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NAME OF PROPERTY	Hotel Akumal Caribe Villas Maya
RESPONSIBLE PERSON FOR THIS APPLICATION	Laura Bush Wolfe
POSITION	Owner
ADDRESS OF PROPERTY	Km. 104 Carr. Pto Juarez Tulum Akumal,. Q Roo
COUNTRY	Mexico
PHONE NUMBER inc. area code	984 875 9013
WEBSITE	http://hotelakumalcaribe.com
E-MAIL	laura@hotelakumalcaribe.com
TYPE OF PROPERTY	Beach hotel
NUMBER OF ROOMS	61
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF GUESTS	183
ECO-CERTIFICATION(s)	no
ECO AWARDS	no

GENERAL ECO INFO

Do you have an environmental and/or social sustainability policy YES / NO

If yes, please attach.

Do you have an environmental Management System YES / NO

If yes, please attach.

Brief Description of property – aim, size, facilities (150 words max)

21 Ocean front rooms, 40 garden view bungalows. Family run beach resort with swimming pool, full service dive shop, beach spa, 2 boutiques,tour desk, snack bar, Restaurant, Pizzeria, and Super market.

Brief description of location (100 words max)

Located on the main bay of Akumal, which is in the Riviera Maya, between Puerto Aventuras and Xelha.

ENERGY CONSUMPTION / CONSERVATION

Do you use any renewable energy? YES / NO

If yes, please describe (max 100 words).

What percentage of your power is made from renewable energy?

Do you use any energy saving devices? YES / NO

If yes, please describe (max 100 words).

Do you have programmes to encourage energy conservation? YES/NO

If yes, please describe (max 100 words).

MARTI – a complete program to help us eventually get an Eco Certification, and help us become environmentally responsible in every area of our operation. This program is being offered to hotels in the area and is providing support and suggestions and follow up to our staff. MESO AMERICAN REEF TOURISM INICIATIVE

GARDENS – ORGANIC FOOD – RECYCLING

Do you have gardens? YES / NO
If yes, are they organic? YES / NO
Do you encourage your food suppliers to be organic? YES/ NO

If yes, how?

We do not have direct contact with growers.

Do you compost your waste where possible? YES / NO
Do you practice any other recycling? YES / NO

If yes, please describe? (100 words max).

We separate glass, plastic and aluminium and have it taken to the Ecological Center for recycling.

CHEMICALS AND CLEANING PRODUCTS

Do you use chemical cleaning products? YES / NO
If yes, which ones and what for?

We are now taking an inventory for the MARTI program.

Do you use bio degradable cleaning products? YES /NO
If yes, which ones and what for?

Same as above. We use some, but need to take full inventory

WATER CONSERVATION

WATER

Please describe your water supply, and any water conservation programmes, and how, if possible, guests/visitors are encouraged to participate.

We use cenote water. Many rooms have water saving shower heads and faucets. We are installing them little by litte. Guests are encouraged to reuse their towels and request sheets not be changed daily.

Please describe your water purification and waste water treatment systems.

We have our own reverse osmosis plant for bottling water and making ice. Tap water is not potable. Our waste treatment is varied. Some rooms are hooked up to a reconstructed wetlands, and others to a main drainage system with filters, traps and chlorination. We are looking into a new treatment plant.

FLORA AND FAUNA CONSERVATION / PRESERVATION

Describe any flora or fauna conservation/projects you are involved in and how you encourage your guests to participate?

We have notices in each room about the proper care of the reef when snorkelling and the protection of the turtles in the bay, as well as on the beach during season. We host conservation talks twice per week at our snack bar for guests to learn about the reef conservation and turtle protection program we support.

OUTSTANDING ACHIEVEMENTS

Please describe what you feel is your single most important eco achievement? (200 words max).

No one single achievement, it is the combination of community involvement and direct lobbying with the government, as well as my support as President of the Ecological Center that indicates my respect and regard for the Ecology. Helping to bring about awareness and making progress each year on our own property.

MONITORING / FEEDBACK / TRAINING

Please describe any staff and customer eco training/education programmes

We are now having regular meetings with the staff with the help of the MARTI program. Guests are invited to visit the Ecological Center to learn more about the ecology and there are volunteer opportunities. A manual for all new staff on our responsibility to the environment.

Please describe any materials you have to educate your guests (brochures, posters, pamphlets, etc.)?

In the kids club, a new coloring book and educational material we sponsored and the Ecological Center developed. Fridge magnets concerning turtle protection, full page of info on Bay Protection Program in th e infor booklets in each room

Please describe how you monitor, maintain, and/or minimise your environmental impact?

Through the Bay Protection Program, we are starting to limit the commercial activity in the bay, providing navigation channels for boats, protecting swimmers, and turtle feeding areas. There are also rules for the use of the beach and the bay, for swimmers and snorkelers.

Do you get customer feedback? YES / NO

If yes, please describe how you collect the feedback, and what you do with it.

Our repeat guests leave letters or send emails to us. We use them to lobby with government for more support on our projects, as well as for staff awareness of the efforts that need to be made to protect our environment.

LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY

What percentage of your staff are local nationals? 90%

Please describe what you do to minimise your negative impacts on the local community, and any cultural awareness, community activities or local sponsorships programmes, and any other ways you try to ensure the local community benefit from your business.

Through the Akumal Development Council, of which I am on the board, we are working with the government to minimize the development of the support town, and making sure they do it with proper infrastructure and minimize effects on the environment. We also sponsor free animal clinics for the locals, help with school events, earth day, beach clean up day, to name a few. Have Mexican dance shows every week.

If you have a green / eco certification label, please give details and explain:

your reasons for joining the scheme
The benefits you feel you receive
Any other positive or negative points

If you do not have a green certification / label, please explain

Your reasons for NOT joining any schemes,
Any benefits you feel you are missing,
Anything else.

We don’t feel ready yet. But we are working towards it with the help of the MARTI program.

Anything else you feel is relevant or important.

We help the Montesorri School, a new Adult Education Center, various Government schools, and The Local Library, with fundraisers, and regular donations in funding and in kind. Our guests regularly contribute to these causes with clothing, supplies and money. We have a donation box for CEA at our grocery stooe

Please provide as much documentary evidence as possible.
Please provide 2 references, preferably one from the local or national government tourist authority or a registered NGO (Non-profit Non Governmental Organization) locally, and the other from your certification scheme if you are in one.

Paul Sanchez Navarro, - Director of Programs, Akumal Ecological Association paulsn@ceakumal.org

Jimena Farah capacitacion@rivieramaya.org.mx

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