“In one of our properties, there’s an organization that rescues sloths if they’ve fallen or gotten electrocuted or have been hurt in some way,” Pfister says.“They’ve chosen our hotel to set those sloths free because they know we won’t mistreat them, we’ll take care of them, and then they can adapt back to wildlife.” EMPOWERING LOCAL COMMUNITIES For the Cayuga Collection, environmental restoration goes hand-in-hand with social responsibility. With approximately 400 employees across their properties, they’ve created a significant economic impact in the rural communities where they operate. “Our philosophy is to work only with local employees, and that includes management positions, chefs— it’s not only the gardeners and the maids who are local, but everybody,” Pfister emphasizes. “It’s really powerful because when employees see that their bosses are locals, it drives them to say,‘That person is the general manager, and they grew up in the same town that I did, so I have an opportunity.’” This localized employment approach creates meaningful career pathways. “We’ve seen a young woman at 18 coming in as a receptionist and 10 years later becoming general manager of one of the hotels,” Pfister says.“Or construction people who worked building the hotel, stayed on and worked their way up through bellboy, reception, into operations management. Or a gardener who’s now operations manager.” Beyond employment, the Cayuga Collection nurtures entrepreneurship. Pfister proudly shares success stories: “Take Gerardo, for example. He started with us as a sustainability manager, passionate about the environment. Today, he has planted 70,000 native trees along the Pacific coast, helping to restore ecosystems one sapling at a time.” Another employee transformed a simple idea into a thriving business: “He began his journey with us as a gardener. He had a brilliant idea, and today he runs his own business selling bamboo straws to hotels across the region, including ours.” Perhaps most touching is their employee family program. “We invite our employees to experience 45 BUSINESS VIEW CARIBBEAN VOLUME 12, ISSUE 03 CAYUGA COLLECTION
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