San Pedro de Atacama hotel, Chile

The Atacama desert is a fragile ecosystem and water is its most precious resource. At the hotel we take part in the centuries old “ayllú” social system which enables all the communities in the area to share the river water and sustain their crops and livestock.

We work hard to ensure that the nesting site of the pequen (a local type of owl) which is in the hotel grounds is left undisturbed and the gates and shady awnings which are scattered in the grounds were made using wood which had been pruned from overgrown trees.

The landscaping at our San Pedro de Atacama hotel has been done to maximise the potential of the land to produce and we have our own orchard where we grow apple trees, corn, zucchini and herbs. Our land also supports fields of alfalfa, quinoa, tomatoes and other produce which is used in our restaurant.

We recycle where possible (a bit of a novel concept in the desert north!), encourage guests to save water and energy, and are planning on installing solar power in the coming year. We have our own deep well for water, which is processed via “reverse osmosis”. There are three grades of water which are produced, the purest is used in the spa and bathrooms, the mid level for watering the crops and the saltiest for keeping the dust levels down to add to our guest’s comfort. Not a drop is wasted! Our excursions are carried out with respect for the local environment and we do our utmost to preserve the wildlife and infrastructure, as well as supporting the local Indian communities when visiting their historic sites.

Before the hotel was built we carried out a full archaeological study to ensure that no historic artefacts would be destroyed and materials for construction came from local areas (stone from Talabre village, Adobe walls built by local craftsmen) thereby supporting the local communities.

Our staff are locals where possible (local personnel make up 50% of our staff) and all live locally and contribute to the community. We particularly employ people from the local ethnic population. We sponsor local student to work in the hotel, providing training and jobs to enable them to stay in the area. Plans are underfoot to sponsor local social projects.

At our San Pedro de Atacama hotel we use local food produce, including that from our own garden and potatoes, beans and other vegetables from local suppliers. We source products from local areas where possible and all the textiles and furniture in the hotel were handcrafted by Chilean artisans. In our spa many of our products are based on natural elements such as the desert sand, salts and volcanic muds sourced nearby.