First Green Globe Certification Awarded to Christopher Hotel in the French West Indies

Nestled between crystal-clear water and Pointe Milou on the island of Saint Barthélemy and protected by the trade winds, the Christopher Hotel offers a breathtaking view of the Atlantic Ocean and the surrounding islands. An ideal retreat, chic and relaxed, easy going to make you feel at home.

Green Globe has awarded Christopher Hotel  in the French West Indies its very first certification.

Olivier Leroy, General Manager at the hotel said, “We are honored to announce our new Green Globe Certification, which confirms that our property is well on the way to becoming a truly sustainable tourist destination. This label emphasizes two years of intense work to make our hotel an eco-responsible entity. We are proud of the progress made so far and definitely remain committed to maintaining our efforts in the years to come.”

Careful planning has gone into efforts underlying the hotel’s overall sustainability vision.

Conception and Sustainable Management

Since October 2019, the Christopher Hotel has been examining the operating systems of all of its buildings and making improvements where possible. The hotel took advantage of the first Covid-19 lockdown to rebuild its water management system in order to become completely autonomous and started using state-of-the-art technology to help protect the environment and reduce water usage. The hotel has its own desalination treatment plant to treat sea water. Rainwater is also collected and stored in tanks, while the gardens benefit from an irrigation system that uses greywater.

For maximum reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption, all of the machines used throughout the hotel have been slowly replaced with more modern technology. All the lighting fixtures at the hotel now use low-energy LED sources, from all rooms and bathrooms to the exteriors, restaurants, bars, spa, and gardens. In addition, to implement a sustainable management policy that is followed on a day-to-day basis, the Christopher also works with local architects and companies to rethink the design of new buildings in order to meet the island’s revised environmental code. This can be observed in the construction of the hotel’s three new villas.

Environmental Protection

Management and staff members at Christopher Hotel are particularly dedicated to preserving its outstanding natural environment. This includes encouraging clients to be ecologically responsible in their behavior (and that applies also to the hotel’s partners, suppliers and service providers) by creating events based on Green Globe criteria such as environmental initiatives or cultural evenings showcasing local cuisine through to continued education in sustainable development for all employees and the creation of a sustainable purchasing policy.

In 2019, the restaurant’s Chef signed an agreement to avoid food wastage as well as reduce food losses by 50% between now and 2025. Local fishermen who supply the hotel are also committed to sustainable fishing practices by adhering to a specific fishing charter that bans the catch of threatened fish species. Other environmentally friendly activities include separating trash for recycling, elimination of all paper and plastic products and the use of eco-certified products.

In order to highlight and protect the island’s marine environment, the Christopher Hotel has created strong bonds with local partners such as Ouanalao Dive who are responsible for the Biorock project that aims to restore coral reef ecosystems located just offshore of the hotel. Biorock is the name given to metal structures installed a few tens of meters from the shore on which coral “cuttings” are attached. An electric current, supplied by the hotel, passes through the structure to improve the survival rate and growth of the corals and precipitating limestone, which they are fond of. The growth rate of corals is 3 to 5 times higher than normal and the survival rate is 16 to 50 times higher as they are more resistant to degradation of water quality and global warming.

Cultural Heritage

The hotel’s concierge service offers a variety of experiential activities that allow guests to discover the island’s cultural heritage, history, and native flora and fauna found in the hotel’s gardens. Each year, the Christopher Hotel also organizes events with the Artists of St. Barth, a local group, that promotes local art.

In line with their social initiatives, the hotel supports the local Red Cross, the St. Barth Handicap and the Sargasse Project - a St. Barth start-up looking to find useful solutions for invasive sargassum seaweed.

Local talent is always valued and the hotel is particularly careful in terms of recruitment with great attention paid to every action to train staff and further skill development whilst maintaining a sense of luxury and high-quality service for visiting guests.

Contact

Alexandra Lemarchand-Guibout
Communications Manager
Hotel Christopher St Barth
Pointe Milou
St Barthélemy F97133
FRENCH WEST INDIES
E: communication@hotelchristopher.com
W: www.hotelchristopher.com