From sea turtle and whale conservation to the removal of plastic straws and beachfront trash, Innisfree properties partner with local communities year-round to support the environment.
GULF BREEZE, Fla., May 31, 2024 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- As National Oceans Month and World Oceans Day (June 8) come into focus, Innisfree Hotels (innisfreehotels.com) welcomes guests to engage in sustainable activities at its more than two dozen properties in coastal Florida and across the Southeastern U.S.
"At Innisfree, we partner with locally led organizations to ensure we have a positive impact in the communities where we live and work," said Bethanne Edwards, Director of Sustainability at Innisfree Hotels. "Our local sustainability partnerships center around environmental conservation, education, advocacy and community-building efforts."
With so many beach- and waterfront properties in its portfolio, Innisfree Hotels' environmental initiatives naturally include ones that specifically benefit oceans and waterways. Here are some examples of how Innisfree is making a difference in its beachside communities:
Amelia Island, Fla.
- Innisfree Hotels partners with the Right Whale Festival in Amelia Island to raise awareness and advocate for protection of the endangered North Atlantic right whale. The festival celebrates the annual return of the right whales to Florida waters where they give birth and nurse their young. With an estimated population of fewer than 350, supporting the recovery of these rare animals is imperative to maintaining the future health of our oceans.
- Innisfree's Amelia Island hotels — Courtyard, SpringHill Suites, Ocean Coast, Seaside Amelia Inn and Amelia Hotel — also partner with Keep Nassau Beautiful to support their community cleanups and educational programs.
Pensacola Beach, Fla.
- On June 1, Innisfree will participate in the Sea Turtle Baby Shower hosted by Pensacola Beach Advocates at Pensacola Beach's Gulfside Pavilion. The free, family-friendly event celebrates sea turtle nesting season and teaches residents and visitors the dos and don'ts of visiting our beaches. UFO's Mini-Golf sponsors the event as the official rain plan location.
- Sea turtle protection is essential in Pensacola Beach, which is why the Hilton Pensacola Beach partners with the Navarre Beach Sea Turtle Conservation Center to host Turtle Tuesdays every week during the summer. Volunteers bring displays and activities to the hotel to promote steps for a sea turtle safe vacation. The Hilton Pensacola Beach also launched a Dune Defenders pilot program for kids, leading them on a beach walk to learn about the coastal habitat and how to keep dunes healthy.
- Red Fish Blue Fish supports cleanup organization Eco Clean Marine and has hosted fundraising days for Healthy Gulf, which advocates for conservation of the Gulf of Mexico.
- Innisfree leaders from all properties came together to clean up Pensacola Beach during their annual conference, partnering with Keep Pensacola Beautiful. They removed over 200 pounds of trash in just a few hours.
Fort Walton Beach, Fla.
- The Holiday Inn Resort Fort Walton Beach and Hilton Garden Inn Fort Walton Beach partner with Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol for the annual International Coastal Cleanup Day and Earth Day beach cleanup events. The events bring together guests, employees and community members for a day of service.
- These same hotels are launching weekly Turtle Talks with Destin-Fort Walton Beach Sea Turtle Patrol to bring sea turtle education and awareness to hotel guests during nesting season. Highlights will include an interactive light display to demonstrate why light pollution is so harmful to sea turtles and a fun photo op with their official mascot Tina the Turtle.
Cocoa Beach, Fla.
- Beachside Hotel and Suites Cocoa Beach hosts employee beach cleanup events utilizing supplies from Keep Brevard Beautiful.
Jekyll Island, Ga.
- The Hampton Inn and Suites Jekyll Island collaborates with Keep Golden Isles Beautiful to host an annual Marsh Madness cleanup. This year, employees cleaned up litter around the Jekyll Island Welcome Center.
As part of its corporate sustainability efforts, Innisfree has contributed to Earth Day Pensacola and Keep Pensacola Beautiful. Innisfree is also establishing a company-wide sea turtle awareness program to encourage guests, employees and community members to be sea turtle safe. And it is replacing plastic straws with sustainable options across all properties and initiating a straw-by-request program at its food and beverage locations.
Innisfree voluntarily certifies every one of its properties with Green Key Global Eco-Rating, a third-party program to establish sustainable practices and continuous improvement strategies in the hospitality industry. It is a member of AHLA's Responsible Stay initiative, which aims to drive energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction and responsible sourcing projects across the industry.
"The success of our business directly relies on the health of our oceans and our planet," Edwards said. "Our sustainability commitment at Innisfree is grounded in the understanding that it is our responsibility to ensure future generations can enjoy our beautiful beaches and thrive in a healthy environment."
For more information on Innisfree Hotels and its sustainability efforts, visit innisfreehotels.com.
ABOUT INNISFREE HOTELS
For more than three decades, Innisfree Hotels has expertly developed and managed dozens of hotels in partnership with many of the world's most-recognized hospitality brands. Today, the company owns or manages more than 44 entities — about 3,600 rooms — and employs approximately 2,000 people. Innisfree is the largest beachfront hotel owner-operator on the Gulf Coast. As a triple-bottom-line company, Innisfree measures success through People, Planet and Prosperity. Innisfree, which has about $1.1 billion of assets under management and $250 million in annual hotel revenue, was named one of Hotel Business' top management companies and top owners & developers in 2022. For more information, visit innisfreehotels.com.
Media Contact
Kennedy Norton, Innisfree Hotels, 1 8435662994, [email protected], innisfreehotels.com
SOURCE Innisfree Hotels
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