Chichen Itza boutique hotel, Yucatan, Mexico
How this holiday makes a difference
Environment
Hacienda Chichen Resort engages in ongoing protection of regional flora and fauna taking action in vast reforestation of endemic hardwoods within the hotel's 300 hectares of private land dedicated to conservation and protection of wildlife.
We educate and re-train our staff and local Maya people to care for the environment as well as to preserve the safety of our fresh water resources with extensive eco-friendly workshops and free programs.
The hotel has built a traditional Maya Hut for naturalist Jim Conrad to stay in-premises and help guests learn about our wildlife and environmental Mr. Conrad offers free Nature Tours and wildlife walks to all our guests, he also is available to answer any nature inquiry and support our non-profit eco-friendly ventures.
Mr. Bruce Gordon is the hotel's environmental manager and has eradicated illegal hunting of endemic species in our property. He designed and built the impressive bio-digestible septic system with man-made wetlands to process and recycle our water waste protecting our fresh water resources.
The hotel grows its own organic fruit and veggies in-house, our senior retired workers volunteer their farming know-how and supervise our Organic Orchard. Guests are encourage to visit our crop fields and take Maya Cooking Classes with our executive Chef Josue Cime.
Hacienda Chichen gardens are designed to stay as a Bird Refuge for over 160 species of birds, many of them residents to our property, placing great care to leave grassy areas untouched and not pruning trees during nesting and high bird population months.
To further protect our wildlife and water resources, practices eco-friendly hospitality habits, including caring for water holes to supply wildlife with water resources during the dry season.
Staff is offered free bird-guide workshops to be certified as local birdwatching guides, educating them the importance to protect the flora and fauna of the region; hotel offers bird-guided tours to guests and allows its guides to stay with the full profit from such activity.
We also protect caterpillars and butterflies, teaching our guests and staff the importance to avoid killing caterpillars and informing about their behavior and appearances. Mr. Jim Conrad comes handy when guests which to learn more about these lovely creatures.
Community
Hacienda Chichen and Yaxkinn Spa are staffed with 99% local rural Maya people, our education program includes grants for higher education and involves volunteers that come teach hospitality skills to improve the staff professional chances to broaden their work opportunities.
All staff is given full legal benefits, medical family and personal benefits / care, higher wages than the legal requirements, special family support and other benefits. Staff is view as family members and given high rank positions including management level and executive posts.
The hotel and Spa have co-founded a non-profit sustainable civil society: Maya Foundation In Laakeech, in an effort to provide the local Maya communities and rural people education, health care, and nutrition programs as part of our commitment to support the Maya people. We encourage our guests to become volunteers of the foundation and helps us continue job related workshops to help young adults learn new skills in the hospitality industry. The hotel supplies continual support to the Maya Children Boarding House, where students live during school-days, we donate nutritional food and personal care products as well as help with the buildings needs.
The foundation with the help of Hacienda Chichen created a Maya Nutrition Center that provides nutritional meals to malnutrition children and supports mothers with cooking nutrition classes that are based on low budget meals.
With the help of the Maya Nut Institute, the foundation and hotel have trained Maya Nut Nutrition Volunteers that offer public schools each year a Maya Nut nutrition program including cooking classes and growing support.
Our guests are encourage to become volunteers and / or help us by bringing "gifts of love" such as old good clothes, multivitamins, school supplies, or any other donation to help the Maya people.
The hotel promotes Local Community projects that are eco-friendly and sustainable ventures such as the Yodzonot Cenote Eco-Park organized and supervised by local Maya families in the little town. Guests are encourage to visit this lovely eco-park and swim in its refreshing cenote waters.
Mr. Jose Tamay, a Mayan Shaman is a founder member of the MFIL and gives guests full information about our social endeavors, recommending local guides, local owned stores, and places to visit.
When possible, the hotel buys local produces from local people to encourage community support. Our staff is encourage to sale products to the hotel, such as honey, fruits, tortillas, art crafts, and building materials.
The hotel offers annual Fiestas to the local communities as part of its welcoming the rural Maya people into our property and life.
These and many other sustainable activities are part of our green commitment. Guests can visit our sustainable non-profit online magazine to learn more about our green sustainable work and programs.
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