MOMBASA SERENA BEACH RESORT AND SPA AMONG ECO WARRIORS 2016
(Posted 21st October 2016)
(Daniel Kangu, General Manager of the Nairobi Serena Hotel, Rosemary Mugambi Director of Sales and Marketing and Mr. Charles Muia, General Manager for the Safari Lodges of Serena Hotels in Kenya, among others, are pictured above collecting their awards)
Key staff of Serena Hotels were at hand at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Nairobi last Friday night to received one Eco Warrior Award for 2016 and a runner up certificate.
Honoured were the Mombasa Serena Beach Resort & Spa for their commitment to green operations and their butterfly project and the Sweetwaters Safari Camp on Ol Pejeta which came in as runner up in a tightly contested race to the podium.
The Serena Beach Resort & Spa is located in Mombasa at Shanzu beach and won the “Best Eco-Rated Facility of 2016 – Hotel” Award. Sweetwaters Serena Camp took the first runner up position under the “Best Eco-Rated Facility 2016 – Camps” category to the delight of the Serena team present. The award ceremony took place last Friday in Nairobi and was hosted by Ecotourism Kenya, an organization that promotes responsible tourism practices within the tourism industry. This was the 11th annual Ecowarrior Awards Ceremony – an award that recognizes innovation and leadership in responsible tourism. The finalists consist of tourism initiatives from within Kenya that enhance social-cultural, economic and ecological sustainability in their operations. The gala night was part of the annual Magical Kenya Travel Expo and brought the exhibition to a fabulous close.
It has been a gratifying year for Serena Beach Resort & Spa as the property obtained the Gold Eco-Rating Certification from Ecotourism Kenya in May 2016. Serena Beach Resort & Spa is only one of the several Serena Hotels’ properties in Kenya that is Gold Eco-Rating certified together with the acclaimed Lake Elmenteita Serena Camp and Sweetwaters Serena Camp which are also included in this list.
Serena Beach Resort & Spa follows best practices and surpasses environmental standards commonly employed by rating agencies. Along with implementing sustainable business practices in daily operations, the Resort has placed a large focus on conservation projects along the Mombasa coast. For the past 23 years, Serena Beach Resort & Spa’s Sea Turtle Conservation Project has helped protect over 408 sea turtle nests and saw over 52,524 sea turtle eggs mature. The Resort also trains local community members on sea turtle protection through offering environmental education opportunities and training. Moreover, a weekly lecture is held at the property every Tuesday to educate guests and local communities on the importance of sea turtle conservation.
For over 13 years, the Serena Beach Resort & Spa’s Butterfly Conservation Project has helped hatch over 53,084 butterflies and protect 65 different butterfly species. The Butterfly Park located within the property is open to all, such as guests and local community members, to visit and learn more about butterfly conservation and Serena Hotels’ efforts in conservation.
Serena Beach Resort & Spa is located along the coast of Mombasa, Kenya and was one of the first Serena Hotels properties in the 1970’s and the architecture of the resort replicates the winding lanes and colourful market places of a traditional 13th century Swahili town.
