Pearl Resorts of Tahiti: Eco Caring Together
The only fully Polynesian-owned hotel collection, Pearl Resorts of Tahiti shares its passion for our islands and their lifestyle. A lifestyle rooted in respect for nature, as powerful as it is fragile.
That is why Pearl Resorts of Tahiti has created an environmental charter, shared by all its properties and mindful of the specificities of each archipelago. We named it P.R.O.T.E.C.T, for Pearl Resorts of Tahiti: Eco-Caring Together.
A strategy to help preserve the beauty of French Polynesia based on 6 main principles:
- Water and energy efficiency
- Waste reduction and management
- Biodiversity protection
- Sustainable purchases
- Awareness-raising
- Social commitment
OUR ACTIONS
- Our hotels are designed to blend in with their environment, and favor the use of natural materials – wood, bamboo, mother-of-pearl, pandanus leaves, tapa, coconut fiber, stones and coral.
- We have implemented in all our hotels simple actions to contribute to the protection of terrestrial and marine biodiversity, to encourage local producers in a virtuous approach, and to support the craftspeople who keep our traditions alive.
BIOROCK© PROGRAM
In 1999, Denis Schneider, a passionate marine biologist, created “Espace Bleu”, a company dedicated to protect and restore the coral life in the islands through coral nurseries.
With master’s degrees in both Biochemistry and Oceanography in his pocket, Denis Schneider joined the French Navy as a scientist in charge of monitoring nuclear installations. A few years later, after having been a doctoral student as a young officer, he left the navy to become a diving instructor and to travel. He arrived in Bora Bora in 1993. He was then asked by schools to run extra-curricular activities on the marine environment. Faced with the environmental damage that was peculiar to Polynesia, he decided to train in coral restoration to improve the condition of marine animals.
The Biorock method, an innovative method developed by the Global Coral Reef Alliance, allows the coral reefs grown at the resort to be released into the natural environment after only two years instead of 15 years. Adjacent to Le Taha'a Island Resort & Spa, guests can enjoy a stunning coral garden. Aiming at protecting and preserving this amazing vibrant snorkeling area, we have joined the Espace Bleu’s Biorock© program.
Coral colonies in distress are identified and placed in a underwater nursery installation to recover. The Biorock© technique helps to activate the recalcifying process of the damaged corals, through electricity from solar energy. Once these are mature enough, biologists will reintroduce them into their natural habitat, hence repopulating reefs and coral gardens. Should you wish to help with this process, a fund has been created at Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa and our team will be happy to give you more information.
A small fee is added to the guests’s invoices at the end of their stay. This fee is not mandatory and will be removed upon request at check-out.
Many times we get asked about how to help when visiting. This is a way to help us preserve our beautiful environment! This program is available at both Le Taha’a Island Resort & Spa and Bora Bora Pearl Beach Resort & Spa with the coral garden facing Mount Otemanu.
PRESERVING THE POLYNESIAN LANDS, ONE REFILL AT A TIME
The Pearl Resorts of Tahiti offer their clients reusable water bottles, reducing plastic waste by 4 tons each year. A small gift for our guests, a giant step for our planet.
We cannot deny the signs. Plastic is progressively suffocating our oceans, and we all need to be aware of this and make an effort to use as little as possible.
Built on sustainable growth, the Pearl Resorts hotels have always been taking part in the fight against pollution for several years. Today, the group's sustainability agenda takes a new step with a new goal of reducing plastic use: in-room plastic water bottles are being replaced by complimentary reusable water bottles.
Water fountains are available in the hotels, allowing our guests to help preserve the environment, one refill at a time. With this simple commitment, the group will be able to save up to 4 tons of plastic per year.
The Pearl Resorts of Tahiti have received very positive feedback from guests at Le Bora Bora, Le Nuku Hiva, Le Taha'a and Le Tikehau, where reusable bottles are already in place. Le Tahiti will follow the trend before the end of 2022.
This commitment to sustainability allows us to send a message to our guests, but also to our collaborators who have been part of the journey from the beginning, and who will also receive their reusable water bottle that can be easily refilled at work.
Very aware that the contribution of both the inhabitants and tourism stakeholders is needed to preserve the future of our heavenly islands, the Pearl Resorts of Tahiti have made it their mission to actively participate in their protection.
They are fully committed to protecting the environment, developing sustainability and short supply chains in order to respect the land and the ocean which represent the cultural heritage of French Polynesia. Switching to reusable water bottles is just another step in the transition towards sustainable development.
CARING… PROTECTING
🌊 Water is a way of life in Bora Bora and with a lagoon resembling an artist’s palette of blues and greens, it definitely is the place to get in the water or underwater!
However, this beautiful and precious area needs our help!
Lotions damage the underwater life and it has become crucial doing our utmost to help protect this treasure. We can all help and use sunscreen and lotions that respect the environment.
FARM TO TABLE
In both Le Taha’a by Pearl Resorts and Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts, our teams have started planting some essentials such as manioc, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes, cucumbers, salads, herbs, pineapple.
Of course, it will take a little time but we are thrilled to work on that with dedicated teams !
Algae is used as a fertilizer and each resort has been equipped to create their own compost ! Team Pearl is going greener and greener ! There are no small steps ! Together, we can do it !
GOING SOLAR
Aiming at a better and more environment friendly future, Le Bora Bora by Pearl Resorts and Le Taha’a by Pearl Resorts have both been equipped with solar panels that allow at this stage to create about 25-30% of the resorts’ needs.
Photo Credit Greg Lacoeur, Biorock Program, Grégoire Le Bacon, Denis Grosmaire
