Saturday, March 15th, 2025
The gorgeous collection will partner with Mad Academy to advocate for global culinary sustainability, empower chefs and transform hospitality through environmentally friendly innovation.
Luxury Collection, an elite brand located within the portfolio of Marriott Bonvoy, more than 30 notable hotel brands, has announced a dynamic partnership with Mad Academy. This visionary collaboration aims to revolutionize sustainable food practices in hospitality spaces and build a global movement to cultivate environmentally responsible culinary experiences through people at the heart of food and hospitality.
With a presence that spans more than 120 luxurious hotels and resorts across more than 40 countries and territories, this luxury collection continues to connect the identifiable travelers to the essence of each destination. This strategic partnership with Mad Academy means a major leap in embedding sustainability deep into hotel operations and culinary practices, establishing a scalable model that reflects mindful travel and responsible hospitality.
Pioneering educational experience for the future of environmentally friendly cooking
To enhance the expertise of our award-winning culinary team, The Luxury Collection has launched a comprehensive training initiative with Mad Academy. Designed for hospitality professionals who are deeply committed to sustainability, these immersive programs include in-depth workshops and mentorship opportunities. The curriculum focuses on practical solutions such as utilizing local and seasonal ingredients, minimizing food waste through innovation, and fostering leadership skills to drive eco-driven transformation in kitchens around the world.
Each participant is given practical insights and tools to initiate actual impact on the property. The long-term vision is to provide a strategic framework that chefs can adapt and implement at their respective locations, complemented by continued support from Mad Academy’s global network of experts.
The first session took place in Copenhagen in November 2024, bringing together 13 chefs from high-end collection properties from around the world. Over the course of three days they were involved with some of the brightest hearts of hospitality, including Matthew Orlando (formerly itself), Portia Heart (founder of Blue Apple Beach), and Christian Pgrisi (chef owner of Best and Mirabelle Spicelia). These sessions influenced positive conversations about sustainability goals and steps required to achieve meaningful culinary impact.
Rethinking your guest experience with purposeful practices
Partnerships are expanding beyond internal operations. The luxury collection actively designs guest-centric programs in collaboration with Mad Academy alumni to promote meaningful engagement with the local ecosystem and community. These initiatives aim to create immersive culinary encounters that tell the story of the land, its heritage, and its producers.
Sustainability is central to the Palace of Gritti in Venice through close collaboration with local suppliers. Guests will now take part in a redefined cooking class at Gritty Epicurean School, visit Rialto Fish Market to hand-draw seasonal ingredients before a hands-on cooking session featuring Venetian recipes. The facility also maintains its own gardens in the Giudecca and Mazzerbett Islands, surrounded by seasonal menus at Club Deldoge and produces fresh vegetables, including over 6,000 artichoke plants built into personalized welcome amenities.
Similarly, Romanos’ Costa Navarino enhances the culinary experience through stronger relationships with local producers. The new “Risotto of the Month” highlights locally sourced seasonal ingredients, and guests receive postcards of custom watercolor recipes to replicate the food at home. The resort will host “Four Hands Dinners,” where guest chefs and in-house cooking teams will combine to create memorable meals celebrating Messenian ingredients. Cooking workshops and farm visits will further indulge guests in Greek culinary culture and fill gastronomy with sustainability.
Strengthen local roots through local partnerships
Following the Copenhagen workshop, several properties within the luxury collection deployed regionally tailored sustainability programs that blend flavor and purpose.
Alexander, Yerevan highlights locally produced dairy products from the Vayot d’Or region of Armenia, featured in dishes like Panna Cotta made with Matsuda, cream and honey. Hotel Grande Bratchagne. Regions affected by climate change. Ethical sourcing for Bail Champion through partnership with Hais, Colorado-based Fitch Lunch Artisan meat.
These joint efforts reinforce the brand’s comprehensive goals. This is to create lasting connections between guests, culinary teams and communities through the lens of sustainable exploration.
Looking ahead, cooking movements rooted in sustainability
As luxury collections continue to invest in thoughtful hospitality, the brand is working to expand its partnership with Mad Academy after 2025. Future training programs and initiatives already in development, embedding more sustainability at any touchpoint, from behind the scenes kitchen practices to frontline guest experiences.
The alliance represents a bold step towards redefine luxury travel. It is not as a luxury escape, but as a conscious journey based on cultural connections, environmental responsibility, and culinary integrity. With each experience created to reflect the richness of the place and the value of responsible travel, the luxurious collection and the Mud Academy together nurture a new era of purpose-driven hospitality.
