3 Rivers Lodge and Sunscape Casa del Mar Named 2005 CHA/AMEX Caribbean Green Hotels of the Year

3 Rivers Lodge & Sunscape Casa del Mar Honored at CHA Conference

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. October 14, 2008

For Immediate Release

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - Dominica's 3 Rivers Lodge and Dominican Republic's Sunscape Casa del Mar, were named the 2005 Caribbean Green Hotels of the Year in the annual competition co-sponsored by American Express and the Caribbean Hotel Association (CHA).

The award winners announced at the recent CHA conference in Miami, obtained the highest combined scores, based on their performance in the following five criteria: Environmental Management & Stewardship, Infrastructure, Awareness, Conservation, and Health & Safety.

"Being environmentally conscious is not only important to the community, but it also makes good business sense," says Dee Rodriguez, Vice President Establishment Services, American Express Latin America and Caribbean Division. "We congratulate the award winners for their enlightened environmental practices which are truly a model for the region."

The 3 Rivers Lodge, winner in the Small Hotel Category, is located in Green Globe-certified and renowned ecotourism destination Dominica.

The sun powers the entire property. Even the water supply is pumped from the river using a solar powered pump, which works in silence to avoid disturbing the surrounding natural habitats. The hotel composts all kitchen and garden waste, and uses that compost to grow as much organic food as possible without the use of chemicals or fertilizers. A truly original invention is the modification of a pick up truck that has been retrofitted to run on used vegetable oil as well as diesel fuel.

The hotel offers a number of local community based activities for the visitors' enjoyment, which, at the same time, help many native people earn money to provide for their families. Some of them include:

-- Learning traditional farming methods

-- A day at an organic herb farm, discovering traditional herbal medicines & remedies, and tasting various bush teas.

-- Coffee and cocoa preparing and roasting

-- Visits to the local village primary school

"Environmental issues concern not just the air we breathe and the water we drink; they also concern our obligation to each other, and to future generations to protect our planet," said CHA President, Berthia Parle, MBE. "In the Caribbean hospitality industry, businesses that utilize the most solid social and environmental practices benefit communities and save not only our environment, but our heritage as well."

Sunscape Casa del Mar, winner in the Large Hotel Category, has an Environmental Management System that is used to set targets and monitor progress on the property's environmental impact, conservation of water and energy resources, and improvement of the property's image among the community. The new management set out to excavate and reforest to facilitate the survival of the springs, also bringing in indigenous fish that keep the waterways clean.

The water from outdoor showers drain into these natural pond areas that have been reclaimed and maintained with the use of a circulation fountain. Lawns and gardens are also watered with recycled gray water that is treated on-site and passed into a holding tank with live fish - a sign that the water is safe for use.

Energy consumption is controlled thanks to the design of all public spaces in such a way that air conditioning is not needed and natural light filters in to illuminate the areas. In addition, solar panels heat the jacuzzis, photo cells power the pathway lights, and key cards in the guest rooms automatically turn the electricity on and off when the guest enters or leaves the room. The hotel has connected the town's sewage to the hotel's sewage treatment plant, ending the days when the community's black water would drain out to sea.

The awards program is made possible by the generous contributions of American Express, a Governing Council member of CAST since its inception. To learn more about the winners or for additional information on how to develop an environmental program, contact CAST, 787-725-9139; E-mail: [email protected].

Contact:

Lorraine Ortiz

[email protected]

Delphine Rosario

[email protected]

Tel 787 725 9139

Fax 787 725 9108