TROY, N.Y.—Audubon International—The environmentally focused nonprofit organization offering members numerous certifications and conservation initiatives to protect the areas where we all live, work, and play—announces that The St. Regis Bahia Beach, long a sustainability-driven luxury resort on Puerto Rico’s north shore, has achieved Green Lodging/Green Hospitality Platinum Certification.
“On an island blessed with such a rich and deep commitment to its environment, The St. Regis Bahia Beach has taken that commitment even further, indeed to the highest level of Green Lodging certification we offer,” says Christine Kane, CEO of Audubon International. “They are a strong partner and proof positive that when a major hotel chain leads its management and staff to new heights of stewardship, the results are powerful. Attaining this standard of sustainable best practices is truly forward-thinking business policy.”
Adds Anja Frankenbach, General Manager of The St. Regis Bahia Beach, “We are very proud of what we have achieved as a team in such a short time, and this recognition will further motivate us to create more initiatives and experiences towards sustainability for our guests, hosts and the community.”
Available to any lodging facility from inns and lodges to full-scale resorts such as The St. Regis, the Green Lodging Program provides third-party verification that audited lodging facilities have met environmental best practice standards and have demonstrated a strong commitment to making improvements. Through a comprehensive method for assessing the extent of the environmental measures undertaken, participating facilities can reduce environment-related costs and gain a marketing advantage. Areas of focus include Communication, Community, Waste & Materials, Water Conservation, Energy, and Chemicals & Air Quality. Properties must recertify every three years.
Golf Course Certified in 2008
The resort’s Green Lodging Platinum Certification follows in the footsteps of Bahia Beach Resort’s Robert Trent Jones Jr.-designed golf course, which achieved Audubon International ACSP for Golf Certification in 2008.
The St. Regis’s commitment to sustainability fits well with its unique setting in an ecosystem that is home to more than 240 species of flora and fauna, including tropical birds and leatherback turtles. Bahia Beach resort offers naturalist-guided bird-watching and kayaking tours.
To learn more about how your local golf course, community, lodging property, or resort can gain recognition for your environmental efforts, to learn how to expand your initiatives through Audubon International’s numerous environmental certifications, or to explore sponsorship options, visit www.auduboninternational.org or call toll free: 1-844-767-9051.
