Corporate Social Responsibility

Local workers, suppliers and products: The Reserve gives preference to local workers, producers and suppliers.

Recycling and reusing: The Reserve recycles and reutilizes paper, plastic containers, steel cables, linen, oils, etc.. We support the municipality’s collection center for recycling.

Plastics: The Reserve does not use single use plastic bags or straws. It chooses products considering the package or container to insure minimal environmental impact.

Semillas de Ajachel (Ajachel Seeds): together with other hotels, the Reserve supports an environmental education and outdoors program for children in public primary schools in the area.

Breeding of butterflies: The Reserve trains women and the young to breed butterflies at home. The chrysalides are bought by the Reserve. This insures the presence of host plants and biodiversity in the communities while providing a source of income for families.

Native species tree nursery: The Reserve has a native species tree nursery jointly managed with the Lake Authority (AMSCLAE) to reforest the watershed.

Reforestation: in the San Buenaventura Valley, the Reserve has planted upwards of 150 thousand native trees to create refuge and feeding areas for local fauna. We also make sustainable use of timber.

Forest Protection: The Reserve supports the Volunteer Firemen of San Jorge La Laguna, providing equipment and other resources, and jointly control forest fires in the San Buenaventura Valley.

Generate economic benefits: The reserve provides reliable sources of income for local families (guides, rangers, maintenance, hotel, kitchen and reception jobs) with good working conditions, fair pay and all the benefits of the law.

Sustainability Policy

General Sustainability Policy: At the Reserve, in all our operations, we support sustainable tourism regarding the environment, and our social, cultural and economic heritage.

General Environmental Policy: At the Reserve, we take the necessary steps to insure efficient use and savings in water, electricity and fuels. We provide proper handling of solid and liquid waste and minimize emission gases and strong odors. We actively protect the watershed ecosystems and conserve the wild areas and the biodiversity of the region.

General Socio-cultural Policy: At the Reserve, we support planning, implementation and promotion of local development activities, including educational, environmental, sporting, artistic and charitable activities. We respect the intellectual property of the local and neighboring communities and protect their cultural heritage. We take specific measures to reconcile work, family and personal lives of our employees.

General Policy Against Sexual Exploitation of Children and Adolescents: At the Reserve, we do not allow actions that support or promote commercial or sexual exploitation of girls, boys or teenagers.

General policy for the protection of the cultural and historic heritage: At the Reserve, we insure the protection of the cultural and historic heritage by observing the laws, norms and regulations, using a design respectful of the landscape and, at an appropriate scale, and by conveying information and respect regarding local peoples and cultures. We promote tourist visitation to places of culture, artistic, archeological and historic interest, we support the conservation of the cultural heritage, respect intellectual property rights and the interpretation of the natural surroundings following appropriate conduct codes.

Policy for the conservation of the cultural heritage: At the Reserve, we comply with the Guatemalan legislation regarding respect for the diversity of cultures of the communities, while we value and promote their expressions including local traditions and culture.

General Policy for the Conservation of Biodiversity: At the Reserve, we ensure the conservation plants and animal biodiversity of the Atitlán watershed, we promote environmental education, reforest and actively promote the conservation of key habitats.

General Policy for Saving Electrical Energy and Fuels: We constantly measure the consumption of electricity, we have written plans and adopt concrete measures to use of natural lighting and heating. We use devices and equipment designed for efficient consumption of energy, minimizing the loss of heat or cold in specific areas and equipment. We have procedures to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases.

Policy of No Air, Soil or Water Pollution: We ensure the protection of the environment through a wide range of initiatives designed to prevent pollution of air, soil and water.