2010 has been quite a year thus far for Hans Pfister, president and co-owner of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality and a man very much in the public eye of the responsible travel industry these days. Cayuga has undertaken countless accomplishments and acquired as many accolades – among them a prestigious award from Conde Nast – since January saw the opening of Cayuga’s first non-Costa Rican resort, Jicaro Island Ecolodge, on Lake Nicaragua. On his busy travel schedule for August was a visit to the Osa Peninsula for the Dia de los Parques Nacionales. As a board member of Proparques, a non-government organization that helps to improve the National Parks, Cayuga and the ambassador of South Korea provided a joint donation of 600 uniforms to the park rangers there. I caught up with Hans just after his visit to Golfito (pictured here).
Frances: Congratulations on Cayuga’s recent World Savers Award from Conde Nast Traveler. Can you tell us more about that and how the recognition came about?
Hans: We won in the category of Overall Winner, Small Hotel Chains. One of the hottest new topics in hospitality management is the idea of "integrated reporting" in which a company’s financial and social performance are tabulated in one holistic report. This means that social responsibility is considered as important as profitability. So we were identified as a small company that has already adopted this approach – and in fact has been thinking this way for a long time. So I suppose that our philosophy has helped people to change their ways. As an example, at Lapa Rios, where as you know it all started, we gave the local people the opportunity to make a living other than by illegal hunting and logging. Now our employees there tell their neighbors, 'Don't hunt anymore; you're jeopardizing my livelihood.' As a result, the area's big cats, monkeys, and macaws are rebounding. Guests can help researchers set cameras that track the wild cats' behavior and population density. Another part of this is that Cayuga-managed hotels invest two to five percent of their revenue in social-responsibility projects, including solar panels that power one school's only computer.
Frances: I know you have been extremely busy with lots of projects at all the properties after the opening of Jicaro in January. What is new physically at the Cayuga-managed hotels this year?
Hans: We don’t really have any big and visible improvements at the hotels, but did a lot of work behind the scenes. First, at Lapa Rios, we have a new waste-water treatment plant to update old technology, new decks and replacement of suita roofs. Next, at Arenas del Mar, we now have air conditioning in the suites (before it was just the bedrooms), new wastewater treatment plant to update old technology, and a new lounge in the restaurant and bar area. At Latitude 10 we will have solar water heating going into all rooms in October. Then, at Finca Rosa Blanca, two rooms were expanded and more balcony space was added. Finally, at Harmony Hotel, we put in some new decks and new fans. And, as you know, our newest addition, Jicaro Island Ecolodge in Nicaragua is an all new hotel, which opened at the first of the year.
Frances: When you are speaking to consumers interested in sustainability, what are the reasons you give people why they should choose to spend their vacation at a Cayuga-managed hotel?
Hans: The reason I tell people, and the thing I am most proud of, has more to do with “soft” factors than with physical aspects of the hotels, which are in themselves amazing. We are leaders in sustainability. When others did not even know what sustainability was, we were already doing it – and some people smiled at us and called us tree huggers! This means that by now, we really know what we are doing. So if you really are serious about sustainability and want a guilt-free vacation, Cayuga hotels can offer that. Guaranteed and certified.
Frances: What can guests who are new to the Cayuga experience expect to find at their resort of choice?
Hans: We have implemented a program that we call “Experience, Learn, Connect and Relax” at all of our hotels and want to make sure our guests don’t just stay at our hotels, but that they have incredible memories to carry with them. Here are the elements:
Experience: Experience waking up listening to howler monkeys next to your room; watch your child interact with a monkey or raccoon; experience the massive arrivals of sea turtles on the beach to lay their eggs; experience picking coffee with the locals; experience hiking with a local, bilingual guide who can find recent jaguar prints and show you a poison dart frog up close. I could go on forever…
Learn: Learn how to make a suita palm thatched roof; take a lesson in how to make tortillas or Gallo Pinto in the kitchen; learn how to dance salsa (we created our own Cayuga Eco-salsa CD); master the difference between the two- and three- toed sloth; learn to identify the calls of the exotic bird species in a particular geographic region. Again, I could go on and on…
Connect: Play soccer with the locals or the employees after work; go shore fishing with the bartender on his afternoon break; get a surf lesson from the hotel’s manager; visit a local family and have a meal with them; practice your Spanish with hotel staff. You can create your own opportunities by telling staff your interests; you’ll be amazed at the response and the creation of connections to the local people and culture.
Relax: Our guests love to have active vacations, but of course, there is plenty of room for hammocks, love-seats, and very comfortable beds with organic cotton or bamboo fiber linens. We provide the utmost in eco-luxury accommodations so our visitors can truly relax and not even feel the need to leave their room if they just want private time together as a couple or as a family.
Frances: Jicaro Island Ecolodge is getting rave reviews. How does working on a sustainable tourism hotel project in Nicaragua differ from your experiences in Costa Rica?
Hans: We love being back in Nicaragua. Our first experience there was Morgan's Rock Ecolodge and ever since then, we really liked working there. The people have a great attitude towards work. Of course, we need to teach a lot as there is almost no expertise in upscale tourism. And the country does not have the same reputation as an ecotourism destination as Costa Rica, but we found that it is the perfect choice for the traveler that is looking for the next destination and a place that is still authentic and ready to be explored.
Frances: If guests of Cayuga-managed resorts really want to understand the hotel’s sustainable aspects, what is the best way for them to learn?
Hans: We offer a sustainability tour at all of our properties. We take you behind the scenes and show you everything. It’s the concept of the transparent hotel. You see how we treat the pool without chlorine, how we use biodegradable cleaning products, how we dry the laundry, how our staff lives, how we recycle, grow our fruits and veggies, compost, use vermiculture (worms!), even pigs to produce biogas. This is a great experience and totally free. Guests love it and it really helps them to feel a complete part of the sustainable resort experience.
Frances: Most people in North America plan their visit to Central or South America for the winter holidays. Is that really the best time to visit?
Hans: Just after the Proparques event, I took a boat across the Golfo Dulce to Lapa Rios and saw whales! It is a great time right now to see whales in the south of Costa Rica. So, to answer your question in a roundabout way, sometimes the best time to visit depends upon what you are looking for. If people want less crowds, cheaper flights, discounts at the hotels and more chances to see wildlife, they would do well to consider visiting Costa Rica or Nicaragua during the rainy season, what we like to refer to as the Green Season, roughly May through November. It is usually sunny in the mornings, which allows ample time for fun and sun on hikes or at the beach. And while it is less intensely hot, the temperature does not drop drastically, so the rains are always warm, refreshing and therapeutic. And, the natural beauty of Central America is enhanced because everything is super lush and green. See our special Green Season Promotions here:
http://www.cayugaonline.com/guilt_free_travel_sustainability.html
Frances: Thank you so much for your time, and congratulations once again!
Hans: Thank you. Let's hope that 2011 will get even better with more awards, high occupancies in all hotels and further steps towards being more sustainable.
Photos:
1. Proparques poster identifying key players and events.
2. Cayuga and the Ambassador of South Korea jointly donated 600 uniforms to park rangers at the celebration of Dia de los Parques Nacionales in Golfito. Shown are the Vice Minister of the Environment, the Vice President of Costa Rica, the Ambassador of South Korea and Hans Pfister.
3. The entire Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality Management Team
