The Ritz-Carlton Dubai International Financial Centre to Engage Ritz Kids With Earth Hour(R) 2015

DUBAI, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES--(Marketwired - Mar 26, 2015) - The Ritz-Carlton, Dubai International Financial Centre will support the single largest global warming awareness initiative, Earth Hour, with a memorable experience for its youngest guests. As part of the luxury hotel company's global corporate social responsibility program, Community Footprints, and its Ritz Kids program, the Dubai hotel will host a unique 'stories by candlelight' session, in a bid to engage the future generation with the importance of the initiative, founded by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), which sees millions of people across the globe joining together as a symbolic show of concern for the environment. In-line with Earth Hour's '60+' campaign, ladies and gentlemen from the downtown Dubai hotel will read a series of popular short stories for 60 minutes, which will take place at 8.30pm local time around the hotel's rooftop swimming pool, against the beautiful candlelit backdrop of the DIFC skyline. 

The Ritz Kids program was created for young guests between four and 12 years old, and seeks to provide engaging and immersive experiences that build upon the adventures of travel.  In-line with Community Footprints, one of the key pillars of Ritz Kids is 'environmental responsibility,' with the aim of promoting the environmental health of our planet to children in a fun and engaging way.

Lothar Quarz, General Manager, The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC, explains why the Dubai family hotel is seeking to engage its youngest guests with Earth Hour® 2015: "As a hotel company we are committed to working towards a more sustainable future, and engaging our guests with Earth Hour and the wider importance of environmental responsibility from a young age, is an essential part of this, whilst at the same time allowing us to provide a fun and memorable experience for our young travelers."

In addition, the five star hotel, its Executive Residences and staff housing will switch off all non-essential lighting for the same period, allowing all of the hotel's guests and residents to share in this inspirational global movement, and join the experience of working towards a greener environment. 

'Stories by Candlelight' will take place at The Ritz-Carlton, DIFC on Saturday March 28, 2015 from 8.30pm. The session is free to attend for in-house guests of the hotel and its Executive Residences, and external guests can attend for a fee of AED 60, which will be donated to the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF). 

About The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, LLC
The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C., of Chevy Chase, Md., currently operates 88 hotels in the Americas, Europe, Asia, the Middle East, Africa, and the Caribbean. More than 30 hotel and residential projects are under development around the globe. For more information or reservations, visit the company web site at www.ritzcarlton.com, and for the latest company updates, visit news.ritzcarlton.com. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company, L.L.C. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Marriott International, Inc. (NASDAQ: MAR).