PLAYA GUIONES, COSTA RICA—In a country so well known for its ecotourism and renewable energy leadership positions, it should come as no surprise that one of its hotels has earned the rare LEED Platinum certification. That is what happened this summer at the Olas Verdes Hotel in Playa Guiones, Costa Rica. Luis Pardo, General Manager of the boutique hotel with five casitas, said the property is the first surf hotel in the world and the first hotel in Costa Rica to reach the LEED Platinum level.
The Olas Verdes Hotel opened last December, Pardo says. “The owners wanted to have the least impact,” he says. “They wanted to have the community involved and everyone here local.”
Efficiency was built into the property’s five casitas which each have from two to four suites. Water fixtures are low-flow. All wastewater is treated and is 96 percent clean when it enters the ground. Greywater is used for irrigation and to flush some toilets. A total of 14,000 liters of rainwater storage is available. The plants are all native.
“It is not easy to recycle,” Pardo says. “There are not many recycling centers. Our town has one. We separate everything and compost. All cooking oil goes to a special company. Food leftovers go to pig farms.” To help minimize waste, cleaning and bathroom products are refilled by vendors. Refillable water bottles are offered to guests.
All Food is Local
At the locally owned restaurant and bar, El Manglar, all food is local and most is organic. The hotel has its own orchard. The restaurant is run by two women who previously worked at the Olas Verdes Hotel.
A local architect utilized passive solar design to minimize the hotel’s energy loads as much as possible. Natural ventilation, shading, large fans and spatial orientation keep guests cool while efficient lighting and appliances help keep guests comfortable. Solar systems heat all of the hotel’s water and meet about 20 percent of the hotel’s energy demand. The hotel’s pool is salt water.
“The decorations are from craftspeople in Costa Rica,” Pardo says. Beds were made locally and bathroom countertops include recycled glass. Local artists painted murals.
Olas Verdes Hotel is located next to a wildlife reserve created to protect sea turtles. Special care was taken to preserve as many plants and trees as possible during construction. Guests take a path down to the beach as there is not a direct view of the ocean from the hotel. Pardo says that most of the time one can see monkeys on property.
The hotel employs 13 and Pardo says eight or nine are employed in the hotel’s restaurant.
“Business has been incredibly good,” he says. The local airport has seen its visitor count grow by 20 percent this year.
Go to the Olas Verdes Hotel.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
