What is a Green Leaf hotel?

22 January 2024

Our Green Leaf label is applied to hotels that have been recognised as having sustainability standards that are aligned with those created by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC). As such, each have been proven to maximise social and economic benefits for the local community, enhance cultural heritage, reduce negative impacts on the environment, and have effective sustainability planning.

For a full list of accreditations and standards that are represented by the Green Leaf, please click here. To find out more about the criteria and performance indicators that hotels are measured against, please click here.

How are they maximising social and economic benefits for the local community?

Ikos and Sani Resorts are meeting 60% of their resorts’ needs through local producers.

Attitude Resorts have created their Otentik Discovery app to encourage guests to get out and explore the island, experiencing Mauritius through a local’s eyes.

At Coral Beach Hotel and Resort, 100% of management staff are locals.

How are they enhancing cultural heritage?

Beachcomber Resorts uses their ‘Beautiful Localhands’ project to help local artisans sell their products to tourists, earning an income and preserving traditional crafts and cultural heritage.

Similarly, One&Only Le Saint Géran invites in local entrepreneurs to sell their products at the hotel, giving them an opportunity to earn an income whilst also giving guests an authentic flavour of Mauritius.

Soneva Fushi regularly brings in local musicians and dancers to perform within the resort.

How are they reducing negative impacts on the environment?

LUX* Le Mourne launched its Zero Food Waste Programme in 2019 which focuses first on reducing food waste and then repurposing unavoidable waste by donating food from the buffet to local schools, and leftovers from guests’ plates to pig farms or composting it on site.

Heritage Resorts are recycling 65% of their waste with an aim to increase this to 75% by the end of 2022, and also treat wastewater onsite and recycle it as irrigation water.

Royal Hideaway Corales Beach has implemented a number of initiatives to minimise single-use plastics across the resort. Our favourite of these is the replacement of plastic water bottles on check in with ones made of recyclable material, and the replacement of single-use amenities that had plastic in their packaging.

To book your stay at a Green Leaf hotel or resort, contact your Travel Counsellor today.

5 Whistler Ski experiences you didn’t know about

28 September 2026

Whistler is well known for its scale, snow, and lively village, but there is more to a ski holiday here than simply working your way around Whistler and Blackcomb mountains. For UK visitors, it also works well as part of a wider Canada trip; you can spend a few nights in Vancouver before or after the mountains, try something different on the slopes, and make the most of local knowledge once you arrive. Here are five Whistler ski experiences worth knowing about when planning your visit.

Snow, onsens, and ramen: Discover skiing, Japan style

25 September 2026

Japan puts a very different spin on a ski holiday. Days on the mountain might be followed by a soak in a steaming onsen, dinner in a tiny ramen restaurant, or an evening wandering through a traditional snow-covered town. And there’s plenty of choice when it comes to where you ski. From Hokkaido’s famous powder to the hot spring villages of Nagano, the easy Tokyo connections of Niigata, and the winter landscapes of Tohoku, each region offers its own reason to head to the mountains.

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