Earth Hour 2023 – Hard Rock Resort Desaru Coast

Earth Hour 2023

Claire Matheson

Since their foundation, Hard Rock Hotels have championed the idea of ‘Saving the Planet’. This 2023, Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, in partnership with the World Wildlife Fund, is celebrating its biggest Earth Hour yet, with a litany of genuine accomplishments on their path to sustainability and equally monumental plans for the coming year. Staying with Hard Rock and seeing their authentic and meaningful sustainable practices first-hand, environmentally and socially conscious travellers will feel like they’ve found their people. 

Earth Hour 2023 – HRH Desaru Coast

Starting on the 31st of March, 2007, the symbolic switching off of lights for an hour every year during Earth Hour aims to inspire greater acknowledgement of the impact people have on our planet and the need for real change. In 2023 the team at Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast have made significant inroads in their work to achieve increasing, measurable and effective change in becoming a more sustainable holiday destination. By working closely with their Desaru Coast community, they have folded education into all they do, successfully amplifying their voice in the call for positive, environmentally friendly travel and societal reform.

This year, the team at Hard Rock have kindly invited my family to join in on the weekend’s Earth Hour 2023 events, with plenty of activities and facilities aimed at families with children or teenagers. After all, our next generations are key drivers in the global movements to reduce and halt climate change, plastic waste, and other seemingly insurmountable environmental and social challenges. The weekend’s itinerary includes a range of workshops, some presentations, plenty of hands-on activities aimed at reducing, reusing, and recycling, as well as dining featuring produce from local community gardens. Hard Rock Hotel has also thrown in a pass to the Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast, conveniently located right next door. Their message of sustainability is underscored by a killer music soundtrack and plenty of family-friendly fun.

After a four-hour drive down to the Desaru Coast, we arrive at the Hard Rock Hotel on Friday evening to a whole team of staff who have come down to the lobby to welcome us. The hotel is illuminated in rainbow LEDs, with a towering filigree electric guitar in the middle of the circular entrance, lit in vibrant purple. The hotel is already in full swing, with the sounds of current resident band Eva Maria & Friends pumping out hit after hit. General Manager Murray Aitken greets us personally and falls into easy conversation with our two daughters. Within minutes, he has learnt all about the instruments they are learning at school, shared some of the Earth Hour highlights taking place, and told them all about his favourite bands as well as how to set up their very own in-room playlists. Easygoing and genuine, Murray makes us feel right at home. 

Also amongst the Earth Hour 2023 welcoming team are Melissa Mohan and Caryn Chong, Director of Communications and Marketing Manager, respectively, from Purple Giant Marketing Agency, who have worked with the Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast team to coordinate the 2023 Biggest Hour for Earth weekend. Hard Rock’s mottos of “Love All-Serve All, All Is One, Save The Planet and Take Time To Be Kind” are clearly embedded in all they do, and the entire weekend is a celebration of this vision. 

Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast’s 2023 Biggest Hour for Earth Weekend

Murray opens the Earth Hour 2023 event by inviting all the children to go with Roxity Kids Club staff and a life-sized version of Styler to the Arts and Crafts Centre. While the adults listen to various team member presentations, the kids make their own musical instruments with repurposed recyclable materials. Later, they will participate in scavenger hunts and make painted bird feeders from old but clean plastic soft drink bottles. At lunchtime, they return, chatting excitedly about what they have learnt. 

As Murray speaks, it becomes evident that he is a little bit radical in his thinking. Earth Hour is not simply a mere flick of a light switch for an hour – a lovely symbol but hardly achieving notable energy reductions. Instead, he posits that change comes from action and implementation rather than platitudes. The motifs of “education, leadership set by example, and discipline of persistence” are critical in bringing this vision to life and have been the key to staff buy-in. When asked about his most meaningful accomplishment since taking on the role of General Manager, he answers, “hiring a qualified Sustainability Manager at the property level.”. This role has been awarded to the very impressive and equally knowledgeable Siti’ Yana’ Norazliyana. 

With a Bachelor of Science in Marine Biology, Yana has worked extensively with Malaysia’s Hawksbill turtle conservation programs for the WWF. Her passion is infectious; her knowledge and creative thinking are immediately apparent as soon as she begins speaking at the Biggest Hour for Earth weekend-long event. Yana’s daily educational infographics for all staff on environmental topics range in scope and Science. From bee populations and counterfeit honey to coffee’s carbon footprint, ocean-bound microplastic consumption, and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, Yana has empowered staff with the greatest change-making catalyst: knowledge. The payoff is tangible. Every staff member we speak to, from cleaning staff to F&B servers, is invested and informed. They collectively participate in a range of volunteer programs with great camaraderie and a sense of joy. There is plenty to choose from, catering to all tastes, from hornbill conservation, fertiliser and composting, kitchen gardening, and local beach clean-ups. 

The hotel’s sustainability initiatives (going way beyond Earth Hour 2023) are numerous and measurable, including but not limited to shifting to onsite filtered water systems, moving towards zero food waste, increasing their resource efficiency, growing a kitchen herb garden and focusing on garden-to-table menus, carbon sink planting efforts, reusing trash to treasure in handicraft programs, and holding workshops on stingless beekeeping, tuak and kombucha brewing. In the rooms, they have switched to bulk amenities, use wooden key cards instead of plastic, provide Puro Fairtrade coffee, and are slowly winning the long battle on phasing out all single-use plastics and recycling other single-use items. In the kitchens, they select sustainably sourced seafood and collect food waste to send to a local farm which converts it into compost. Every year the team at Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast actively measures and documents exactly what has been achieved and uses their data to form next year’s even more ambitious strategic goals. Their aim is to implement newer, even more effective measures year after year, and they hold true to their promises. 

Rather than sounding preachy, the team speaks about achievable, small, day-to-day goals, which, when added up, make a significant impact. A bright idea to analyse exactly what waste was collected in local beach clean-ups led to the identification of the origin and type of waste being generated, leading to targeted collaborative campaigns in the local community. Their water filtration and reusable bottles alone have already prevented the use of over 5.6 million plastic water bottles. They acknowledge what they are still struggling with. For example, door locks still require a large number of batteries, and they properly recycle them, but they are still hunting for a way to eliminate batteries altogether. 

After the presentations come to a close, we move outside to try our own hands at some repurposing and reusing activities for Earth Hour 2023. Why should the kids have all the fun? We begin with tote bag dying. Talented Hard Rock Hotel team members have transformed old bed linens from the hotel, stamped with the embossed Hard Rock Hotel guitar sigil, into tote bags. Using locally grown turmeric and dragon fruit plant dyes, we are guided through the process of tie-dye, alternately dipping knotted tote bags into heated pots of dyes and cold-water baths. As our totes are hung up in the sun to dry, their colourful bohemian swirls look right at home in a hotel of rock and roll. 

The next station is hosted by the Rock Spa. We make organic bath salts using recovered coffee grounds, sugar crystals, and butterfly pea. To round out our take-home spa experiences, captured in little glass bottles, we learn to make the Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast’s signature iced tea, combining butterfly pea, ginger, pandan, and calamansi for a vibrant, zingy drink. The taste is iconically Malaysian. 

We move upstairs to the lobby lounge to chat with local start-up companies in a mini-expo. We meet the founders of Ada Straw, a Malaysian biotech company making biodegradable, gluten-free, halal straws from a blend of rice flour and tapioca starch. Precious Plastics showcases its process of breaking down recycled plastics and converting them into raw materials for use in 3D printers. We chat with members of the National Youth Reporters for the Environment, who are reporting on the event. Ranging in age from their late teen years to their early twenties, they are the first generation to have grown up learning about climate change. This weekend, they are also given the opportunity to hone their skills in camera work, interviewing, and journalism, so that they can learn to use the power of their voices to report on environmental issues affecting the youth of Malaysia.

Meeting the indomitable ladies from the Johor Breast Cancer Support Group is a highlight of the event. Working to provide community and distraction to people with breast cancer and their families, the group showcase a range of bags made from discarded materials, fabrics, plastic wrappers, and other repurposed items. The bags are precisely made with great care, hand woven and quilted, their bright colours utterly joyful. In addition to their craftsmanship, the Breast Cancer Support Group has been cultivating a large community garden in partnership with the Hard Rock Hotel, allowing the members of their community time outside in the fresh air, producing healthy, whole foods to restore body and mind. Their food will form the centrepiece of our lunch today, prepared by Executive Chef, Halim Chek Lah.

The kids rejoin us for a final spot of gardening, choosing some seeds they would like to grow and creating little take-home planters with layers of soil, perlite and fertilisers. My kids wander through the kitchen garden, spying different plants before choosing what they want to focus on growing. After they are done, we gather and listen to Chef Halim Chek Lah as he talks us through the day’s lunch menu and how the different plants grown by the Breast Cancer Support Group will feature. 

Garden to Plate at The Elephant & the Butterfly – Earth Hour 2023

Seated in the open air at the Elephant and the Butterfly, looking out over the tranquil pool to the coastline beyond, the sounds of a cultivated playlist provide a relaxing yet playful backdrop to today’s lunch. The menu today places the spotlight on locally grown produce from both the Hard Rock Hotel kitchen garden and the Johor Breast Cancer Support Group and will also be showcasing Malaysia’s Aqina Farm organic ‘Pineapple Chicken’. Fed with the MD2 Bromelain pineapple enzyme for better probiotic gut health, these chickens have no antibiotic residue, no growth hormone, and more tender, tastier meat. 

We begin with a Brazilian spinach-herb soup, freshly harvested from the kitchen garden. Garlicky and pungent with fresh ginger, the pineapple chicken broth is packed with fresh Brazil spinach leaves. The broth is well-rounded and balanced, the sweetness of red dates bouncing off the herbaceous garden-fresh ingredients. For our mains, we enjoy Nasi Ulam Bersama Ayam Percik, with a full leg and breast of the chicken proper, topped with a coconut, shallot and ginger sauce. A crisp jicama, pineapple, cucumber and red onion salsa adds a textural crunch amid a medley of light, fresh flavours. The Nasi Ulam Bersama is sensational, with onions, chilli, lime, mint and an abundance of micro herbs and garden greenery mixed through. Intensely aromatic, there is a rhythm in the dish, each ingredient adding to the chords in a crescendo of colour, texture and taste.

We sip on a cloudy butterfly pea iced tea in bright teal green as we eat. Its floral sweetness accentuates the whole, fresh foods on the menu. For dessert, we are served Sira Pisang and Labu in a Coconut Foam. Caramelised slices of banana and pumpkin are roasted with unrefined sugary syrup. The coconut foam is almost like ice cream, with a frothy aeration that tickles the tongue. Often reserved for Autumnal months, the pumpkin in this dish somehow quintessentially captures the feel of warmer months. 

Later in the day, we return to the Elephant and the Butterfly for dinner, finding the space transformed. The floor-to-ceiling murals of elephants and butterflies are illuminated to show off their hyperbolic bright colours. Eva Maria and Friends have set up an acoustic set, and candles are lit in preparation for the oncoming Earth Hour. Mesmerised by Eva’s voice, it takes everyone quite some time before we are all seated. We begin with Mexican-inspired grilled romaine lettuce in a chipotle dressing. Smokey, sweet and spicy, the sauce is creamy and lush with a distinctly Central American feel. We sip on fruity and floral mocktails with finely diced watermelon, strawberries, lemons, more vibrant butterfly pea and a heaping spoon of mint.  

Congenial wait staff quickly whisk away our plates and serve the next dish: a Mexican Corn Chowder. Packed with lashings of flavour, it is rich with thyme, cumin, cilantro, and whole chunks of fresh sweet corn. A drizzle of verdant green olive oil dressing brings out the greenery hidden within. With three possible options for mains, I order the Colossal Garlic Scilla. Locally and sustainably farmed Malaysian tiger prawns sit proudly atop a garlic, spiced, smokey tomato and bean sauce. Fat and plump, they exude their juices into the salsa of rainbow capsicums, carrots and onion. Chilli flakes add heat while lime lends acid tones. 

As well as the mocktails, we sip on glasses of Vigneti Del Sole 2020 Montepulciano D’Abruzzo D.O.C. red wine from Italy. Bright and lively with cherry and strawberry notes amongst tobacco and spices, this light to medium-bodied finish pairs well with seafood and the night’s warmth. For a white, we enjoy the 2021 Pinot Grigio Della Venezie, also from Vigneti Del Sole. Pale and effortlessly drinkable, this throws notes of green apple and pear, along with a touch of honey and citrus. It is beautifully matched to dessert tonight, which is pears poached in natural juices with vanilla ice cream. Slowly cooked to intensify the flavours of the pears, the fruit flesh bends to the spoon. The comforting ice cream melts quickly, infusing the cinnamon-flecked nectar-like sauce with a creamy finish. 

The tables cheer as the lights dim and turn off. Our Earth Hour 2023 has begun. We sit back, listen to Eva’s dulcet tones, and talk of hopes for the planet’s future. Many of us have children here with us, and the awareness of the urgent need for change for their sake is vivid. Sitting next to Murray, we chat passionately about what needs to be done. Open, truthful conversation flows easily, and the entire evening feels like a big dinner party with close friends. Congregated down one end of the table, the giggles of our children ripple down the table, adding to the soundtrack of the night. The discussions over sustainability remain hopeful and lifting, full of possibility. After Earth Hour winds down and the lights start to come back on slowly, we adjourn to watch an episode of Netflix’s Rotten documentary, examining crime and corruption in global honey markets and production. It teaches that even the most common elements of our day and diet require deeper examination and introspection. 

Conversations with Hard Rock Hotel General Manager Murray Aitken 

Over the last few years, as the travel industry worldwide begins to cater to increasingly savvy environmentally minded tourists, I’ve heard more than a few General Managers speak about plans of converting their single-use plastic water bottles over to a more sustainable option, the time scales usually extending over many years. Murray’s aspirations are dramatically bigger and far more breathtaking. With Hard Rock Hotel having already conquered the water bottle issue, he speaks about the plans and designs for a rainwater capture and harvest system to convert all in-hotel water use over to onsite water production and storage, including industry-leading filtration. Renewable, onsite energy production is potentially in the works as well, and genuine conversation about differing solar panel systems and battery storage continues well into the night. 

These conversations about Earth Hour 2023 and beyond are not mere pipe dreams. Murray’s dreams are big, but Hard Rock has already backed his plans on many initiatives. From switching out all plastic straws to biodegradable options within his first three days as General Manager at the hotel and converting all plastic room keys to bamboo wood, he gets things done. Quickly making informed decisions with measurable impacts. Hard Rock values not only staff who dream big but who are innovative problem solvers and out-of-the-box thinkers. It requires not only dreams but planned persistence and a ‘let’s make this happen now’ attitude to investing in a shift towards sustainability on a large scale. 

It also takes money. Where other hotels may only be putting placards in rooms, putting the onus on guests to make the changes on their behalf, Hard Rock is repeatedly putting its money where its mouth is, and enacting real change, right now. I question Murray about the financial privilege of becoming more actively sustainable. “Yes, it does take money.” He replies, “And you have to have a Head Office who’s willing to support you.” When I ask him why Hard Rock and its owners, the Seminole Group, have been willing to take those chances here in Malaysia, he is open and honest, “You’ve got to invest. You’ve got to spend the money to make changes quickly and effectively. And then you can make that money up later.” He explains how reducing spending on different single-use items, switching to bulk alternatives, and cutting costs on non-sustainable materials have helped finance many of their initiatives. 

I ask Murray if he’d like to take the hotel fully off the grid in the future. “I don’t think that’s possible.” He answers thoughtfully. His honesty is refreshing. “I don’t think you can ever become fully off-grid in a large hotel. You will always need to rely on external factors.” After further deep conversation, covering not only water and energy but also the potential for zero emissions, his reasoning becomes clear, “You have to work with local communities, not against them.”. 

Indeed, some of the biggest hurdles for Murray and the Hard Rock sustainability team have been working with local suppliers and the amount of waste and plastic packaging involved in buying local produce and materials. Malaysia is currently the world’s 3rd biggest contributor to plastic waste in oceans. Yet Murray is adamant that education and partnership are the key. “Instead of changing suppliers, I’d prefer to change their minds.”. True to his word, Murray and the Hard Rock team has worked with suppliers, using woven baskets to replace plastic bags and Coleman cooler boxes to cut out styrofoam. Research into reducing waste, particularly plastic waste, has been a collective effort. Yet it is the collective teamwork that is the reason these efforts are sustained over time. 

Throughout our stay, these conversations continue, with Murray, Yana, and the entire Hard Rock team organically bringing up the topic of environmental sustainability. It is clear that passion is not simply for show and is a natural part of every element of their day. My family and I will come away from this Earth Hour with a sense of positivity. Slowly, these changes are becoming more genuinely sought. It is refreshing to see them being honestly implemented in the tourism industry on a large scale.

Our Stay in the Rock Suite – Earth Hour 2023

Expansive and beautifully detailed, the Rock Suite is a brilliant choice for families or those looking for a little more space. We have two connecting rooms, a Rock Suite and a Rock Room, looking out over the Desaru Coastline. Greeted with a welcome package, we have been thoughtfully supplied with platters of snacks, fresh fruits, including pears and stone fruit, and artisanal handmade chocolates. ‘Sent from Backstage,’ our generous welcome package includes Hard Rock Roxtars plushies for the kids, including lead guitarist bear Sir Kingston, and glam rocker guitarist Styler, as well as a Mixtape Cassette pillow, which I quickly called dibs on. I think they made that one just for Gen X and Millennial parents. 

The clear dedication to environmentalism is evident everywhere you look. While asking guests to voluntarily cut down on daily replacement and washing of towels and linens has become commonplace, these gestures can seem tokenistic if guests do not see a visible and meaningful commitment towards sustainable practices. At Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast, there is no greenwashing lip service. Instead, segregated recycling bins are provided, and everything is designed to reduce waste. The bar is stacked with an extensive selection of glassware and an overly generous selection of tea and coffee-making supplies, with no single-use plastic in sight. Each room has its own coffee machine and kettle for added convenience. They have even provided a wine opener – an often forgotten, thoughtful touch. 

Best of all, every room has its own inbuilt Pentair Everpure water purification system imported from the United States. Guests are provided with multiple Hard Rock reusable metal water bottles, complete with insulation sleeves for you to use during your stay. Additional filtered drinking water refilling stations can be found around the Hotel grounds. The bottles keep your water clean and cold and are sanitised between guests to eliminate the need for plastic use in the supply of safe, fresh, pure drinking water. If you fall in love with your Hard Rock water bottle during your stay, they are available for purchase at RM100 each. Built to last, this is a souvenir we can get behind.  

Entering the suite’s main lounge and dining room, we are immediately met with a wave of classic rock and roll pumping through the Bose Solo 5 Soundbar. The sound is deep and round, with our very own catered soundtrack to set epic vibes for our stay. A simple door close cuts off all music in other rooms. Hard Rock knows the best music-filled holiday also needs the best in-room soundproofing. Even with the band pumping out hit after hit down below in the GMT+8 Bar, clever engineering and architecture means our own private sanctuary is silent if we want it to be. Even when opening our balcony doors, we are met only with the harmony of croaking frogs. Though, as peaceful as the frogs are, we opt for cranking our Bose sound system and immersing ourselves in drum beats and guitar solos.

Laid out in various wood tones and a neutral palette with pops of ocean blue, the room gives the feeling of calmness and nature. Musician portrait artworks are emotive in their homage to Hard Rock’s roots. Dip-dyed ombre curtains end in deep indigo for a sense of edgy coolness. In the Rock Room, the wall is adorned with botanical-themed wallpaper in large prints and understated colour schemes. It is part wallpaper, part art. Each room has its own balcony, complete with an outdoor lounger. Ours faces the coastline, making for spectacular morning sunrises. Thickly cushioned sofas, ottomans and armchairs in lux fabrics beg you to recline, perhaps with a guitar in hand. For those who can’t resist the call, instruments can be ordered up to your room, including a range of guitar and amplifier choices.  

In the bedroom, the Rock Suite is decked out with a ginormous plush king-sized bed that can easily fit the whole family. While it’s nice to have that option, the kids happily spread out, starfish style, in their own super wide, king-size single twin beds in the Rock Room next door. Cloud-like fluffy linens are embossed with tiny guitars, with matching embroidered Hard Rock electric guitars on all the pillows (multiple choices available for different style sleepers) and hidden within patterned cushions and bed runners. Fluffy, thick, cotton bathrobes hang in the wardrobes with matching slippers for an extra luxurious feel. Towels are super thicker and sumptuously plush.

While the entire suite is filled with little moments that will have you singing in happiness, the bathroom is the power chorus of the rock ballad. Floor-to-ceiling feature walls use geometrically pleasing tortoise shell-shaped tiles in oily pewter metallics, along with seemingly porous yet impervious stone tiles running in vertical seams. In an interior stylist’s dreamscape, the textures attract the eye and make you want to reach out and touch. Gleaming silver taps and hardware with old-school telephone attachments provide a polished overall finish. Daylight-toned lighting is soft and well placed, and the wide sinks are surrounded by plenty of counter space, a detail not lost on any guests who may wish to apply some rock-glam makeup or end their night with a skincare routine. Excitingly, both the spacious, deep-floor-standing bathtub and the rainfall shower area have seating. Seating. To all the women out there, I’ll wait a moment for that glorious tidbit to sink in. No acrobatics are required with a razor in hand. It’s the little details that excite us here at The Yum List.

Lastly, in our bathroom of dreams, shampoo, conditioner, body wash and lotion are all provided as bulk amenities. Not only are you not going to run out mid-lather, but you also aren’t filling the rubbish bin with countless tiny, single-serve plastic containers. All other toiletries are supplied in biodegradable cardboard packaging without any unnecessary plastic wrappers. Again, Hard Rock Hotels have thought of and provided everything, including portable stools for little rockers who can’t reach the taps. A first visit to the bathroom reveals the toilet paper is labelled with a tongue-in-cheek ‘General Admission’ sticker, while the backup is dubbed ‘B-Side’. Their authentic, playful branding is both good-natured and meaningful, and their dedication to their mission of spreading a love of music with an aim to ‘Save the Planet’ holds up against scrutiny. The Hard Rock team continue to show that being sustainably minded does not have to come at the cost of enjoyment and a sense of humour.  

Rock Royalty® Lounge

Staying in the Rock Suite, we are given VIP access to the Rock Royalty® Lounge. Rather than checking in at the front desk, cheerful and bubbly Hard Rock team members escort us straight up to the Lounge, and we are swiftly provided with wooden door key cards and given a full run down on extra perks. An exclusive lounge, dining and business space, we opt for breakfasts and evening drinks here. Located on level 6, with direct views out over the Adventure Waterpark, the Hard Rock Hotel Desaru Coast Lounge is an intimate space. Warm wood panelling with textured wood ceilings allows the artwork of rock gods and goddesses to take centre stage. Carpets and dining chairs are in blue tweed or embossed velvets and offer plenty of options for straight-backed dining or various stages of lounging, depending on your mood. It is quieter than the lively Sessions buffet and a la carte restaurant, with a more personalised service.

We choose an array of Malaysian and Western dishes from the Rock Royalty® Lounge buffet at breakfast. The chicken rendang is aromatic and spicy, and the fried kway teow is packed with chicken, vegetables, peanuts and lime. Sausages, hash browns and beef bacon are piping hot, and eggs can be ordered whichever way you prefer. Cold cuts, smoked salmon, and prepared muesli packed with nuts and dried fruit are available. My daughters pile their plates high with char siu bao, fresh fruits, and sweet pastries. Our server, Michael, brings us fresh flat white coffees that are rich and strong, while our girls opt for hot chocolates, Yakults, and fresh juice. With so much planned for each day, we all must be fueled and ready to go!  

Returning in the evening for drinks in the Rock Royalty® Lounge, we snack on a range of savoury canapes and petit four desserts. There are soft drinks and juices available, as well as a range of spirits and cocktails. I opt for a classic gin and tonic, and my daughters vote for the berry panna cotta as their favourite, going back for seconds and possibly thirds. 

Fun, Family and Music – Earth Hour 2023

The main areas of the Hard Rock Hotel have an open, breezy feel. Towering ceilings are blocked off along the top third by white louvres, allowing for easy airflow while preventing noise from travelling. In the GMT+8 Lounge, warm woods, marble-topped tables, and neutral-toned sofas are accented with splashes of sea blue and muted gold. Creativity is not limited to music, with numerous sculptures adorning the space. A sea of rock-on devil horn heralding hands appear like a metal mosh pit between couches. Speaker cones are transformed into a field of music-themed poppies between the towering glass cases holding numerous items of rock god paraphernalia and collectables. The artworks ignite the imagination, sparking a child-like wonder that only creativity can bring on. 

At the Roxity Kids Club, trained and enthusiastic carers are available to keep young minds occupied and having fun. The space is well laid out, with climbable cubbies around the outer walls and shelves filled with Legos, dinosaurs, cars, dolls, books and toys galore. A small sound stage contains a full junior drum kit and keyboard for budding musicians to act out their rock star fantasies. A fully stocked arts and crafts space captures and holds their attention. As soon as we collect our daughter from the wonderful Roxity Kids Club staff, they beg to go back.

A Memorabilia tour with Vibe Manager Aaron ends up being a standout favourite of our weekend. A passionate speaker, music runs in Aaron’s blood. He’s one of those people who has picked up an insane amount of general musical knowledge, answering no end of random, off-the-cuff questions, rapid fire. This is a man you want on your team for trivia nights! He begins by explaining Hard Rock’s roots, starting as a restaurant in Mayfair, London, in 1971, with the aim of bridging the divide between wealth and class by serving burgers to all. A one-off sale of t-shirts ignited a burgeoning love for the brand, and the collection of memorabilia began when Eric Clapton gave Hard Rock his red Fender guitar to hang above his favourite seat to ensure it was permanently reserved for him. Not to be outdone, Pete Townsend from the Who sent his own guitar, with a note reading ‘Mine’s as good as his!’. The brand now has the largest music memorabilia collection in the world, with over 86,000 pieces housed in specially built displays. All priceless items are original; there are no two-of-a-kind anywhere in the world. At each Hard Rock location, items are rotated every five to six years, so each time you go back, you will likely see something new. 

Here at Desaru Coast, they have clothing and costumes worn by Elvis Presley, Rhianna, Lady Gaga, Madonna, Robert Plant, John Entwistle, Brian Jones, Iggy Azalea and more. In the Rock Royalty® Lounge, there is a set list from Oasis, complete with Noel Gallagher’s handwritten notes, as well as pages from Madonna’s dairy, also handwritten; and the infamous contract between The Beatles and Maclen Music, signed by John Lennon, but not Paul McCartney, signalling tensions in the band. In other sections of the hotel are guitars, amplifiers and drum parts from stage performances by The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who and No Doubt. Soundwave artworks by famed artist Tim Wakefield are hand signed by the musicians they represent. Even Malaysian artists Yuna and Amy Search are represented. Though, Hard Rock is still waiting for something from Blackpink.

Each evening, Eva Maria and Friends perform at the GMT+8 Bar. Lead singer Eva has some impressive pipes, backing up Adele with Lady Gaga, and following on with Bon Jovi and Radiohead. Lead guitarist Zham hits his distortion pedal as he breaks out some impressive fretwork fingering for his solo. Bassist, Zaki, and drummer Faiz, both give off nonchalant coolness while pacing out hit after hit. Each band member can sing well. Faiz pulls off an edgy, gravelling timbre, all while hitting every beat. Requests are handed to Eva mid-set. Adaptable and flexible, within seconds of a request, they launch into an iconic series of solos for Santana’s Black Magic Woman. Whatever people had on their agendas for the evening, the stage has a gravitational pull. People stop in their tracks to listen. Feet are tapping, heads nodding, and those who know the lyrics can’t help singing along. I spy more than one guest following along with an air guitar or drum solo. The quality of the band’s sound would justify a pretty penny on entry ticket fees back in KL. 

The Hard Rock Hotel’s infinity pool is long and inviting, with underwater sound systems pumping tunes that make you want to dance in the water. Located next to the Elephant and the Butterfly, the blue and neutral palette is continued with cane chairs, floor-to-ceiling murals, and loads of loungers. Ocean breezes waft throughout, making it impossible not to feel relaxed and at ease. 

Conveniently located next door to the Adventure Waterpark Desaru Coast, we clear our Sunday schedule for a morning of epic water slides, wave pool hangs, and terrifying tube rides. The park caters well to children of all ages (parents included), and there is something for all tastes. Lockers and toilet facilities are clean and accessible, with food vendors dotted throughout the park. Our daughters meet the 120cm height requirement for the Riptide and Tempest four-person tube rides, with 24-foot weightless free falls making us all scream in equal fear and delight. The Wild Whirl and Super Twister double tube rides are a little gentler, though just as fun, and the lazy float down the Penawar River ride gives us a chance to catch our breaths. If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at surfing without the unknown element of the ocean, the Surf Wall is for you. The Kids Ahoy zone ends up being our favourite, with loads of looping closed and open slides for us to shoot down. There’s a certain kind of laughter that can only come from waterslides and having giant buckets of water upended on your head. 

After a full weekend of inspiring positivity and authentic conversations around Earth Hour 2023, it is a little easier to believe the dream of sustainability is increasingly achievable. Seeing a global brand like Hard Rock championing the mantra of Saving the Planet, and enacting real, measurable and meaningful change, signals a greater hope for the future. Here at The Yum List, we are advocates for greater environmental and societal conscientiousness. However, this can be difficult to achieve in the travel and food industries. However, when you start to see the movement towards locally grown and sustainably sourced foods, the reduction of plastic waste, and the conservation and protection of ecosystems, it is clear that from small actions, big ideas and big changes can grow and become possible. 

Find more recommendations for Desaru Coast here and stay up-to-date with the latest gourmet and travel recommendations for Malaysia here and here.