G L OB A L AWA R D S
B E S T
NESTLED IN A lush rainforest, The Datai Langkawi has always been close to nature, and in 2020 the resort ramped up its environmental stewardship with The Datai Pledge. Designed to both protect Langkawi Island’s unique ecosystems and support its local communities, it’s a “promise to maintain a deep commitment to our rainforest, our ocean, our wildlife and our people”. Over the past five years, the resort has made remarkable progress in both aims, and demonstrated that luxury and sustainability are compatible and inseparable.
Human impact As part of the Pledge, The Datai partnered with local enterprises The Kanshalife Project
‘Luxury and sustainability are compatible’
MEET OUR 2025 JUDGES
Their opinions, combined with reader votes, determined the global award winners
O’FLAHERTY MARK C.
Design & Travel Writer and
Photographer
JONNY CLARK
Managing Director, Ink Studio
SOUTHAN JENNY
Founder and CEO, Globetrender
JONES RHYS
Aviation Editor, Head for Points
MICHAEL KEATING
CEO, Ink Global
S US T A I N A B I L I TY I N I T IA T IV E
THE DATAI LANGKAWI WORDS TOM OTLEY
and Suri Lifestyle. Both initiatives support community members by creating meaningful employment in the form of transforming hotel waste materials such as linens, towels and slippers into new products like stools, cushions and artisan crafts. In 2024, 10,862 upcycled candles were created – a 111 per cent increase from the previous year. On the education front, the resort’s
upcycling hub, The Lab, hosted 1,376 guests in sustainability workshops in 2024, where visitors participated in candle-making, soap-making and craft activities with local artisans. The facility also collected 8,400kg of waste through beach clean-ups.
Tangible results The Datai publishes annual impact reports, which provide detailed, data-rich documentation of achievements to inspire other hospitality businesses. To take just one example, in its aim of achieving zero waste to landfill, The Datai achieved 96 per cent solid-waste processing.
JESSICA NABONGO
Author, Explorer and Cultural Ambassador
TAMSIN COCKS
Editor, Business Traveller
KATHARINA HESEDENZ
Writer and Former Editor, Vogue Germany
ERIC NEWILL
Editor in Chief, Business
Traveler U.S.
FOONG KEE
Travel, Food and Lifestyle Writer
OTLEY TOM
Sustainability Consultant and Director
BRANDLER HANNAH Deputy Editor, Business Traveller
GILBERT OTT
Director of
Partnerships,
Point.me
GARDNER DAN Co-Founder, Code and Theory
HERBSTMAN EDEN
Managing Editor, Business
Traveler U.S. 64 BUSINESS TRAVELLER ASIA-PACIFIC
JENNIFER KESTER
Executive Editor, Forbes Travel Guide
ENRIQUE PERRELLA
Aviation Director, Business
Traveler U.S. NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2025
VIVIENNE TANG
Founder, Destination Deluxe
PRESTON Aviation
ALEX Journalist
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