By Tracy Gardner, a Marvelous Mouse Travels agent
Have you ever wondered what the big resorts in the tourism industry do for our environment; either to help, or what their impact might be? I have to admit, I haven’t, until recently, when I was invited to stay at one of Club Med’s newest resorts, Miches Playa Esmeralda, in the Dominican Republic. Since accepting this invitation I have learned so much about Club Med as a brand, from their commitment to sustainability, to their care for the local communities, and for the world as a whole. Miches Playa Esmeralda is Club Med’s first all “Eco Chic Resort", they just opened in 2019, and I am excited to share with you what I learned!
First, I was already blown away when I went through Club Med’s training program before my trip! This is the company that pioneered the all-inclusive resort concept, and has been dedicated to sustainability and the local communities where their resorts are located long before it was cool! Club Med was established in 1950 in Alcudia, a tiny fishing village off the coast of Spain, and was the first ever all-inclusive resort! Since then, Club Med has made many wonderful advancements for the environment, and communities such as, but not limited to:
❖ 1965 Club Med opened a permanent Village in Morocco, which helped contribute to the rebirth of a region that had been devastated by an earthquake in 1960.
❖ 1973 Club Med constructed the first wastewater treatment plant in Mauritius at Pointe aux Canonniers.
❖ 1978 Club Med created the largest solar panel in Europe.
Wow! After learning about the history of Club Med, I was super excited to dive in and learn all about the resort I would be visiting! Part of Club Med’s Exclusive Collection, Miches Playa Esmeralda opened in 2019, as Club Med’s first eco chic resort, with four distinct villages to offer several unique experiences from family friendly to adult only, all in one resort! This beautiful resort is built no higher than a palm tree in any direction, allowing for the natural beauty of the jungle and ocean to shine through!
After several months of learning and building up my excitement, it was finally time to experience Miches Playa Esmeralda firsthand! On the initial drive up to the resort, I was super impressed by the fact that I almost couldn’t see it until we were there. Instead, I had the feeling of being right in the jungle all the way up to the low key main building where we were to check in. This thatched roof palapa was unassuming from the outside, but absolutely big and beautiful inside! The open air building led straight to the main pool, and breathtaking views of the ocean. This was my first impression of how the whole resort was built to allow for the natural beauty and surrounding environment to take center stage. Since 2018 Club Med has been committed to eco-certifying the construction of all their new resorts with BREEAM, which certifies the green and responsible design and construction of different types of buildings. I could really get the sense of this design in action throughout the resort!
My next encounter was with the people. Club Med makes sure to employ local residents of Miches, along with a mixture of different cultures from around the world. Within minutes I had already been greeted several different ways from “bonjour” to “hola” to “hello”. It was super cool to be in an environment that not only embraced the local culture, but brought in other cultures to foster a sense of global community and understanding. I also learned that all of the uniforms the GO’s (short for Gracious Organizers, referring to the staff) don are made from the Club Med RecycleWear collection, which are made from recycled plastic. This collection has recycled over 2 million plastic water bottles since 2019!
Which leads me to the recyclable, sustainable part of my visit. At Club Med Miches Playa Esmeralda, you will not find a single plastic water bottle, or plastic straw on property. All water bottles are made from glass, and all straws are paper. They have water refilling stations located throughout the resort, and GO’s bring fresh sealed glass water bottles to the room to enjoy each day at turndown. All of the fresh food, and the amazing coffee/cacao, was locally sourced. Did I mention that they also have a pool that is kept clean from algae from the fish that swim in the pond that surrounds it? No, the fish do not swim with you in the pool, but they are just on the other side happily swimming and cleaning away!
In short, I not only enjoyed my experience at Club Med’s Miches Playa Esmeralda, I am thoroughly impressed with the company as a whole! For over 70 years, Club Med has shown innovation and dedication to our planet and the people who live here. It feels so good to support, and stay at a resort that truly cares, and backs it up with their continued efforts to give back, and preserve. What types of resorts do you look for when booking your vacation experiences?
Ready to book your next vacation? Please reach out to Marvelous Mouse Travels for more information or for a quote for your next vacation!
