LOS ANGELES, California – Crystal Cove Hotel is located on the west coast of Barbados in the Caribbean and is well known for its support of local culture and introducing the island’s natural attractions. Visiting families, couples and adventure seekers can choose from eco-friendly activities such as diving, horse riding and nature trail walks to polo lessons and taking a submarine tour of the coral reefs.
At the resort, The Cave Bar is the central feature and a place where guests can enjoy a quiet drink under a waterfall flowing over a rocky cave while taking in beautiful pool and beach waterscapes.
Guests can also learn about the heritage and culture of Barbados through a weekly neighborhood walk where they tour the community and meet local residents. The weekly heritage tour showcases heritage sites in and around the capital city of Bridgetown such as Kensington Oval.
Crystal Cove runs numerous social and environmental initiatives in line with Green Globe sustainable objectives, and in particular invests substantial time and resources in kids of all ages and backgrounds. The Flying Fish Kids Club derives its name from the national dish ‘Cou-cou and Flying Fish’. Young guests can join in a number of fun, innovative activities that educate them about Bajan culture. Bajans, short for Barbadians, are West Indians mostly of African descent living in Barbados.
Club activities also include creating a Bajan keepsake in Arts and Crafts, teaching the kids local Bajan dialect and introducing their taste buds to culinary treats such as fish cakes, sugar cakes and guava cheese. At the hotel’s annual family fair guests are given a taste of Barbados’ Kiddies Kadooment parade, where the kids dress up and promenade in festive Bajan costumes.
This December the resort will launch a new initiative, the ‘Honorary Bajan Adventurer’. Kids will be given a passport planner upon arrival, which will include a number of Barbadian activities and experiences such as playing beach cricket or a game of dominoes. After filling their passport, each child will be presented with an Honorary Bajan Adventurer certificate and pin.
The resort is very passionate about giving back to the community and organizes regular social events and activities. Crystal Cove has adopted The Good Shepherd Primary School that is nestled in the immediate neighborhood. The resort assists the school by providing regular donations for various educational programs and activities.
To encourage regional and tourism development, Crystal Cove Hotel hosts an annual educational tour for local children of Barbadian schools to give them a behind the scenes look at a hotel and its operations. In addition, children showcase their cultural talents by performing at the annual Christmas event.
Active teamwork by management and staff at Crystal Cove Hotel has led to its inaugural Green Globe certification this year.
Olivia Skeete-Baptiste, General Manager at Crystal Cove said, “We are delighted to receive the Green Globe certification in recognition of the work we do to ensure Crystal Cove remains as green as possible as well as to assist in community involvement. We endeavor to reach a 10% reduction in waste by monitoring our gas, electricity and water usage, through our recycling efforts as well as maintaining a low level of energy use through air conditioning and lighting systems.
About Green Globe Certification
Green Globe is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries. Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Green Globe is a member of the International Coalition of Tourism Partners (ICTP) .
