The Environmental Protection in the Caribbean (EPIC) awarded Princess Heights Luxury Boutique Condo Hotel with the first and only Green Key Eco-label certification in St. Maarten, solidifying St. Maarten’s reputation as a destination that is serious about the environment.

“Here at Princess Heights, we’ve been using Green Key guidelines as a model for best practices for many years,” said Emil Lee, General Manager of Princess Heights.

“If ‘being green’ translated to higher prices, it would not be sustainable for businesses to make green choices. We believe that the Green Key model is straightforward, good for the environment, good for the island and good for tourism,” Lee continued.

International Green Key Director Finn Thomsen of the non-profit Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), which owns and runs the program, was on hand to mark the hotel’s Green Key inauguration.

In order for Princess Heights to qualify for Green Key Eco-label certification, the hotel had to meet the following assessment criteria: environmental management; staff involvement; water; washing and cleaning; waste; energy; food and beverage; indoor environment; parking areas; green activities; and administration.

St. Maarten is the third Caribbean country to implement the Green Key program, after Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic.

St. Maarten Tourist Bureau, www.VacationStMaarten.com