Responsible Nanuku Auberge Resort’s ‘Planet Auberge’ initiative an ongoing success
28 January 2018. Pacific Harbour, Fiji – An integral part of the internationally-spread Auberge Resorts Collection’s commitment to responsible tourism, Nanuku Auberge Resort’s ‘Planet Auberge’ concept, successfully launched into Fiji in mid-2017, continues to prove a major success with the resort’s guests, staff and local people alike.
In a nutshell, the ‘Planet Auberge’ program extends from the way the company builds, operates and maintains its 10 resort properties around the world to targeted initiatives focused on minimising the properties’ ecological footprints, improving their surrounding environments and communities while at the same time enhancing guest experiences.
And the Nanuku Auberge Resort staff, joined by a very enthusiastic GM, Sascha Hemmann have been implementing the program with gusto.
In recent months, the staff, led by on-resort Fijian marine scientist Kelly Dawn Bentley, who is regularly joined by guests, have implemented an environmental program focused on coral planting, reef conservation, Mangrove replanting and shore protection activity and also community outreach.
For day to day operations, the resort has introduced various methods to reduce its energy consumption including the installation of LED energy saver bulbs throughout the resort along with the distribution of solar lights around beach villas and surrounding gardens.
Steps have also been taken to reduce the resort’s environmental impact – from the recycling of all plastic bottles in the resort nursery, now used for mangrove seedlings, and the replacement of Styrofoam containers and plastic straws with eco-friendly, bio-degradable paper straws and bamboo pulp containers.
Locally-made refillable pump bottles have replaced all single use amenity bottles in the resort while bicycles have also replaced the use of motorised resort carts for guests throughout the resort. Flip top bottles too have introduced instead of plastic water bottles plus the guest room refrigerators now all feature water dispensers.
The ‘Planet Auberge’ initiative includes several environmental programs at the resort including two weekly programs which guests can take an active part in – coral and mangrove planting.
Coral planting is conducted on Nanuku reef making for a good snorkelling spot and a pristine habitat for ever-expanding numbers of marine life.
Mangrove planting is carried out in the resort nursery and transplanted to surrounding communities. Planting mangroves plays a key role in helping to sustain the fish populations in the area and to date Kelly Dawn and her team have transplanted 430 mangroves into nearby Culanuku Village while continuing to work with the community to set up its own mangrove nursery.
This is intended to provide community educational awareness and also encourage the recycling of bottles used throughout the village and surroundings. The resort has also offered to pay for mangrove seedlings grown in the village nursery providing a source of much-needed income for the community.
The resort’s most recent partnership is with ‘The Earth Care Agency’ and Ranadi Regenerative Organic Plantation in nearby Deuba allowing for the removal and composting of all Green Waste as well as paper waste.
In addition to all these environmentally-oriented programs, the ‘Planet Auberge’ initiative also focuses on community outreach.
This includes active involvement in villa clean-up activity, an adopt a beach’ program, helping local artisans sell their handicraft, encouraging guests to donate school supplies and educational materials for local schools and arranging guest visits.
Nanuku is also actively involved with several local charities including the nearby Dilkusha children’s home (orphanage) and assists the local Rheumatic Heart Disease Foundation with resort vouchers to assist with fund raising initiatives.
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About Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji
Heralding a new era for Fiji tourism and taking the destination’s luxury resort offering to levels previously unseen, Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji is the first all-villa boutique resort to be built on the main island of Viti Levu. Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji’s location in the heart of the Pacific Coast, aka ‘Fiji’s Adventure Capital’ presents guests with access to myriad activities ranging from golf, zip lining, white water rafting, Waterfall Terra Treking, world-class surfing and cage-less bull shark diving. Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji is the proud recipient of a TripAdvisor ‘Certificate of Excellence’ and a ‘Fiji Excellence in Tourism’ Award and in 2017 was named as one of the top 20 best resorts in the Australia and South Pacific region in the prestigious Condé Nast Traveler 30th annual Readers’ Choice Awards. The resort is currently expanding its accommodation offering with the addition of 13 new luxury one and two-bedroom Auberge Beach Villas which when complete and ready for guests this year will further cement Nanuku Auberge Resort’s position and its overall product delivery in place at the very top of the Fiji luxury resort listings.
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About Auberge Resorts Collection
Auberge Resorts Collection owns and operates a portfolio of exceptional hotels, resorts, residences and private clubs. While Auberge nurtures the individuality of each property, all share a crafted approach to luxury that is expressed through captivating design, exceptional cuisine and spas, and gracious yet unobtrusive service. Properties in the Auberge Resorts Collection include: Auberge du Soleil, Calistoga Ranch and Solage, Napa Valley, Calif.; Esperanza, Cabo San Lucas, Mexico; Chileno Bay Resort & Residences, Los Cabos, Mexico; Hotel Jerome, Aspen, Colo.; Malliouhana, Anguilla; Nanuku Auberge Resort, Pacific Harbour, Fiji; Madeline Resort & Residences and Element 52, Telluride, Colo.; Mukul Resort, Guacalito, Nicaragua; Hacienda AltaGracia, Peres Zeledon, Costa Rica; and Auberge Beach Residences and Spa Fort Lauderdale, Bishop’s Lodge, Sante Fe, New Mexico, and The Lodge at Blue Sky,
Utah (opening 2018) with several others in development. For more information about Auberge Resorts Collection, please visit http://www.aubergeresorts.com. Follow Auberge Resorts Collection on Facebook at facebook.com/AubergeResorts and on Twitter and Instagram at @AubergeResorts.
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Released on behalf of Nanuku Auberge Resort Fiji
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