Green Globe Awards First Certification to Hotel del Parque in Ecuador
Hotel del Parque is situated within a 19-acre tropical, historic park that is part of Guayaquil’s peninsula. The restored 44-room colonial mansion surrounded by rare orchids, endemic trees and protected endangered animals, consistently earns accolades in its quest to be listed among the best eco-friendly hotels in the world. It was built in 1891 by a Guayaquil charity as the first metropolitan hospice constructed to provide shelter for homeless and elderly citizens. The hospice nearly fell to ruins before being rescued from demolition by the Ecuadorian Government. It was then moved board by board to its existing location within Parque Historico and meticulously restored to its heritage state. Today, the boutique hotel remains under local ownership operating as part of the Oro Verde hotels enterprise and as part of Relais & Chateaux.
Green Globe recently awarded Hotel del Parque its inaugural certification. The hotel achieved a very high compliance score of 90%.
"Green Globe Certification confirms that Hotel del Parque is committed to making our property a truly sustainable destination. The Hotel del Parque team will continue working for economic, social, and environmental sustainability," said Francisco Baca General Manager at the hotel.
Mr. Baca champions the sustainability program at the hotel. Here, he details the hotel’s sustainability vision now and into the future.
Children International Foundation Initiatives
Hotel del Parque is committed to the environment with the mission and objective of making the most of natural resources by using them in a sustainable way. We are also committed to supporting the professional and personal development of our team and contributing to the support of environmental education within the community and through the promotion of cultural activities. For example, the Children International Foundation awarded a Certificate of Recognition to Hotel del Parque for collaborating with them in developing initiatives that discover and nurture the potential of young Ecuadorians. By working together, the hotel and Foundation invest time and effort in young lives that will generate lasting changes within themselves and in the long term, their communities.
Environmental Activities
Hotel del Parque provides sustainability training for all staff members, educates guests about living sustainably and aims to communicate the message of responsible actions to members of the public to highlight environmental issues.
Important environmental activities are undertaken by the hotel throughout the year. Every year on Community Day, Hotel del Parque's team members plant trees and voluntarily work in the Parque Histórico Guayaquil botanical gardens. In addition, we celebrate #FoodForChange every year in partnership with @SlowFood International. The aim of this initiative is to prevent the disappearance of local food cultures and traditions, counteract the rise of fast living, and combat people's dwindling interest in the food they eat, where it comes from, and how our food choices affect the world around us.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
We try to maximize the use of recyclable and reusable materials. In line with the Hotel's waste saving strategy, retired towels and linen are donated to a local orphanage and other foundations or establishments for reuse. Furthermore, employees are encouraged to ensure that all waste is disposed of through proper waste management systems. A recycling program is well established in the hotel, and every person is fully aware of the importance of supporting it.
Contact
Francisco Baca
General Manager
Hotel del Parque
Parque Histórico Guayaquil
Km 1½ via Samborondón, Av.
Los Arcos and Río Guayas
Guayaquil 092301
ECUADOR
T: +593 (4) 372 5260
E: fbaca@hotelesoroverde.com
W: hoteldelparquehistorico.com
