At all of our resorts, nestled on the pristine shores of Elounda, we believe there’s no better designer than nature, and it’s our duty to respect it. In our world, sustainability is seamlessly woven into the fabric of our luxurious hideaways. You’ll find that being environmentally friendly and socially responsible aligns effortlessly with our commitment to creating sumptuous experiences.
For over two decades, we have upheld a steadfast commitment to environmental responsibility through regular street and seabed clean-ups near our hotels. These efforts bring together a diverse group, including hotel staff, management, ownership, guests, and local community members, reflecting a shared dedication to preserving our natural and urban environments.
Street clean-ups are conducted multiple times a year, often aligning with globally recognized environmental events such as World Earth Day, World Environment Day, Clean Up the World Day, and Blue Flag Day. These initiatives underscore our belief in the importance of collective action to foster a healthier, cleaner world.
Our commitment extends to the seas as well. On Clean-Up the Mediterranean Day and other occasions, teams of divers—comprising staff, guests, and local volunteers—work diligently to remove solid waste from the seabed, protecting marine ecosystems.
By embedding these practices into our ethos, we aim to inspire sustainable living and demonstrate the profound impact of community-driven environmental action.
In a bid to minimize waste and promote sustainability, we have introduced a large-scale composting initiative that recycles organic materials from our hotels’ expansive gardens and kitchens. Garden cuttings, clippings, debris, and kitchen waste such as peelings and leftovers, are processed through an innovative composting system. This system leverages earthworms and moisture to accelerate the decomposition of organic matter, producing nutrient-rich effluent water used as liquid fertilizer.
This facility is open to the public, and we warmly invite guests to take a guided tour to witness this process firsthand. Children, in particular, find the experience fascinating, offering a unique opportunity to nurture their understanding of sustainable practices from an early age.
Fostering environmental awareness in the next generation is a responsibility we embrace with purpose. Beyond the role of families and schools, businesses, particularly those embedded in local communities, must lead by example. This responsibility is especially crucial for us as we aim to hire locally and cultivate strong ties with the communities we serve.
To this end, we collaborate closely with local schools, hosting class visits to our facilities. These educational tours offer students a behind-the-scenes look at hotel operations and sustainable practices, from understanding the mechanics of wastewater treatment plants to hands-on lessons in recycling. The experience is designed not only to educate but to engage and inspire, ensuring that learning about environmental care is both informative and enjoyable.
Energy conservation and renewable energy production are cornerstone principles in sustainable building and infrastructure design. Our strategy encompasses a comprehensive range of measures aimed at reducing energy consumption and enhancing energy independence.
Over the past two decades, we have undertaken extensive upgrades to improve building efficiency, starting with structural elements such as insulation, walls, and windows. These enhancements include polyurethane coat insulation, double glazing, and advanced drywall systems. Once structural improvements were addressed, attention turned to mechanical and electrical systems, where we implemented Class A+ air conditioners, transitioned to energy-efficient LED and fluorescent lighting, and introduced heat recovery systems that capture and repurpose heat from cooling units to supply hot water for bathrooms and kitchens.
For energy production, our hotels rely on two primary techniques: active closed-circuit solar panel fields installed on rooftops and parking areas, and thermal energy generated through seawater heat pumps. Both methods feed thermal energy into central storage vessels, managed by an electronic system that distributes it to water circuits and heated swimming pools via heat exchangers.
Plenty, as it turns out. On an individual level, there are meaningful changes we can make; as businesses and organizations, the possibilities expand further; and on a global scale, the potential for collective impact is boundless. Yet, environmental protection is ultimately about humanity itself, not simply “saving the planet.” It is our quality of life, our cultural and civilizational achievements, and ultimately our survival as a species that are at stake. After all, Earth has endured five billion years of upheavals and will outlast us—perhaps even thrive without human interference.
Environmental stewardship operates on multiple levels. Locally, it involves maintaining aesthetic harmony through effective waste management and respect for cultural heritage. Regionally, it encompasses safeguarding ecosystems and endangered species. Globally, the task is more complex: mitigating the spread of harmful chemicals and reversing the climate crisis brought on by greenhouse gases.
At our hotels, sustainability is at the heart of our operations. Guests are invited to participate by opting out of daily linen changes, conserving vital resources. Our beaches have proudly flown the prestigious Blue Flag for years, signifying not only the pristine quality of our waters but our commitment to strict environmental standards. These include rigorous cleanliness protocols, accessible facilities for individuals with special needs, and active education programs for staff and the local community. Recycling is second nature to us, encompassing paper, glass, plastic, and batteries, while we regularly host environmental seminars and welcome local schools and youth groups to raise awareness among future generations.
Beyond the visible efforts, our work extends to less immediately apparent but equally vital measures. Our state-of-the-art wastewater treatment plant ensures that all water used across our hotels is recycled and returned to the environment in its purest form, nourishing our gardens through efficient irrigation systems. Our water, sourced entirely through advanced seawater desalination, is not drawn from local communities, ensuring we leave no impact on regional supplies. Remarkably, this process is achieved with an energy efficiency of just 3 kilowatt-hours per cubic meter, enabling us to deliver water at a fraction of conventional costs. Similarly, private swimming pools use seawater treated via electro-chlorination, reducing the reliance on conventional disinfection methods.
Energy conservation and renewable production are central to our ethos. Innovative systems recover and repurpose energy: heat extracted from air-conditioning is channeled into providing hot water, while over 1,500m² of rooftop solar panels contribute to heating and plumbing needs. Since 2008, we have further embraced cutting-edge geothermal technology, utilizing the sea for cooling and heating to dramatically reduce our reliance on fossil fuels and curb emissions that drive climate change.
These efforts exemplify our deep commitment to sustainability, and we take pride in sharing the outcomes of our initiatives with you. Together, we can foster a future that not only protects but enhances the environment for generations to come.
Effective recycling begins with sorting at the source. Proper separation of materials before collection is essential for ensuring they are processed and handled correctly. To this end, we collaborate with a network of certified contractors who manage a wide variety of materials safely and efficiently. Each step of the process is meticulously tracked, with detailed records maintained and reported to the Ministry for the Environment through a nationwide waste management platform (wrm.ypeka.gr).
Achieving successful source separation hinges on education and training. Our comprehensive program includes numerous staff seminars designed not only to raise awareness but also to equip participants with the knowledge needed to identify and manage different types of waste. Moving towards a zero-waste, circular economy demands nothing less than a fundamental change in mindset and behavior.
Among the materials we recycle are:
PET (e.g., bottles): Transformed into clothing and accessories (shop.circularindependence.com).
PP (e.g., caps, containers): Recycled into raw materials (plastikakritis.com).
PPR (e.g., containers): Converted into furniture (bluecycle.com).
PS (e.g., thermal containers): Processed into raw materials (ergatex.gr).
These initiatives demonstrate our unwavering commitment to a sustainable future. By combining innovation with accountability, we hope to inspire broader action towards a waste-free world.
In a region as arid as Elounda, water conservation is not just a priority—it is a necessity. Balancing the needs of tourism with those of local communities and other economic activities is critical to preserving the area’s delicate equilibrium. Recognizing this, our company has long embraced innovative water-saving practices, well before such measures became common.
In the decades leading up to the year 2000, we demonstrated prudence by relying on water from the local network sparingly, implementing low-consumption taps, dual-flush cisterns, drip irrigation systems, and subsurface watering for lawns. These early measures formed the foundation of our water-conscious ethos, which we have continued to build upon with cutting-edge technologies.
Since the early 2000s, we have transitioned away from dependence on the local water supply by introducing advanced seawater desalination systems. These units, with energy recovery rates exceeding 85%, now meet all our water needs, ensuring minimal environmental impact while eliminating reliance on community resources.
Integral to this strategy is our state-of-the-art wastewater treatment facility. From the very beginning, we established a system to process wastewater and reuse it for irrigation. Over the years, this facility has undergone significant upgrades, culminating in the construction of a visitor-friendly, continuous-aeration plant in 2002. Employing advanced filtration and disinfection technologies, this facility produces water of a quality so refined it rivals potable standards. The original wastewater plant was repurposed as a storage tank, enabling the efficient use of treated water for irrigation exclusively during nighttime hours, thereby reducing evaporation and further conserving resources.
Through this combination of technologies, our hotels operate without placing any demand on the local community’s water or sewage infrastructure. By safeguarding Elounda’s most precious resource, we are proud to contribute to a sustainable future for our region.
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TENNIS
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VALENCIA SOCCER SCHOOL CAMP
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IL BORRO TUSCAN BISTRO
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AEGEAN CONFERENCE CENTER
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