HOTEL PUNTA ISLITA, COSTA RICA

Winner Community Benefit Award 2006

Hotel Punta Islíta overlooks a rugged ocean cove in Costa Rica's Nicoya Peninsula, Guanacaste. Top-tier comfort, authentic charm, eco-adventures, and an award-winning commitment to responsible tourism make it a unique destination for well-heeled, planet-aware travellers.
Hotel Punta Islíta's responsible tourism programme encourages the preservation of local culture, fosters economic opportunity, and promotes resource stewardship and conservation. Through education, local-hiring and purchasing incentives, environmental programmes, and the inauguration of the Open Air Contemporary Art Museum, Hotel Punta Islíta has successfully used the tourism industry as a tool for poverty alleviation, entrepreneurship, cultural pride, sustainability, and fair development. In turn, the health of its human and natural surroundings rewards guests with authentic experiences, heartfelt charm, and spellbinding settings.

Responsible Highlights:

• Community Day Care centre
• Sea-turtle protection
• More than 20 micro-enterprises
• 85% of the staff is local, including the General Manager
• More than 50% of every dollar spent stays in the local communities in the form of salaries, purchases, taxes, and contributions
• Seven local art groups
• Waste collection and recycling centre
• Native species greenhouse
• Gray water use
• Alternative energy