Inaugural Certifications Awarded to Hilton Labriz and Hilton Northolme in the Seychelles

Green Globe recently certified both the Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa and its sister property, the Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES, February 13, 2020 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa and Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa and are the first Hilton hotels in the AIO region to be certified by Green Globe. Each property has already embraced sustainable best practices that will benefit economic activity and the wider community.

Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa

Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort & Spa is the only resort on Silhouette Island, the third largest island in the Seychelles. The eco-friendly resort is a secluded haven, surrounded by a National Park and nestled in lush mountains.

Andre Borg, General Manager at the resort said, “On behalf of the team and myself, we are very proud to receive our inaugural Green Globe Certification. Silhouette Island has something very special; the culture, the history, a certain spirituality - the sound of the sea and the forest that gives you an internal peace. It is our responsibility to maintain this for future generations to experience.”

In January, Hilton Labriz was awarded the prestigious Eco-Friendly Enterprise of the Year at the 8th Seychelles Chamber of Commerce & Industry (SCCI) Business Awards ceremony. The resort was also announced as Africa and Indian Ocean’s winner of the Hilton Driving Value initiative, which focuses on reducing energy and water consumption while maintaining the best quality of service for guests and team members.

In line with its Sustainability Management Plan, the resort has its own water bottling plant on Mont Dauban, the highest peak on Silhouette Island. The natural water is filtered and dispensed in reusable glass bottles and also delivered to the Hilton Northolme and another sister property. In 2019, 300 000 glass bottles were produced, reducing plastic bottle usage by 250 000.

Hydro Power and a Wind Turbines are in use on the island with a power generation capacity of at least 13,490 kWh and 18,396 kWh per year respectively. Energy saving measures include room management systems that automatically shut power off if doors are left open for more than 30 minutes, LED lighting and occupancy sensors in back of house and office areas. Water reduction devices include low flow water aerators and showers in bathrooms. Water and energy usage are monitored through Lightstay, an online tool implemented at all Hilton Hotels that manage and report a hotel’s environmental and social impacts.

To foster a self-sustaining food source, an onsite aquaponic organic garden has been established on the island. Vegetables clean the water that are eaten by fish and in return, the plants are fertilized by nitrogen contained in excrement produced by the aquatic animals.

Regional economic activity is boosted by inhouse hospitality training offered to young people. Hotel Labriz has partnered with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Tourism to provide practical training for high school students. The students are placed in different resort departments to acquire knowledge that will lead to future employment opportunities.

Hilton Northolme Resort & Spa

Surrounded by white-sand beaches, tropical gardens and crystal waters in Mahe, the Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa is a true escape. Villas are perched on stilts, providing gorgeous views and plenty of privacy.

On receiving Green Globe Certification for the first time, Daniele Fabbri, General Manager at the Hilton Northolme said, “Sustainability is a lifestyle, a conscious approach to our daily routine. The commitment we put into being more sustainable will impact our children’s future, and the start of a new era. Our responsibility is not only to behave in a certain way towards the ecosystem, our responsibility is to generate awareness, to gain commitment and to show the results in order to change people’s minds. Our responsibility is to be responsible.”

Hilton Northolme’s location is one of the most peaceful and biodiverse places in the world, which makes it both a necessity and a duty to preserve the environment. The property’s motto to “Protect-Restore-Recycle” entails that environmental initiatives are at the forefront of its sustainability vision. To minimize impacts, since January 2018, the Hilton Seychelles group of hotels has reduced waste volume by 370 000 plastic bottles which equates to 7400 kgs of plastic. Long before the Seychelles single-use plastic ban was introduced, Hilton Northolme was already using only bamboo, paper and metal straws. In addition, Hilton Northolme is one of the only hotels in the Seychelles to use solar panels for hot water in all villas and the spa.

Marine conservation is another important priority. Since May 2018, 250 corals have been adopted onsite and online by guests as part of the Coral Reef Restoration project. Furthermore, working in collaboration with the University of Seychelles, the resort has established a Sustainable Day that is held each month. Activities include snorkeling tours of the Coral Nursery and beach clean ups while events such as Hotel & Villa Earth Hour coincide with annual global sustainability celebrations.

Hilton Northolme is committed to sourcing fresh local produce and grows many vegetable and spices in its own onsite organic garden. There are plans to incorporate more permaculture practices and methods within the garden this year. Other 2020 projects are already in the works. This month, a Seychelles Eco-friendly Marathon is to be held and later in the year, the resort will be a main sponsor of a group beach clean-up, one of their Ocean Projects designed to raise awareness amongst guests and in the community. A new sunscreen policy will also be highlighted to sensitize people about the impact of sunscreen runoff on corals.

About Green Globe Certification
Green Globe 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 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

Contact

Duncan Bond
Operations Manager
Hilton Seychelles Northolme Resort & Spa
Glacis, Victoria,
PO Box 333 – Mahé,
SEYCHELLES
P: +248 429 9000
E: duncan.bond@hilton.com
W: hilton.com

Thomas Porter
Hilton Seychelles Labriz Resort and Spa
Operations Manager
Silhouette Island
PO BOX 69
Mahe
SEYCHELLES
P: +2482066662
E: Thomas.Porter@Hilton.com
W: hilton.com

Bradley Cox
Green Globe
+1 310-337-3000
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