grandmother stone in Hawaii Island Retreat's valley

Living Green

Designed for Harmony and Balance with Nature

            Hawaii Island Retreat is becoming a leader in sustainable travel and green living. From building construction to garden design, our 50-acre retreat models ways in which we can live both in luxury and in balance with the earth. Our green living features and practices include the following:

  • We produce our own electricity through solar cells (photovoltaic panels) situated on the roof of our energy building. We have added a windmill that feeds into our energy panel as an additional power source

  • The retreat was designed to take advantage of our Kohala breezes. Cross-ventilation and ceiling fans eliminate the need for air conditioning while keeping guest rooms warm when the air outside is cool, and cool when temperatures are warm
  • The retreat is also designed to use natural lighting during the day and full-spectrum compact fluorescents for night
  • Sparkling garden pools surrounding the lodge, which serve as rainwater catchments from the hotel roof
  • Water conservation through low-water toilets, special showers, and conscientious use of water throughout the hotel and spa
  • Guest rooms are cleaned daily, however linens are changed every fourth day unless requested by the guest to minimize daily laundry use and consumption of water, electricity, and propane gas
  • Much of the flooring throughout the retreat is Tiger wood, a farmed sustainable hardwood that does not impact native forests
  • Our 50 acre Hawaiian sanctuary has abundant organic vegetable gardens and tropical fruit trees. We grow much of the food used in our kitchen in these gardens
  • Regular gardening and cooking classes so that guests may learn simple and effective ways to grow and prepare their own foods
  • An active system of composting that recycles all organic waste back into the soil.
  • Safe paper products, free of harmful chemicals, dyes, or perfumes. These are shredded and recycled as mulch on garden paths and banana orchards
  • Reusable water bottles for guests, which they can refill throughout the day at available filtered water dispensers
  • Organic shampoos, conditioner, and lotions in guest bath dispensers
  • Our own line of organic spa retail products that use minimal and recyclable packaging. We grow our own kukui trees and use the outstanding medicinal kukui oil in our spa services and treatments.
  • Educational information in each guest room to assist everyone in our ongoing efforts to remain both sustainable and self-sufficient. This information covers choices for laundering towels and sheets and outlines various recycling measuresA Sustainable Hotel and Spa
  • Solar energy cells produce our electricity

        

Trend-setting Eco-Spa Practices

  • The Horizon design swimming pool is solar heated and salt purified; so no harsh chemicals are used.  The recycling feature of the horizon design ensures that the water is captured and recycled
  •  The hot tub near the pool is heated with solar hot water panels and is salt purified
  •  The hot water for the locker room showers is also heated by the sun
  •  All products used in the locker rooms are organic
  •  Nearly all products used for massage, facial, and body services are organic
  •  We create many of our own body service products utilizing materials provided by our organic farm.  Some of the items used are kukui nuts, papaya, avocado, goat’s milk, aloe vera, squash, cucumber, noni, coffee, native and cultivated herbs.
  • Massage sheets, robes, and other spa linens are made of organic bamboo, a fast growing fiber cultivated without toxic fertilizers and herbicides
  • Techniques for providing effective spa services have been developed to minimize excessive use of electricity, water, and linens
  •  Locker rooms feature low-water use toilets and shower heads that still provide great water pressure
  •  Laundry facilities for the retreat as well as the spa utilize organic laundry products.  Much of the laundry is hung to dry in the breezes minimizing the need for using the dryer
  •  Outdoor massage pavilions utilize the ambiance of nature eliminating the need for fans, air conditioning, or music.  The breezes cool the pavilion and the rustling trees and bird songs provide nature’s music.
  •  Decking for the massage pavilions is made of recycled plastic
  •  Spa staff wear organic bamboo uniforms
  •  We strive to retail Spa products that use minimal and recyclable packaging, and are produced with sustainable practices.  We prefer to utilize vendors who are also committed to sustainable practices.
  •  We source local vendors whenever possible for retail products
  •  Non-toxic cleaning products are utilized throughout the retreat and spa

Green Certifications
            We are members of several certifying agencies in eco-touriam, including The International Ecotourism Society.  http://www.ecotourism.org/site/