About

Boardwalk Hotel Aruba's Sustainability Standards

At Boardwalk Hotel, we recognize that activities of our hotel could potentially have a negative impact on the environment and our local community if not properly managed. Therefore, we have a Sustainability and Ecofriendly Standards Policy in place that is applicable to all full-time, part-time, and temporary employees, as well as to guests staying at Boardwalk. This policy plays an essential role in showing Boardwalk Hotel’s commitments to sustainable hotel practices and eco-friendly operating procedures.  

The focus of this policy is to guarantee that all employees are aware of - and comply with - rules and standards implemented at Boardwalk Hotel to sustain and further enhance our sustainability efforts and practices. Boardwalk Hotel ’s commitment is that we will ensure that throughout all departments, we will maintain our standards of sustainable practices and enforce our efforts in our day-to-day operations on property both with our staff and guests.   

Boardwalk Hotel Aruba's Eco Standards  

We are committed to continuous improvements measured by annual benchmarking assessments and we strive towards minimizing our carbon footprint by implementing sustainable initiatives aimed at improving the hotel’s performance, reducing energy & water usage and minimizing waste production. 
 
Special consideration is given to using as many sustainable products and services as possible. Local vendors and products are used when applicable and in accordance with fair-trade principles.  

Moreover, it is Boardwalk’s mission to offer guests of the hotel insights into the Aruban culture and direct them to local hangouts and less travelled spots so they can experience the many different aspects of Aruba, meanwhile creating awareness to preserve the island’s natural resources, environment and overall beauty. By doing so, Boardwalk strives to support the local economy and community in a variety of ways. 

Boardwalk Hotel Aruba's Eco-friendly Workplace Practices  

Boardwalk Hotel continuously focuses on improving its environmental footprint. In our daily hotel operations we go beyond the typical towel-reuse and electricity-saving programs. Below is a summary of the sustainability initiatives that were successfully implemented.  

• using water-saving toilets and water reducers in all showerheads and faucets in all of our casitas, along with an extensive water filtration system to water the hotel’s tropical gardens. All efforts combined are resulting in water savings by 60% 
• all lighting on property, in all buildings, rooms and in our gardens is 100% LED, resulting in electricity savings by 90%  
• all air-conditioning units are ultra inverter A/Cs resulting in electricity savings by 60% 
• all 32 newly constructed casitas are Green Buildings, built with Insulated Concrete Forms (ICF) walls, insulated floor slabs and insulated sandwich panel roofs, resulting in savings on energy and overall high efficiency 
• 80 solar panels were installed on our Lobby roof to provide green energy; all 32 new green buildings are 100% powered by solar energy 
• all bathrooms have in-room dispensers with locally made Aruba Aloe bath  products, resulting in a steep reduction of plastic waste by not offering individual plastic soap bottles 
• using biodegradable and environmentally friendly detergents and ECOLAB cleaning products which are proven to be better for the environment as well as the health of our housekeeping staff 
• using mostly local materials and products made on Aruba from local partners and partnering with local small businesses like Eduardo’s Beach Shack, our F&B partner delivering breakfast and mid-day snacks to our guests. By sourcing local suppliers and materials we are reducing our carbon footprint and contributing to a sustainable economic system in Aruba 
• using an eco-friendly salt solution in our pools that meet high quality standards, resulting in a greener way to keep the pool water clean than using other chemicals and chlorine-based solutions 

Boardwalk Hotel Aruba's Guest Practices  

In our efforts to maintain sustainable and ecofriendly hotel operations, we communicate with our guests in a variety of ways, making them aware of our efforts and ways they can contribute to a better environment and show support. 

Guests of Boardwalk Hotel Aruba: 

• can have a nearly paperless & plastic-free stay at Boardwalk Hotel, using only their mobile key (instead of a plastic RFID key), online check-in (no papers needed!), online Concierge services and digital island guides available on Boardwalk’s website, social media platforms and dedicated hotel web-app. For on the road and as a souvenir, Boardwalk Hotel does provide arriving guests a printed and informative treasure map, highlighting the staff’s recommended tips.  
• are given the option not to have their linen changed every other day, this way saving water and energy.  
• will find a note in their bathroom requesting them to only leave towels on the floor when a refresh/replenish is needed; the use of towels during multiple days of a guests’ stay reduces the impact on the environment. 
• are asked to close windows and doors when they have the air conditioning on;  or to turn the A/C off when they prefer to have windows and doors open 
• upon check-out guests can donate their uponened left-overdry food and groceries in a dedicated box for charity; hotel staff distributes these donations to the local foodbank. 
• are made aware of the plastic ban in Aruba; since disposable plastic bags are no longer allowed Boardwalk adds to this island wide initiative by providing coolers in every room that can be used as a bag to bring (chilled) food, beverages and more to the beach, or on a road trip. In addition, reusable water bottles are promoted and available for purchase in the hotel lobby. 
• are offered food and drink options from local partners and made aware of these small businesses through our website, social media and other content/story telling platforms and communication tools; examples are a partnership with local, family-owned Eduardo’s Beach Shack, a small f&b business that provides all food and drink offerings at Boardwalk, along with specialty partners that are recommended when buying meat and fresh fish for the barbecue (each casita is equipped with its own kitchen and private bbq grill) 
• are made aware of the importance of Boardwalk’s commitment to the environment on our website on a page dedicated to sustainability at Boardwalk: https://www.boardwalkaruba.com/en/about 

Boardwalk Hotel Aruba's Sustainable Construction Process 

Today, Boardwalk Hotel consists of 46 casitas and has a strong connection to its location, a historic coconut plantation. As the Hotel expanded in 2019 by adding 32 new casitas, a main focus was to keep the unique character and lushness of the property intact. Even before the construction phase of a new pool and the 32 additional casitas were completed, Boardwalk invested heavily in the lungs of the property by adding a total of nearly 2300 plants and trees, showcasing Aruba’s unique and diverse flora. Most plants & trees are local and many provide edible fruits such as pineapple, bananas, pomegranate, papaya, moringa, sea-grape, aloe, etc.  

During the construction process, the hotels’ priority was to build as sustainable as possible, making use of high-quality, solid and quickly assembled materials, while keeping the authentic character of the hotel intact. Insulating materials like Nudura, Insuldeck and Thermochip were used for respectively the walls, floors and roofs of all 32 newly built casitas.  

Most local partners involved in the hotel’s construction project worked with these insulating materials for the first time in Aruba, a unique accomplishment in our sustainable construction process. Therefore, as part of the sustainable building practice, a team of international trainers have shared their knowledge with local construction workers on these innovative building materials, so they can continue to implement these practices in Aruba on future projects. 

The majority of partners involved in the construction process, the concept creation and design of the hotel are local companies and partners, using local materials when and where possible. In addition, art on display in the casitas is made by local artists or sourced by local art foundation Arte Sano.