BE WTR stories

Discover insights from Marloes Ophof, Director of Operations at Mina Seyahi, a-five-star luxury hotel complex in Dubai, with more than 832 rooms. Marloes and her team were the first to implement a BE WTR BiG plant in their facilities, a decision they do not regret.

Pure luxury is to have what the guests want before they even know what they want. Today the guests are looking for more of a story. Like: What does this hotel stand for? What can I find here, and do, to entertain myself? This is a whole new direction.

How is the guest demand for sustainability?

Our guests are well-traveled. They have been across the world. And here in UAE we are at the beginning of so many changes, we are really developing the sense of sustainability here, with a strong push from our government. So, our guest wants to know “What am I eating, what am I drinking – where is this coming from? Is this okay?”

Were you part of choosing BE WTR?

I am a big fan of water. And coming from the Netherlands, we are used to drinking tap water. So, when the initiative of BE WTR was introduced to me, I thought “Finally we are getting there.” I gave it a push to make it all happen!

Did you look at other solutions?

When you make big decisions, you always look around to see what’s out there. I think the platform was created by the Dubai Can initiative. Based on that we started to look for a partnership, like “Who can fit with us?”. Because it must be a real partnership. It’s not just about putting bottles in a room or removing the plastic. It is about a whole mindset. And what we will get in return for our investment. We wanted to do it. We wanted to do it easily (and yet we are in hospitality). And BE WTR wanted the same. So, it was a match!

In hotel operations – what is important when it comes to water?

It needs to be easy and always available. Especially in this part of the world. We are in the desert, and it gets really hot. The water solution needs to be easy to use and fresh. It all ends up together in this beautiful (BE WTR) bottle. The shape, the design, and the simplicity make the water speak for itself!

We go through a lot of water; guests drink 4 bottles per day and only The W (one of the hotels in the Mina Seyahi complex) has 318 rooms. The average stay is 2 to 3 days. In high season, we have a lot of demand. The shelf life can’t be just a couple of days, then we would have to run up and down all the time. So, to have a shelf life of over a month is good. We don’t want to deal with a lot of storage either. Or waste. So here, with the plant downstairs, the whole process just works.

Is it important to have a water brand in rooms?

Luxury is a lot about storytelling. Guests want to know – what is this, where is it coming from? Am I making a difference? So, for us, it was very important to have a partner. We tell our guests about BE WTR and the bottling plant we have here. For our guests, it is an eye-opener to be part of something unique.

In general, it is most important to get the buy-in from the team. We never put on a slide show. We invite all employees to see the plant. And now we are giving everybody their water bottles as well because water is a luxury.

Do you have any advice for other hotels or restaurants when it comes to choosing water solutions?

Just do it! You might think that it is a huge hassle to get something changed. That things will go wrong. But once everybody believes in it, it just works! Especially nowadays when we have so many different sustainability initiatives, it becomes part of your identity. We can’t stay in the past! We have to move on, we have to protect and preserve. It is the message we have to get across!

Is there anything else you think we should ask you about?

We are just super proud of being partners in this! Being the (BE WTR) pioneers. Setting it up all together. It feels so good that we did it!