Sani Resort Receives Best Sustainable Hotel Award in the Marie Claire Sustainability Awards 2021
Sani Resort, Greece, is delighted to announce its success at Marie Claire’s first ever Sustainability Awards, awarded as Best Sustainable Hotel in the Travel and Leisure category. The award highlights Sani Resort’s position as a world leading sustainable destination. Set in a 1,000-acre eco-reserve, with 7km of sandy beaches, over 20km of forest trails and 270-acres of wetlands to explore, Sani Resort retains its devotion and ongoing commitment to delivering excellence and leading the way in luxury family travel, as well as preserving its unique natural surroundings though the Sani Green programme and the ambitious Zero Carbon Footprint project and triple zero goal (to achieve zero carbon, zero plastic and zero waste).
Sani Resort’s sustainable Sani Green programme aims to preserve the natural surroundings and support local communities and is now even stronger with the launch of the Zero Carbon Footprint project last year. Sani is committed to contributing to the fight against climate change, with the aim to mitigate emissions, increase renewable energy use and balance out remaining emissions. In 2020, Sani Resort successfully became the first carbon neutral resort in Greece, balancing its net emissions to zero, while the resort has been running on 100% renewable electricity since 2019. The key initiatives of Sani Green are supported by a well-defined set of policies and measurable targets, all in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Half a century of respecting nature has crafted Sani Resort into the ultimate sustainable destination, and Sani’s commitment to change and improvement has been proven by ongoing achievements and milestones.
Group Director of Sustainability and CSR for Sani Resort, Eleni Andreadis, expands: “We are thrilled to have been awarded the best sustainable hotel in the travel and leisure category. Despite Covid, in 2020 we really doubled down on our sustainability efforts. 2020 was our first carbon neutral year and was part of our Zero Carbon footprint project. We’re now powered by 100% renewable energy for our electricity.
“Other achievements of the dedicated Sani Green programme include reducing water use in the last five years by 48%, reducing single use plastic by 80% since 2013, as well as recycling rates of over 90% of recyclables.
A big focus for the Sani Green programme is helping and supporting the local biodiversity and community, such as sourcing local produce, or helping over 35 organisations and charities, like renovating hostels for unaccompanied Syrian refugee children or donating equipment to create a paediatric trauma wing in our local hospital. Looking into the future, we’re very excited about our triple zero goal, which is our goal to be net zero by 2030, as well as zero plastic and zero waste by 2024.
As we work towards our triple zero goal and our other ESG goals, it really means so much to us to be recognised for our work by such a renowned brand as Marie Claire, and we’d really like to thank you all here from Sani Resort for this great honour that gives us even further motivation to continue. Thank you so much.”
Nominees are judged on innovation and distinctiveness in the market, environmental commendations, sustainability methods and practices such as materials, supply chain and packaging, and fair labour, and are judged by Marie Claire’s team of global experts, sustainability activists and pioneers, as well as its UK editorial team.
Sani Resort reopened as a Covid Safe Sanctuary this summer with a commitment to further reduce energy use and to increase renewable energy produced on site, encouraging families to reconnect with nature and enjoy the great outdoors together in the Sani Sanctuary. Sani Resort recently unveiled a series of exciting new offerings and launches for this year. Developments include the new Bear Grylls Survival Academy, launched in partnership with the world’s most recognisable face of survival and outdoor adventure; the famed Rafa Nadal Tennis Centre returning for its third year of operation; a new Little Guests Team to offer reinvented, creative entertainment and activities across the Crèche, Kids and Teens Clubs; and expanded kids’ menus from renowned kids food specialist Annabel Karmel. This year will also mark the first full season for the newly redesigned Porto Sani, which now offers spacious all-suite accommodation.