Eco-Friendly Hotel

Green energy

We make extensive use of solar energy on the property to provide electricity for the AC’s and other hotel appliances to run.  We also use Solar Heaters for providing the warm water in the rooms.

Waste Collection & Recycling

You will find several waste recycling units throughout our resort for guests to use.  These units collect trash separately: glass, paper, cardboard and others.  In our waste collection center we also separate the trash and compost that we use in the resort.  The separated trash will be picked up by a variety of companies for recycling.  A good example is the old oil from our fryers; this waste product is subsequently used for the production of things like body creams and bio fuel (and more).

Home grown organic vegetables

We have our own greenhouse to produce many of the fruits, vegetables and herbs for our restaurant in an organic way.

Responsible Gardening

We do not use insecticides, fungicides or any other chemical to maintain our beautiful gardens.

Biodegradable Products

All the cleaning products we use are biodegradable; such as hand soap, dishwasher soap, washing machine soap, floor cleaner etc.

Saving water

The urinals in the restrooms of our restaurant, conference room and pool use sophisticated techniques that do not require water.

Keeping our Beach clean

Each month a different group of employees cleans the beach of Dominical.  Throughout the year, each employee of Villas Rio Mar helps collecting trash from the beach we all love so much.

Corcovado Foundation Partnership

We are a friend and sponsor of the Corcovado Foundation. We ask each of our guests if they want to donate USD 1,- (or more) when checking out.

Reforestation

In partnership with other area hotels, Villas Rio Mar helps to plant trees every year.  These trees are usually planted in Marino Ballena National Park.

Employee incentives

We provide incentives to the employees that want to help us with the Eco friendly activities as mentioned above.

The Certification for Sustainable Tourism Program – CST – is a product of the Costa Rican Tourism Board (ICT).  CST was designed to differentiate businesses of the tourism sector, based on the degree to which they comply with a sustainable model of natural, cultural and social resource management.  Villas Rio Mar is ‘Elite’ certified with CST and the only hotel in the area that has this highest possible certification.  

The sustainable certification is divided in 4 areas, with different practices for each:

Physic-Biological environment

• Evaluate the negative impacts the company’s operations can cause
• Encourage customers to visit protected areas
• Inform about climate changes
• Monitor water and energy consumption
• Manage wastes

Politics of service environment

• Establish politics, vision and mission
• Train the staff
• Consumer friendly environmental products
• Use friendly environmental cleaning products
• Have procedures and installations in case of emergency

External customer environment

• Inform customers about the place and actions made
• Signs in the rooms about sustainable practices

Socioeconomic environment

• Hire people from the community and the area
• Use local products and services
• Inform about activities available in the community

Sustainable tourism

Stay at a hotel or ecolodge which respects the sustainable tourism values and travel with a responsible attitude.

Please contact us in case you want to participate in sustainable programs as carbon compensation or when you want to donate to national parks such as Corcovado.

During tours and activities, respect the following recommendations:

• Do not leave trash at any time
• Do not feed the animals
• Do not extract flowers or plants from national parks and private reserves
• Always stay on the trails
• Be silent, do not disturb the wildlife
• Do not use a flash when taking pictures of wildlife
• When at sea; do not touch the fishes or other living organisms such as coral or sea stars
• It is not allowed to have fires within protected areas
• It is not allowed to consume alcoholic drinks in protected areas
• Don´t waste drinking water; close the drinking fountain when you are done
• Bring your own water container.  We provide filtered water for you at our restaurant and also in our lobby.
• Don´t throw toilet paper in the toilet of protected areas, always in the bin

Greenhouse Gases Footprint Calculator