Marriot Hotels reinforce their commitment to sustainability

The Fairfield by Marriott San Jose Airport Alajuela, the Courtyard by Marriott San Jose Airport Alajuela, the Residence Inn by Marriott San Jose Escazú and the AC Hotels by Marriott San Jose Escazú, part of the Marriott International portfolio and owned by Caribe Hospitality, recently obtained the most relevant international certification in Energy Management Systems, ISO 50001. In this way, they became the first hotels in the Greater Metropolitan Area of ​​Costa Rica to have said recognition.

The ISO 50001 certification supports the actions of properties aimed at energy performance, reduction of CO2 emissions and, in turn, savings on energy bills and commitment to the environment.

In this way, the hotels reaffirm their commitment to initiatives in favor of the environment and the communities in which they operate, aligned with the Serve360 program of Marriott International.

According to the Travel Trends in Latin America and the Caribbean survey, recently published by Marriott International, 73% of travelers consider sustainability an important factor when embarking on a new adventure.

“We have a strong commitment to making efficient use of water resources and energy, as well as to properly manage the waste generated after the operation. These efforts have resulted in obtaining different certifications,” said Diana De Rojas, general manager of Fairfield by Marriott San Jose Airport Alajuela and Courtyard by Marriott San Jose Airport Alajuela.

"It has been possible to create an organizational culture oriented towards sustainability, where not only environmental performance is positively impacted, but also the communities where the hotels operate, their guests, partners, associates and neighbors," added Ismael Morales, manager Overview of Residence Inn by Marriott San Jose Escazú and AC Hotels by Marriott San Jose Escazú.

In addition to ISO 50001, the hotels have other important certifications. For example, the Fairfield by Marriott San Jose Airport Alajuela and the Courtyard by Marriott San Jose Airport Alajuela have LEED Gold and LEED Silver certifications, respectively, awarded to green buildings, which improve the quality of life in the community by reducing emissions carbon.

The hotels also have the highest category of the Certification for Tourism Sustainability granted by the Costa Rican Tourism Institute, the Ecological Blue Flag award in the Climate Change category, the Sanitary Quality Seal, which certifies that the water available for consumption The Human Rights of the Hotels complies with all quality standards at the country level, and the Code of Conduct, which protects the human rights of children in the country, in matters of human trafficking.

In general, the certification processes have involved the continuous training of personnel, the change of old technologies for more efficient ones, improvements in the operational process and continuous monitoring of the consumption of water, electricity, fuel, carbon footprint, as well as the generation of waste and recovered material for its recovery.

Also, the properties carry out a volunteer program and public-private alliances with government entities, NGOs and organizations that work to rescue Costa Rican culture and traditions, support indigenous populations, the LGTBIQ+ community, entrepreneurs, children and women in social vulnerability. They also participate in hotel training programs for people with disabilities, river and community cleaning days, tree planting, among others.