The Verdanza Hotel is committed to Environmentally Responsible Business Practices Leveraging preventive maintenance and replacement of light bulbs, showerheads and sink faucets with more efficient technologies, the Verdanza Hotel realized a reduction of almost 50% in its water and energy consumption for our San Juan, Puerto Rico property. Light-emitting diode (LED) fixtures have been installed in all common areas, and window treatments in guestrooms are kept closed during the day to help maintain a pleasant temperature in the rooms and cut down on the energy used to cool them during the warmer daytime hours. |
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Two water tanks collect rainwater, which filtered then supplies the water for the Spray Park. This is an effective and low-cost way of reducing demand on our local water supplies. The Verdanza Hotel kitchen houses a 250-gallon holding tank for used vegetable oil, which is recovered by a local company and repurposed as bio-diesel. This means thousands of gallons of used fats are prevented from contaminating landfills or polluting Puerto Rico's waterways. |
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Two adjustments in the kitchen and the housekeeping department make a difference in the volume of garbage destined for Puerto Rico’s landfills – disposable dishes and cutlery used in the pool area have been replaced by reusable wares, while paper towels were substituted with micro-fiber cloths. Empty toner cartridges are no longer thrown away. They are collected by a re-manufacturer who cleans them, inspects them for quality, and refills them with ink to be reused. Further, we have introduced into the suiting of our personnel at the Verdanza Hotel a line of uniforms made out of 100% recycled polyester produced entirely from post consumer waste. Each of the uniform pieces is made out of approximately 25 recycled 2-liter plastic bottles. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), apparel made from recycled material uses 66% less energy compared to the manufacturing of polyester fiber, and the process reduces water usage by 90%. Future initiatives at the Verdanza Hotel in San Juan, Puerto Rico include a second system to harvest rainwater to be used for watering the property’s grounds and the installation of LED fixtures in all guestrooms. An important component in the success of our efforts is the engagement of our guests, who receive a collection of bathroom accessories that are free of sulfates, parabens, phthalates, petrol-derived ingredients and other hazardous materials. The hotel also ensures that none of their products are tested on animals. Guests at the Verdanza Hotel are actively encouraged to reuse bed linens and towels. Likewise, guests are urged to return their plastic keycards upon checkout, so that they may be reprogrammed and reused rather than discarded. |
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Our people, our community Verdanza Hotel enjoys a diversified supplier network of mutually-beneficial business relationships with a number of small, minority and women-owned businesses locally. We take pride in serving only premium coffee grown locally in Puerto Rico’s Central Mountain Range, where the tropical climate tempered by trade winds and generous rain makes it one of the great natural coffee growing regions of the world. By serving Puerto Rican coffee, our guests can experience the distinctive taste and aroma of our island brew. |
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Nothing reflects a country’s cultural heritage better than art, whether by artists formally trained in art schools or self-taught amateurs. At the Verdanza hotel’s sundry and gift shop, we feature the handcrafted work of local artisans. Offerings range from modern jewelry made with recovered sea glass, to stylish leather goods, to striking contemporary acrylics and watercolors. By supporting the work of local artists we also give our Puerto Rico hotel guests the chance to acquire and enjoy at home genuine craftsmanship made by Puerto Rican hands. In addition, Verdanza Hotel hosts a bimonthly series of receptions entitled Art & Friends, a celebration of the arts which provides a platform for local artists to showcase their work. Art & Friends soirées are open to our Verdanza Hotel guests and the community around San Juan, Puerto Rico. |
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The Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Scholarship Foundation Meanwhile, the foundation to support the competitiveness of Puerto Rico’s tourism industry rests largely on the training and professional development of its most important asset, the people. Verdanza Hotel collaborates with culinary and tourism schools on the island by making available internship opportunities. The internships provide on-the-job experience for the students preparing to join the island’s hospitality workforce. |
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Verdanza Hotel is also a committed patron of the Puerto Rico Hotel & Tourism Scholarship Foundation, which offers financial aid to employees in the tourism industry who wish to pursue additional professional studies in Hotel Management or Culinary Arts. The services of this non-profit organization are supported largely by Puerto Rico’s hospitality industry and are accessible to Verdanza Hotel employees. |
