature sanctuary, the first of the multinational brand’s hotels to open in the country, is the first of its kind to come up in Sabang. It lies on a beautiful 5.3-hectare beachfront property along the pristine Sabang coast, with 168 rooms and full amenities, making it the perfect base for exploring Sabang’s natural attractions.
According to the 25-year Marriott veteran hotelier and current general manager of Four Points Palawan Dietmar Platz, the town of Sabang is home to a wealth of natural attractions that include the famed Puerto Princesa Subterranean River National Park, Sabang Mangrove Forest and the Sabang Waterfalls.
“We have eight kinds of forests around us, and many opportunities to encounter Palawan’s unique wildlife,” Platz said. It offers attractions accessible from the resort such as the nearby Iwahig Firefly Watching Mangrove and Wildlife Park and Isla Felomina, which is just a short boat ride away.
Because of its proximity to the area’s natural parks, Four Points Palawan takes to heart the ethos of sustainability and environmental stewardship. A key initiative of the resort is its partnership with Sabang Renewable Energy Corp. (SREC), which allows the resort to harness solar power as its primary electric source and enables them to operate an impressive 300 KW of in-house solar panels to power their utilities, pumps and other facilities. This is further complemented by energy conservation measures that involve the use of 100 percent LED lighting throughout the resort and in employees’ quarters.
Platz, who first came to the Philippines in 1992, is actually a chef who has worked his way up the hotel corporate ladder from being an executive chef to F&B operations and then to GM. He is married to a Filipina and now has a 12-year-old son studying at the International School. He has an elder daughter in the US.
With his F&B background, Platz emphasizes another sustainable practice for the resort, which is their focus on farm-to-table cuisine in all of their F&B outlets, with their own organic garden where they use organic fertilizer such as used coffee grounds. They grow their own lettuce, bokchoy, chili, choy sum, okra, eggplant and more. Herbs and aromatics like basil, lemongrass and mint are also grown and picked fresh for use in their dishes and drinks.
They also source their own flora for centerpieces and floral arrangements from the same gardens. A rainwater collection system allows them to properly care for their gardens without doing any damage to Palawan’s pristine environment.
As Four Points Palawan targets the MICE (meeting, incentives, conferences and exhibits) market, the resort supplements its F&B requirements through a partnership with Sheridan Organic Farm, expanding their ability to access more locally-sourced vegetables and proteins. On average, they source over 150 kilos of vegetables, on a weekly basis from the farm, ensuring a farm-to-table experience for their guests.
Sheridan Organic Farm also delivers 220 kg of grain, including the highly-prized organic black rice which is featured in many of the resort’s signature dishes. Talks are ongoing with Fish Right and USAID to find a sustainable seafood source, as well as training local fisherfolks from Roxas, Palawan on handling and processing seafood to meet the hotel’s standards.
The 25-year Marriott veteran admits though that the resort still has to source some of its imported ingredients from Manila, especially for its Italian restaurant.
Fruits such as pineapples also figure into the property’s environment-friendly options. The plants are known to absorb greater amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, helping to minimize their overall carbon footprint. An enzyme cleaner made from pineapple peelings is used in all their kitchens as part of a “waste to clean” program. Even the beer the hotel serves has its roots in these efforts – a special brew created by Palaweño Brewery, using pineapples grown in Bataraza, Palawan.
As with most large hotels, packaging and disposable items are a big concern. Management took on the challenge by making sweeping changes across its departments, starting with a “Zero Plastic Policy.”
A long-term goal is to push for linen-less conventions, where all tables and chairs are bare, to help minimize the use of laundry detergents on the ecosystem as the hotel is inside a UNESCO Heritage and National Park.
This commitment to sustainability extends beyond its perimeter and into the big blue. Through the “Sea Turtle Saga” initiative, the resort supports marine conservation, the protection of sea turtles that nest on its beachfront, such as the Olive Ridley and Green Sea turtles.
The resort has partnered with the Protected Area Management Board to safeguard nesting sites, monitor turtle populations and educate guests about the importance of marine conservation.
Palawan’s outstanding biodiversity, its myriad of endemic flora and fauna and innate wildness has earned for itself the reputation of the Philippines’ last frontier. Thus, Four Points Palawan is taking this to heart, ensuring that each step taken to deliver an unforgettable experience for their guests is built on a foundation of eco-tourism and sustainability.
“In everything we do, Four Points Palawan strives to harmonize modern refinement with responsibility,” says Platz. “We want to create a haven that not only delights our guests, but also honors the environment and the local community. The hope is that guests take with them the joy of waking up surrounded by nature and all its beauty. And dream of coming home to it and to Four Points Palawan, again very soon.”