The Cayuga Collection

11 BUSINESS VIEW MAGAZINE VOLUME 9, ISSUE 11 On-site carpenter at Isla Palenque building the island’s furniture with fallen-tree wood PREFERRED VENDORS/PARTNERS n Bionest www.bionestcr.com n AquaEco Solutions www.aquaecosolutions.com and boosting overall employee retention.” The second piece of the company’s sustainability puzzle is a focus on local sourcing. “We strongly focus on everything related to the local, including local employment, local architecture, local design, local ingredients, and local beverages wherever possible. We try to keep things as local as possible while continuing to ensure our sustainability efforts revolve around local communities.” The company’s local focus includes utilizing local building materials, architectural influences, and the prevailing design sense. “Sometimes you go to a boutique hotel here in Central America, and you’re greeted by doors from Morocco and Buddha statues from Bali. Although this practice is fashionable, you won’t find that at a Cayuga property. We try to use local materials and focus on local design aesthetics. The same goes for our furniture and fittings. Some of our properties produce furniture from fallen trees on the island.” “In other cases, we’ve repurposed old buildings to become a Caribbean-style hotel, providing an authentic experience that guests enjoy.” These sustainability efforts align well with the company’s focus on outward-facing activities that allow guests to interact with the environment and local communities. “Our guides take guests out on nature walks and hikes,” Hans says. “These excursions can focus on birds, national parks, night walks, hiking, or