In recent years, ESG – Environmental, Social, and Governance – has evolved from a boardroom acronym into a powerful force shaping the future of hospitality.

It’s no longer just about compliance or optics. ESG is now a real value driver: influencing investor confidence, guest expectations, and brand differentiation. But for ESG to have impact, it can’t live in a report – it has to live in the guest experience.

One example that’s close to home: the rooftop farm at W Bangkok.

This started as a vision by our Culinary Director, Steven Kim, several years ago. What was once an unused rooftop on the 32nd floor is now a 200-square-meter edible garden – thanks to a collaboration with Bangkok Rooftop Farming, led by Khun Pareena.

The farm grows everything from basil and rosemary to butterfly pea and mint. It’s fully organic, zero-kilometer, and circular: food waste from the hotel is composted and cycled back into the farm.

But more importantly, it’s not just a sustainability story – it’s a guest experience.

Guests can:

• Sip it: welcome drinks and cocktails feature herbs grown on the roof
• See it: daily guided farm tours at 5 PM, ending with a drink at W Lounge
• Feel it: spa treatments at Away Spa now use infused oils and herbal compresses made with farm ingredients
• Taste it: dishes across outlets highlight freshly harvested produce

The farm has also become part of our broader programming – hosting sustainability – themed events, MICE activations, and collaborations like Bangkok Art Biennale, or initiatives like cooking and donating meals via SOS (Scholars of Sustenance).

And the numbers back this up:

• 76% of travelers want to travel more sustainably (Booking.com, 2023)
• 43% are willing to pay more for accommodations with visible sustainable practices
• Harvard Business School found companies that improve on material ESG issues outperform their peers in both returns and risk mitigation
• EHL reports ESG integration leads to increased operational efficiency, loyalty, and relevance
• CBRE confirms ESG is now a factor not just for travelers – but also for owners, investors, and talent

So no – this isn’t about ‘planting a few herbs and calling it sustainability.’ It’s about building systems, experiences, and partnerships that align with how our industry is evolving. Not every hotel needs a farm. But every property has a space – or a story – that could be reimagined through an ESG lens.

Because the future of hospitality isn’t just luxury.

It’s responsibility.

And sometimes, it’s rosemary.