Al Gore Event in Costa Rica

On March 16, 2011, several members of the Cayuga team, along with the Sustainability Coordinators from Harmony Hotel and Lapa Rios, attended the Business Forum on Sustainability and Environment, in San Jose.

The daylong event was concluded with a keynote speech by Former U.S. Vice-President, Al Gore, who presented his proactive lecture, “Climate Change: Developing New Economic Development and the Global Approach".

Gore’s speech urged the attendees…“to put a price on carbon so as to achieve more rapid changes in the use of fossil fuels - as gasoline and diesel, and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases into the atmosphere”. He also encouraged them to be leaders in the fight against global warming.

“I do not want to give the idea that the choices we have are easy, but it is necessary,” Gore said. "Costa Rica is a hero in the protection of nature. I am aware that this presents many challenges, but they are succeeding at what they do”.

Hans Pfister, President of Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality, had positive comments about the event. “The speech was very inspiring, but what was really great was to hear how Costa Rica is perceived as a leader in sustainability as a country and makes a difference by inspiring people. At our hotels, we hope to do the same thing and inspire our guests to take action in terms of sustainability by lowering their carbon footprint or becoming involved in their local communities.”

The Forum, held at the Marriot Hotel, was a carbon neutral and zero waste event. Cayuga donated their ever-popular bamboo straws to the event for the drinks!

Quotes by Al Gore from La Nacion, Costa Rica’s national newspaper.

Pioneering sustainable tourism

In honor of International Women’s Day, we wanted to profile Andrea Bonilla, Managing Director at Cayuga. Andrea is in charge of the operation of 6 hotels in Costa Rica and Nicaragua. She was born and raised in Costa Rica, where she spent most of her youth at her parents' farm in Guanacaste. There she developed a strong relationship with the environment and the local culture, recognizing the benefits to sustaining and uniting people and their place. In 1992, she seized the opportunity to study Hotel Administration at the Cornell Hotel School in Ithaca, New York. After graduating and working in hotel management positions in Africa and Central America, she founded her own tourism management company, Cayuga Sustainable Hospitality, focusing exclusively on small, upscale, sustainable hotels and lodges in Central America.

Cayuga has been a pioneer in bringing professional management to small ecolodges and sustainable hotels traditionally managed by founder-owners. Andrea’s commitment to unite sustainable practices and programs forward in community development, conservation and education are deeply rooted in her past and helped focus her work as General Manager at Costa Rica's award winning Ecolodge Lapa Rios. Additionally, Andrea has been instrumental in founding the non-profit Equilibrium Foundation, with goals to fund and focus educational and biodiversity conservation programs where Cayuga Hotels operate.

Andrea was recently featured on Channel 7’s, Tips Para el Exito (Tips for Success). You can check out the video here. She is happily married and the mother of two beautiful boys, ages 3 ½ and 6 months. She balances her work and personal life by knowing what her priorities are: her family is always at the top of the list. Cayuga is her passion, although it’s not just her job that she’s passionate about but the people she works with as well, who she considers extended family and close friends. She is also mindful that taking time for herself (at least one hour a day!) to attend a yoga class or get a massage is key to maintaining balance as is spending time with friends and having fun!