At the heart of Cancun’s vibrant Hotel Zone, Royalton CHIC Cancun by Blue Diamond Resorts delivers a luxurious escape. Known for its high-end culinary experiences and breathtaking views, the resort is redefining five-star hospitality by pairing gourmet gastronomy with cutting-edge sustainability practices. The resort partnered with Winnow to integrate food waste reduction into their luxury offering. At Elements Gourmet Buffet—one of the resort’s 9 restaurants—food waste was reduced by an impressive 56% within just six months, far exceeding the initial target of 40%.
We transform overproduction into gourmet dishes like ravioli or cannelloni. It’s creativity guided by data—waste becomes an opportunity.
The Challenge for all inclusive resorts
Blue Diamond Resorts operates over 80 properties across seven brands. Specifically at Royalton CHIC Cancun with 456 rooms, 9 restaurants and more than 4,000 daily covers, the team faced the operational complexity of delivering consistent, high-quality meals at scale. Serving over 4,000 daily presents challenges in food preparation, inventory management, and resource optimization. Food waste from overproduction, buffet leftovers, and plate waste threatened both cost control and the resort’s environmental commitments.
Motivation for Change
For Royalton CHIC Cancun, reducing waste wasn’t just about saving money, it was about delivering excellence with integrity. With guests increasingly conscious of sustainability, the resort recognized an opportunity to lead by example and align operations with its values of luxury, responsibility, and innovation.
“Our guests perfectly understand the intention behind waste reduction… They’re more informed and committed to the environment.”
Luis Quintero, General Manager, Royalton CHIC Cancun
Strategies and Actions Taken
Using real-time data from Winnow, the team at Royalton CHIC Cancun refined kitchen practices to reduce waste without compromising on quality. These targeted strategies brought both efficiency and creativity to the forefront:
- Live cooking of chilaquiles: Switched from pre-made to freshly prepared at the buffet, enhancing freshness and reducing leftovers.
- Transforming surplus into gourmet dishes: Overproduced proteins and vegetables are now reworked into high-end ravioli and cannelloni with modern sauces.
- Repurposing bread: Excess bread is redirected to staff meals or used in desserts, minimizing waste in a high-loss category.
- Using trims creatively: Fruit peels and vegetable scraps are turned into sauces, syrups, and drinks including pineapple peels—maximizing every ingredient.
Improving the Guest Experience
Every change rooted in waste reduction has enhanced the guest journey:
- Live cooking stations (e.g., for chilaquiles) replaced pre-prepared dishes, improving freshness and reducing waste.
- Creative reuse of ingredients—like pineapple peels for sauces or transforming proteins into gourmet ravioli—has surprised and delighted diners.
By using data to optimize processes, the resort elevated not only sustainability, but also flavor, freshness, and presentation.
Time is Luxury: Saving Time in the Kitchen
For Corporate Chef Claudio Flores, one of the most profound impacts of Winnow has been on time efficiency: “They work less in production and get better results. We realized we can do more with less.” The system revealed that leaner production meant fewer hours spent on unnecessary prep—freeing up culinary teams to focus on plating, innovation, and service quality.
A Model for the Future
The resort has expanded the program to other on-site restaurants. The success at Royalton CHIC Cancun is already influencing the broader Blue Diamond Resorts group: “This is the first hotel to implement the system, and now we’re an example for the company, competitors, and strategic collaborators” says Luis Quintero. The company plans to scale the model to more properties with 3 other properties already starting their food waste reduction journey with Winnow.
Conclusion
By merging technology with culinary creativity, Royalton CHIC Cancun has not only reduced food waste, it has enhanced the guest experience and strengthened its luxury brand identity. The resort proves that sustainability can be a driver of quality, creativity, and operational
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