At the Harmony Hotel, we have worked diligently to incorporate the standards set forth by the Certificate for Sustainable Tourism (CST) into our operations. This rig­orous certification system, adminis­tered by the Costa Rican ministry of tourism, awards hotels with a sus­tainability rating of “leaves” based on a scale of one to five that is similar to the Mobile Star evaluation of hotel services.

The CST bases its judgments on four factors:
1. Biological-Physical: How does the property impact and protect its surrounding environment?

2. Services and Infrastructure: How do the property’s operations af­fect the environment?

3. Social-Economic Environment: What effect does the property have on nearby communities, including staff and community education as well as working with community service pro­viders?

4. External Client: How does the property promote and teach respon­sible tourism with guests?

People frequently ask us why is it necessary for the Harmony Hotel to be “certified” as a green hotel when we are already implementing a num­ber of sustainability practices. We have found that, in a climate where “green-washing” has exploded as a marketing ploy, it is an important part of our mission to identify the Harmo­ny Hotel as genuine in its passionate commitment to the environment and local community throughout every level of its operations. In doing so, we can help travelers to create an itiner­ary that is truly aligned with their eco­logical interests and concerns.

The CST is not currently mandatory for all properties in Costa Rica, which makes it even more imperative that the consumer chooses from CST cer­tified properties. By doing so, they will support fair, honest and, above all, truly sustainable business practices.

For more information on our sus­tainability efforts, please see Recep­tion regarding our free guided Sus­tainability Tour or contact us at here.