Sustainable Business Magazine - Coyaba Beach Resort

COYABA BEACH RESORT

PROTECTING PARADISE SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS MAGAZINE

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INTERVIEW: COYABA BEACH RESORT

PROTECTING

PARADISE

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Sustainable Business Magazine speaks with Paul Lewis, Operations Manager at Coyaba Beach Resort, about working with nature, repeat customers, and investing in Grenada.

Coyaba Beach Resort is a resort with a difference. Situated on Grenada’s famous Grand Anse Beach, the Arawak-themed resort has 80 rooms, two restaurants, a swimup pool bar, tennis court, and lush five-and-ahalf-acre gardens showcasing iconic tropical plants like frangipani, hibiscus, bougainvillea, and the ubiquitous palm trees.

By Ciara Jack

“Coyaba was built in 1987,” explains Paul Lewis, Manager, Operations at Coyaba Beach Resort. “The resort is owned and managed by a Grenadian family, the Cherman family, and when we first opened our doors we started with 30 rooms and within one year we expanded to 40. We basically operated like that until 1995,

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INTERVIEW: COYABA BEACH RESORT

when we added another 30 rooms, so we went to 70.”

This steady progress was soon to be swept away by a terrible natural disaster.

“We went through Hurricane Ivan in 2004, which destroyed the entire property,” says Mr. Lewis. “But we picked up and rebuilt, and reopened in February of 2006 with 80 rooms. We’re located on Grand Anse Beach, so we’re furnished with a beautiful landscape, and we have the best gardens I believe on the island. That’s what the guests keep coming back for. About 67% of our guests are from the U.K., and we also have a lot of Americans, Europeans, and Caribbean guests. We are blessed with a wonderful team of staff, which are long-serving, and they have contributed greatly to the very

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INTERVIEW: COYABA BEACH RESORT

“WE HAVE SINCE MADE 40% ENERGY SAVINGS AFTER WE MADE THOSE CHANGES. WE ALSO NO LONGER USE PLASTIC BOTTLES AND STRAWS AT OUR BAR.”

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high rate of repeat customers we now enjoy. Almost 60% of our guests annually are repeat customers, and we enjoy an overall occupancy average of 80% to date annually.”

ISLAND LIFE With so much surrounding natural beauty, Coyaba Beach Resort’s management team is always conscious of the need to limit their impact on the environment. “We started our environmental program over 10 years ago, and we have initiated some programs and best practices to reduce our carbon footprint,” says Mr. Lewis. “Energy contributes the most. We recognized early on that our

air conditioning throughout the property costs about 60% of our energy bill.”

To begin with, Coyaba Beach Resort targeted this significant source of energy consumption. “We replaced all of our air conditioning units throughout the property with energy efficient inverter-type units,” says Mr. Lewis. “We also replaced all our lightbulbs with LED light bulbs. We also installed low-flow shower heads and faucets, low-flush toilets, and solar powered water heaters on the room blocks. We try also to educate our staff and heighten the awareness among our guests to help us conserve energy. For instance, guests are informed

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INTERVIEW: COYABA BEACH RESORT

“WE’RE IN THE PROCESS OF OBTAINING PROPOSALS FROM VARIOUS SUPPLIERS, SO THAT WE CAN GO SOLAR. AGAIN, THAT WILL REDUCE THE CARBON FOOTPRINT, AS WELL AS SIGNIFICANT SAVINGS IN OUR ELECTRICAL ENERGY BILLS.”

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on good housekeeping best practices, including recommended temperature levels, towel reuse program and also to switch off the AC unit when the room is not in use.

We have since realized 40% energy savings after we made those changes. We have also discontinued the use of plastic bottles, glasses and straws at our bars.”

LOCAL INVESTMENTS The vibrant fruit and vegetables and freshly-caught fish that ends up on Coyaba Beach Resort’s tables is also protected. “We support our local fisherfolks and farmers 100%,” says Mr. Lewis. “ All the fruits and vegetables used at the hotel are produced locally. Once you support the farmers, they support the economy as they spend more to get more produce.” The multiplier effect from this partnership and support is significant.

Coyaba Beach Resort also contributes to local good causes. “We have a very active charitable program, where we have adopted a care home, Father Hilarion Cheshire Home, supporting them financially,” says Mr. Lewis. “We also sponsor school children in various schools around the island. We have adopted two families in about nine schools throughout the island, and we support them financially and help them to go to school, particularly young kids in the rural areas. We can help them to get a meal so that they can go to school on a daily basis. We do a lot of donations and support to charitable groups who try to reach the community. We play an active role in making sure that we uphold our corporate responsibility in the nation.”

MAKING GOOD MEMORIES Next, Mr. Lewis hopes to see the resort continue their carbon footprint and resource reduction programs. Already, they have their sights on some functional changes. “We plan to replace our laundry equipment,”

says Mr. Lewis. “We’re getting some stateof-the-art commercial washing machines, which will have components attached to them to recycle the water.”

Coyaba Beach Resort also intends to make further investments in clean, renewable energy. “Another major initiative is to power up the resort by solar energy,” says Mr. Lewis. “We’re in the process of obtaining proposals from various suppliers, so that we can go solar. Again, that will reduce the carbon footprint, as well as significant savings in our electrical energy bills.”

In addition to eliminating single-use plastics, Coyaba Beach Resort intends to further invest in improvements to their waste management. “We are looking at a new waste management program,” says Mr. Lewis. “We want to try to reduce the amount of waste that goes to the landfill, so we’re going to reintroduce our composting program, and use the mulch to fertilize our lovely garden.”

“Almost 60% of our guests are repeat,” says Mr. Lewis. “What causes our guests to keep coming back to Coyaba is the care, warmth, and friendliness of our staff. Our guests leave here with very good memories.

I can assure you that the atmosphere we have created here as a team at Coyaba is one that will cause guests to want to keep coming back. Basically, going forward we want to keep providing our guests with the excellent service they are accustomed to.” c

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Coyaba Beach Resort, Grand Anse Beach Saint George’s, Grenada reservations@coyaba.com T. +1 473-444-4129 www.coyaba.com

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