Sustainable Business Magazine speaks to D’Esta Ascento, the Assistant Director of Engineering & CSR Champion, at Hamilton Princess and Beach Club in Bermuda, to talk about how this iconic resort has led the way with environmental and social sustainability.
Hamilton Princess & Beach Club stands as one of Bermuda’s most historic luxury hotels, blending 140 years of heritage with a modern, deeply embedded sustainability agenda. Assistant Director of Engineering and CSR Champion, D’Esta Ascento, describes a property where environmental responsibility now sits at the heart of its identity:
“We are a luxury brand, an Accor hotel, managed by Fairmont. Hamilton Princess & Beach Club has 380 guest rooms and four event spaces, as well as a beach club facility for our guests. We are in our 140th year, so it’s a very historic and iconic brand in Bermuda. The resort is known as the Pink Palace because of our colour, and we’ve just stood the test of time throughout Bermuda. We were one of the first properties that Fairmont established, making the resort a particularly important one within Fairmont’s portfolio.
“The Green family have been the most recent owners and they heavily invested in the redevelopment of Hamilton Princess. The family itself is keen on sustainability and environmental awareness, and they are very big key stakeholders in philanthropic endeavours as well. Sustainability is just part of a wider philanthropic effort that just really ties into who we are.”
This blend of heritage, investment and purpose provides the backdrop for a broad programme of environmental and social initiatives that Ms. Ascento herself now helps to drive across the resort.
Cutting plastics use
Ms. Ascento explains that one of the resort’s most visible achievements is the elimination of single use plastics from guest areas, and how this is supported by both global brand standards and local partnerships:
“As far as our sustainable initiatives go, the biggest one that we are proud to highlight is our elimination of single use plastics throughout the entire property from guest facing areas. In addition to the corporate guidance, we also partner with local vendor Beyond Plastics Bermuda to achieve this. They designated us as champions, and we were the first resort or hospitality property to achieve that criteria. That was a major accomplishment for us.”
She goes on to explain how the resort implements sustainability into its supply chain:
“Accor has mandated our procurement charter, so they have implemented a list of vendors that we can do business with, and they have their sustainability policy around that. From there, our Director of Procurement ensures that we purchase within sustainable parameters. Most of our products that are shipped in have to go through checks and balances to ensure that we meet the criteria.
“We also source from local vendors. It’s Bermuda, and we are small, so supplies are very limited. Nonetheless, in our food and beverage product, we ensure that we have produce that’s embargoed during specific seasons. We comply with that to work with the country’s seasonality. Furthermore, generally, as a part of our sustainability, we make sure we have great connections with local sustainable farmers and fisheries as well.
“In January 2025, we were given the Green Key international designation, and that provides guidance for international procurement.”
Beverage operations have also become a major focus. Ms. Ascento highlights circular solutions that reduce waste at scale across Hamilton’s bars and restaurants:
“We’ve implemented EcoTote in our food and beverage products. What that is they take the litre liquor bottles and refill them. Instead of disposing of all the liquor bottles, we reuse them and put them back into circulation without having to recycle or dispose of the bottle. It reduces the amount of quantity we consume.
“Alongside the elimination of single use plastics, we’ve also implemented water filtration systems throughout our entire property in guest room areas and public areas, and around our pool areas as well. That was a major undertaking and investment but it ensures people can drink from a tap rather than using disposable plastic bottles every time. The to go containers we offer are sustainable as well.”
Energy and water shifts
The property’s engineering strategy now centres on cutting energy consumption and decarbonising its supply. That has included everything from LEDs and controls to a landmark solar installation on the Pink Palace roof.
“In the back of house, we have implemented initiatives with variable speed drives to reduce our energy consumption there,” says Ms. Ascento. “We’ve also been tasked with the reduction of electricity. The property is 100 per cent LED lit, in both internal and external areas, so that was another huge investment. In the back of house, we have also implemented initiatives with variable speed drives that help reduce our energy consumption there as well.
“Then, in November 2024, we implemented our solar panel system. That was a milestone for us. It was the first such system in Bermuda’s hospitality sector. The array is about 145 solar panels, and it’s an estimated 150,000 kilowatt system, which saves us about $60,000 per year, as every bit of energy savings adds up.”
The next frontier for the resort is future focused water management, with significant upgrades planned to increase self sufficiency and resilience on an island where resources are finite.
“Our future projects for Q1 and Q2 of 2026 are to reduce our reliance on municipal water,” the Assistant Director states. “We are increasing the capacity of our reverse osmosis system for our desalination plant. That is a huge undertaking but will absolutely help to reduce our demand. We also have the implementation of additional metering systems throughout the property, just so we can better manage and monitor our consumption.”
“Motion sensors in our underutilised areas are another focus. Every bit of energy we can save contributes to our overall goals, and we see these projects as part of a long term journey.”
Community and culture
For Ms. Ascento, environmental responsibility extends well beyond the hotel footprint into the wider Bermudian community and marine environment:
“For sustainability, the committee partners with our local clean up organization called Keep Bermuda Beautiful (KBB). What they promote is to keep our lands and our oceans free of debris. We do clean-ups throughout the island including beaches and parks. We did one this summer in the actual sea, as we have a few scuba divers on property. They removed any debris that was in the ocean bed. That was really, really cool to see.
“As far as our community solidarity and giving back goes, we always promote different organizations throughout the island. Whether that is our local museum and zoo or whether it is the Bermuda Underwater Exploration Institute (BUEI) that deals with science and oceanic research, we support them as best we can through promotion.”
These initiatives help translate the resort’s sustainability ambitions into tangible benefits for local organisations, residents and the natural environment, reinforcing Hamilton Princess & Beach Club’s role as a long standing community stakeholder.
Future pathways
Looking ahead, the Assistant Director frames Hamilton Princess & Beach Club’s sustainability programme as an ongoing evolution rather than a fixed endpoint:
“In 2026, our main focus also will be on the building envelope and façade, our window units, our sliding door units, and for peak performance and efficiency. We’re focused on shifting perspectives, creating a more sustainable mindset for both our guests and our team. When sustainability becomes second nature, new initiatives are embraced with open arms. In that way we can ensure that we don’t stand still but are always looking to improve our sustainability credentials.”
With historic architecture, strong ownership backing and an embedded culture of environmental and social responsibility, the Pink Palace is positioning itself as a benchmark for sustainable luxury in Bermuda and beyond.
“Sustainability literally ties into the DNA of who we are. And as we like to say, ‘We Are Hamilton Princess’.”
