Green Globe has awarded Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra in Cambodia its inaugural certification.

Situated amongst landscaped gardens in the city’s old quarters, Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra is a stunning 12-story colonial-style hotel, located along the riverside and close to major tourist attractions.

Charles-Henri Chevet, General Manager at the hotel said, “Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra is the first hotel in Phnom Penh and the first ACCOR property in Cambodia to achieve Green Globe Certification. Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra is proud to take the lead in developing an increasingly self-sufficient business model that reduces the impact the hotel has on the surrounding natural environment and local communities.”

Eco Spirits
The hotel is off to a flying start with ground-breaking and inspiring environmental and social initiatives already in place. Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra has a partnership with the Eco Spirits company that works to end single-use glass bottles in the spirits industry by leading a transition to circular packaging technology. Eco Spirits provides wine or spirits (as locally produced as possible) in patent pending reusable and refillable containers called ecoTote, which reduces both single-use glass waste and its carbon footprint.

The world’s first low carbon, low waste spirits distribution technology is featured, an innovative, closed-loop distribution system that almost eliminates packaging waste in the spirits supply chain. Eco Spirits saves around 150gm of carbon emissions savings per cocktail. Eliminating single-use glass waste saves a further 30 grams of carbon emissions per serve.

The ecoSPIRITS Forest Program adds another 120gm of carbon emissions savings per container as one tree is planted for every ecoTote purchased through the ecoSPIRITS network. An additional 120gm of carbon emissions savings per spirit serve, for a total of 150gm of savings

Cambodian Youth Development Program
The Cambodian Youth Development Program started with the opening of the hotel in 2011 and has continued to the present day. Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra has always believed in the importance of celebrating the history, culture, and heritage of the local community, particularly nurturing young talent to develop into the inspiring leaders of tomorrow.  

 Samuel Dixon, Cluster Sustainability Manager at Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra said, “For more than ten years, since opening the hotel, we have strived to partner with local schools to build hospitality skills amongst young Cambodians through internships, hosting workshops and collaborating with NGOs by donating valuable resources, money and time. To date, with this project, we have hosted 176 Young Cambodians in internship programs, conducted across each department of our hotel for over a period of one to six months. I am happy to say that over twenty-eight interns have stayed on so far in full-time positions.

“We celebrate Cambodia’s vibrant youth as uniquely 49% of the country's population is aged under 25 years old. This youthful energy sparks boundless opportunities as businesses flourish and expand exponentially. Our hotel passionately engages with, supports, and empowers educational institutions or organizations by fostering the professional growth and development of this brilliant generation. Their transformation into the industry leaders of tomorrow is a journey we’re honored to be a part of. Embracing collaboration, we have proudly partnered with various schools within Phnom Penh to provide ongoing training programs and fundraising events, solidifying a bright future together,” added Mr Dixon.

The Gallery
Sofitel worldwide considers it an honour to promote art and culture, particularly by inspiring and incubating local talent, and the Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra is no exception. Over the years, the Phokeethra Group has actively participated in the Phnom Penh art scene by holding regular exhibitions within the hotel. In this way, the Phokeethra Group aims to express its active investment and commitment to nurture the arts in Cambodia.

One of the central features of Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra is The Gallery, which was established by General Manager Chevet in 2015.  Exhibitions featuring local Cambodian art are held here every two months, allowing a journey through a diverse collection of themes and stories. Individual artworks can be purchased directly at the hotel or online. Guests can also look forward to meeting and mingling with the artists at event launches and on other special occasions, guests are invited to experience local cultural performances.

In late 2023, launched in celebration of Cambodia’s 70th Anniversary of Independence, the Ekarieach competition encouraged all artists in Cambodia to create art pieces including paintings, and photography in a city where modern buildings compete to touch the sky, find a lush green oasis of songbirds, palm trees and magnificently preserved colonial architecture, and sculptures - each one following the overarching theme of independence in all its possible variants. The resulting exhibition which runs until the end of this month, showcases 41 artworks out of a total of 160 submissions that were shortlisted by a Jury Panel.

Contact:

Samuel Dixon
Cluster Sustainability Manager
Sofitel Angkor Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort
Sofitel Krabi Phokeethra Golf and Spa Resort
Sofitel Phnom Penh Phokeethra 
M. +855 81 915 999
www.sofitel.com | www.accorhotels.com

Helena Chang
Public Relations Manager
Green Globe Certification
1223 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 925
Santa Monica, CA 90403 / U.S.A.
hchang@greenglobe.com
www.greenglobe.com