Tamara Leisure Experiences has consistently embedded Responsible Hospitality at the core of its operations since inception, driven by a clear vision where people, planet, and profit thrive together. Across its diverse portfolio of nine properties—including luxury resorts in Coorg and Kodaikanal, upscale O by Tamara hotels in Coimbatore and Thiruvananthapuram, mid-scale Lilac hotels, and its flagship wellness offering Amal Tamara—the company actively delivers eco-conscious, immersive, and low-impact luxury hospitality. Notably, Amal Tamara operates as a NABH-accredited Ayurveda hospital, further strengthening the group’s commitment to wellness-driven tourism.
Importantly, the flagship property, The Tamara Coorg, holds certification from the Global Sustainable Tourism Council, thereby reinforcing its alignment with global sustainability standards. Furthermore, the company continues to implement a structured roadmap to extend this benchmark across all its properties, ensuring consistency in sustainable hospitality practices.
Samir MC, CEO, Tamara Leisure Experiences, said, “Our nine-property portfolio is aligned to GSTC principles. And I want to be honest about what that distinction means, because the certification is the outcome, but the real value is in the discipline the journey instills across your entire organisation. This is not a badge. It is a framework to make your circular systems auditable, measurable, and accountable. Our goal is to make that the portfolio standard, not a novelty at one property.”
Moreover, the company integrates sustainability into real-time operations and guest experiences. It emphasizes that “Earth Day serves as a timely reminder of shared responsibility towards the planet, and at Tamara Leisure Experiences, this is reflected through on-ground actions across its properties, from farm-to-table experiences and community clean-up drives to sustainability-led engagements. These efforts extend into Earth Week (22–28 April) through nature-led activities, conscious dining, and community participation, where sustainability is not an add-on but the experience itself. At Tamara, responsible hospitality is foundational, shaping every stage from design and conceptualization to operations and guest experience. For us, sustainability is not a seasonal campaign, but a part of our daily operating philosophy.”
To begin with, Tamara integrates sustainability directly into design. Each property aligns closely with its natural surroundings, allowing the ecosystem to influence architectural planning and guest experience. For instance, at The Tamara Coorg, the company has followed a “build less to preserve more” philosophy. It has developed the resort across 28 acres of largely untouched landscape while minimizing ecological disruption by cutting only 17 trees. Additionally, it has reduced the number of cottages from 60 to 56 to preserve more natural cover. The structures stand elevated on stilts, thereby allowing the forest ecosystem to remain undisturbed and seamlessly integrated into the overall design.
Furthermore, the company actively prioritizes community integration and cultural continuity. It reflects this approach through local immersion, farm-to-table practices, and menus rooted in regional cuisines—from Kodava cuisine in Coorg to location-specific dining experiences across properties. At Verandah, the in-house boutique, guests can access locally inspired crafts, natural wellness products, and plantation-grown spices, thereby extending the region’s cultural narrative into the hospitality experience.
In addition, Tamara strengthens local economies by hiring nearly half of its workforce from nearby communities and sourcing close to 40% of its procurement regionally. It ensures that operations remain deeply connected to local ecosystems and livelihoods. This approach becomes particularly evident in offerings such as organic minibars featuring local, traceable products and kitchen menus driven by seasonal and locally available ingredients. The company also continues to support education and local institutions, thereby reinforcing its long-term commitment to community development.
At the same time, Tamara adopts a zero-waste approach across its properties. It actively repurposes 15–40 tonnes of waste through a closed-loop system where it treats waste as a resource rather than discarding it. The company recycles 100% of food waste in-house using low-impact processes such as Bio Manthan. Moreover, it replaces plastic with glass bottles, stainless steel dispensers, and refillable amenities. Circular practices extend to repurposed linen, reused bottles, kitchen gardens, greenhouses, and seed-saving initiatives, and it has reduced food waste to just 0.54 kg per guest.
With zero significant chemical spills recorded in FY 2024–25, the company ensures that sustainability remains both visible and experiential for guests through initiatives like towel reuse, alternative linen changes, bamboo products, and sapling giveaways.
Equally important, Tamara ensures mindful resource utilisation across all operations. It preserves natural water sources such as waterfalls and streams to protect community access. Meanwhile, it implements rainwater harvesting systems and tap aerators to reduce water consumption. It also deploys energy-efficient technologies, including LED lighting, heat pumps, lithium battery-powered buggies, key tag controls, EV infrastructure, solar panels, and emission management systems. Behind the scenes, advanced systems such as smart laundry operations and STP and ETP plants enable efficient reuse of water and resources. Continuous monitoring of water, energy, and carbon footprints ensures operational efficiency and low environmental impact.
Additionally, the company adopts a philosophy of quiet design and conscious technology. It avoids loud DJ music and harsh lighting to reduce noise and light pollution. Instead, it uses low-lux pathways, timers, and sensor-based systems to minimize ecological disruption. Simultaneously, it enhances operational efficiency through digital check-ins, e-billing, and paperless feedback systems, thereby reducing waste. From horn-free EV buggies to reusable linen elements and locally rooted design details, the company ensures that every aspect of the guest experience remains intentional and environmentally conscious.
Overall, Tamara Leisure Experiences continues to embed responsible hospitality into every aspect of its operations. It aligns sourcing, consumption, and recovery systems to ensure sustainability becomes an integral and seamless part of daily functioning rather than a separate initiative.
