Today Sustainable Management Systems (SMS) have become integral to the modern business practices of hotel and resort chains. For Playa Hotels & Resorts, an innovative SMS was needed to operate across their variety of hotel brands, including Hyatt Zilara, Hyatt Ziva and Hilton, and across multiple destinations in which they operate, Mexico, Jamaica, and Dominican Republic.

With Green Globe Certification providing a standard sustainability certification across their properties, Playa Hotels & Resorts developed Playa Cares, an SMS that underpins their corporate sustainability approach, and just as importantly activates and communicates initiatives that deliver tangible outcomes for their hotels and resorts along with the communities these businesses operate.

Additionally, Playa Hotels & Resorts recognized the rapidly growing awareness of sustainability and climate challenges of their guests, and how this consciousness plays an important part in a traveller’s choice of destination and accommodation. The Playa Cares SMS was extended to actively involve guests in the sustainability issues of the destinations they visit and promote practices that conserve natural heritage and biodiversity and effectively contribute to climate action.

To meet these core objectives, Playa Cares’ integrated approach goes beyond checklists and benchmarks. Playa Hotels & Resorts Sustainability Director, David Andrés Ortegón-Martínez explains, “Sustainability at Playa Hotels & Resorts consists of changing the decision-making process at all levels, with one goal in mind: To be an increasingly competitive company, that uses all our resources in the most efficient way possible, and creates a balance between the environmental, social and economic aspects of our operations.

“This means that both the sustainability concept and its implementation are fully aligned with the company's strategic vision and Global ESG requirements as a leading company in the global tourism industry,” added Director Ortegón-Martínez.

At an operational level, Playa Cares is organized into 12 Programs, which are key elements for the sustainable management of the company’s resources and their implementation is mandatory for all Playa Hotels & Resorts properties. Within each of these programs, Playa Cares provides the framework for the planning, organization, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, communication, updating and continuous improvement of all the initiatives focused on the efficient use of resources in each of the destinations where they operate.

As a significant advance on generic Sustainable Management Systems, Playa Cares incorporates a communication strategy that identifies all key stakeholders and the roles they play in activating and creating awareness of sustainability initiatives. Four programs have been defined to collect these many actions under easily understood concepts that can be communicated.

1. Playa Green brings together all initiatives focused on sustainable use, conservation of natural resources, and climate action, both inside and outside of the hotels and resorts.

2. Playa Community promotes sustainable development among stakeholders including associates, families, local communities, guests, visitors, contractors, and suppliers, both within hotels and throughout their entire supply chain.

3. Playa Health & Safety focuses on guaranteeing the well-being of all these stakeholders, both internal and external.

4. Playa Partners engages the supply chain, including key organizations and individuals, in joint projects and extends beyond the tourism industry to embrace the destinations.

Playa Cares has already initiated several projects across its properties and destinations, all demonstrating Playa Hotels & Resorts’ commitment to the sustainable development of the destinations.

Seeding A Community
Hilton La Romana, Bayahíbe, Dominican Republic

This pilot project is focused on showing a balance between ecosystem conservation and food production, which is both possible and necessary in today´s world. The project connects hotel associates, guests and the community to food production and to the land in a unique way. In the gardens of Hilton La Romana, organic fruits, vegetables, and honey are cultivated to demonstrate how sustainable agriculture can be undertaken.

Today approximately 5% of the food used in the Central Kitchen of Hilton La Romana comes from these gardens. Local children from the Benerito School visit the garden and learn the importance and benefits of growing produce. The school children also prepare delicious pizzas for their lunch using the vegetables they harvested in the garden, and receive a school kit (backpack, notebooks, pencils and pens) to encourage being meritorious students in their school. The Seeding A Community project will be replicated in the future with local schools and communities.

Jamaican Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) Jamaica
Hyatt Ziva & Zilara, Jewel Grande, Hilton Rose Hall, Jewel Paradise Cove, Playa Hotels & Resorts Regional Offices, Jamaica

Jamaican Awareness of Mangroves in Nature (J.A.M.I.N.) program is an immersive, experiential education program that engages high school students and teachers to learn about, restore, and monitor mangroves. The program utilizes proven educational methodologies such as project-based learning, which allows students to explore real-world problems and acquire deeper knowledge over extended periods; and place-based learning, taking students out of their traditional classroom setting and into their local mangroves.

Protection of marine and land ecosystems is fundamental for the tourism industry’s success, especially for Playa Hotels & Resorts with 100% of its properties in coastal locations. Playa Hotels & Resorts works with Discovery Bay Marine Lab, part of the West Indies University, on J.A.M.I.N. projects which are meant to be pilot programs to inspire other players (inside and outside of the tourism industry) in each destination to act and work together.

The J.A.M.I.N. program's first event enabled 45 students from William Knibb Memorial High School to participate in an immersive environmental education experience at Discovery Bay Marine Lab. The event included educational activities, field trips, and mangrove planting sessions. This collaboration ensured that these students could benefit from hands-on learning about mangrove ecosystems, furthering their understanding of coastal conservation and environmental stewardship.

Turtle Fest
Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

With a turtle nesting beach on its doorstep, Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta works to protect endangered sea turtles and their eggs from predators and poachers. The Turtle Fest conservation program aligns with the procedures and protocols of State and National conservation programs. Information about turtle conservation and the importance of a clean ocean is shared with guests, staff, and suppliers. In addition, regional Turtle Conservation Organizations receive financial support to enhance their efforts.

Hyatt Ziva Puerto Vallarta has also created a Kids Club activity, Learning with Turtles, where guests’ children learn about sea turtle nesting and the protection of hatchlings. In 2024, a drawing contest was held as part of Turtle Fest, with over 100 drawings submitted from children of hotel associates across Mexico. The competition successfully brought awareness of marine turtle conservation to communities located away from the coast, and was another step to guaranteeing the future protection of this iconic species.

Playa Partners Engagement
Wyndham Alltra Cancun, Hilton Playa Del Carmen, Hyatt Zilara Cancun, Hyatt Ziva Cancun, Wyndham Alltra Playa Del Carmen

In 2024, Playa Partners was launched in Cancun and Playa Del Carmen, aiming to bring together all the programs and initiatives focused on creating a more responsible and sustainable supply chain across Playa Hotels & Resort properties. Initially, three major supply partners joined and performed a comprehensive assessment of their processes and identified their strengths, as well as challenges and opportunities to improve sustainability through waste reduction, supply efficiencies and other actions.

Playa Hotels & Resorts provided training and management tools focused on continuous improvement of supply processes and incorporation into the hotels’ daily operations. The aim of creating better supply partnerships is to meet the hotel group’s sustainability objectives, preserve environmental resources and improve quality of life in the destinations.

For more information about Playa Cares and its programs visit: https://www.playaresorts.com/playacares

Contact:

David Andrés Ortegón-Martínez
Sustainability Director
Playa Hotels & Resorts
Marina Town Center, Av. Bonampak,
Puerto Cancun, Cancun,
Benito Juarez, Q. Roo, C.P.77500
Mexico
Phone: (52) 998.881.5791
Mobile: (52) 551.759.74.86
david.ortegon@playaresorts.com
www.playaresorts.com

Bradley Cox
Director Communications
Green Globe Certification
1223 Wilshire Blvd. Suite 925
Santa Monica, CA 90403 / U.S.A.
Phone: +1-310-337-3000 ext. 105
Skype Direct +1 760 536 6581
Mobile +61 400 848 746
bcox@greenglobe.com
www.greenglobe.com

About Green Globe Certification
Green Globe Certification is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe Certification is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). For information, please visit www.greenglobe.com