Responsible Tourism Projects:

• Compost Heap - we have our own living and growing compost heap of 80 square meters where much garden refuse is grown and made into compost and replaced in our amazing gardens.
• Pools on salt - all 3 of the swimming pools are salt based and no chlorines and acids are used.
• Re-cycling. We recycle all our paper at the Hotel via Nampak. Then, all refuse is separated into cardboard, glass, plastic, metal and food for a local pig farmer.
• Mulch - we have a wood chipper and all the branches are turned into mulch to cover all open soil. This aids water retention.
• There is an active borehole in place for watering the garden
• Energy saving light bulbs throughout the Hotel.
• Geyser blankets on all the geysers at the property.
• The Hohenort pool is covered allowing less required energy to heat it
• Fireplaces are being replaced with gas in place of wood burning.
• All our cleaning chemicals are from eco-lab and are all bio-degradable.
• A totally non-smoking Hotel.
• Where bathrooms renovated, we've installed Hansgrohe faucets & shower roses which have built in water-saving devices, and Geberit dual-flush toilets.
• Staff encouraged to "turn it off" and "switch it off".

• James House is the official Local Community Project the Hotel "lives" with. Please visit the website at: www.jameshouse.org.za and see what the project entails. Bar donating many and various products and funds, the most important 2 factors are the kids getting out - by visiting the Hotel and by our team spending time at the home!
• Plumstead High School - supported by donating gift vouchers for fund raising for a local school.
• Wynberg Boys' High - supported by donating gift vouchers for fund raising.
• Ambleside School of Hout Bay - sponsored vouchers for breakfasts.
• Numerous staff appointments from SOS children's village.
• School children doing job shadows.
• Providing seeds for a local vegetable garden via Relais and Chateaux.
• Assisting St. Luke's Hospice with prize donations for their annual on-line auction for raising funds for the charity.
• Donations to the Western Cape Firefighters Association.

• St Luke's Hospice - on the week-end of the Annual Cape Town Garden and Flower Show the Hotel opens its gardens to Cape Town for R35 per person who official garden tours are completed followed by tea, coffee and scones. All the tickets are sold by St Luke's and for their benefit.
• Feed-em: The National feeding program is supported by us and all food that is left-over and not able to be used by the Hotel is donated to operation Feed-em.
• Red Cross Children's Hospital is also an association that gets an annual donation by the Hotel.
• SOS Children's Villages has a donation program via the Hotel.
• HOPE - this program has had prizes of meals and accommodation donated to them.
• Adele Searll 100 Club - both Jean Almon and Liz McGrath are active members.

The Hotel is proud to have an employment and promotion policy based on focusing on non-white applicants, woman and internal applicants. Achievements with current team members:

• Assistance General Manager - A non-white SA woman.
• 2 Duty Managers - A non-white SA women & a white SA woman.
• Executive Chef in the Cape Malay - non-white SA woman.
• Executive Chef in the Greenhouse - A white SA man.
• Head gardener - a white SA woman.
• Head Porter - a non-white SA man.
• Front Office Manager - a non-white SA man.
• Executive Housekeeper - a white SA woman.
• PR Manager - a white SA woman.
• Owner - a white SA woman.

Internal Promotions in 2006 was 14 - of which 8 were into Management or middle-management positions. Promotions in 2007 was 18.

Team members with Liz Mcgrath for 5 years or longer at the Hotel 19.8% for year ending February 2008!!!