In my last blog post, I shared our story with you. How we handled March 2020 when the impact of COVID-19 reached our sustainable hotels here in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Panama. What we’re doing right now. The steps we’re taking to ensure that our people and hotels survive this crisis. If you haven’t had the chance to read it yet, you can read the article here, ‘Believe with Us in a Future for Travel”.
I promised to keep you updated on the different and constantly changing aspects of this crisis. So that if you’re a former or potential guest, you know what to expect when you contact us in the months to come. Or if you’re an owner or operator of a boutique hotel, these posts can provide you with some ideas and guidance.
First, we have a special video message for you. I wanted to take a moment to let you and your loved ones know that we’re thinking of you over here.
So here we go. It is now May…
It is no secret that we are struggling financially like many other businesses around the world, especially in tourism. While our Core Teams are focused on infrastructure improvements, I am constantly thinking about our immediate future.
I wanted to do something.
I had seen different programs of “pay now – stay later.” I discovered there are even websites that commercialize this and you pay a commission. My thinking was that it would really help to have some income to support our cash flow. But I wanted to do this the Cayuga Way. It needed to be simple, generous and positive.
It needed to be simple, generous and positive.
Let me emphasize generosity again. Considering everything going on in the world, this was really important to me. The Cayuga Way is to make it generous. To help the environment and not forget about the other crisis that we are dealing with (climate). And to help our staff by continuing to keep them employed and motivated.
Some of you have asked me how you can help during this crisis too. And I wanted to think of a way for former and potential guests to help, but at the same time have a benefit for themselves.
One week later, we now have something I’m really proud of:
The Cayuga Collection Green Futures Bond
Go to the Green Futures Bond information page here. We shaped our new hotel-bond program with all of the goals and values that were meaningful to us: make it simple, generous and positive.
The bond works like an investment that you’d purchase from a financial institution —except that your return is 100% on your room rate (Yes, 100%. Most hotel programs I’ve seen offer a 50% return, but as I mentioned, the Cayuga Way is to make it generous).
This means, if you purchase a $750 Green Futures Bond, you receive $1500 toward your stay. Everybody that purchases a bond receives a bond certificate, and as a special thank you we also plant a native tree in your name to support rainforest reforestation. We send you a picture of your planted tree and a handwritten Thank You note from our staff.
We made the decision to keep solid teams on the ground at our hotels, so that we can reopen really fast once demand is back. We wanted to ensure that the experience you have when you come back to the Cayuga Hotels is better than ever.
The Green Futures Bond will help take some pressure off operations and make sure that we can really invest in that extraordinary tomorrow.
The funds collected from the bond purchases will go to a number of initiatives. To pay salaries during times of zero income for the hotels. To maintain the infrastructure of the hotels, and to invest in training and continued career paths for the staff. The bond funds will also go to support the local communities with their needs during this time. This changes case to case: in some cases it is food, in other cases it is to help maintain schools, control excessive trash in the streets, and to help maintain national parks during this time.
So that’s what we’ve been working on since my last update.
If the Green Futures Bond resonates with you and you’d like to learn more or make a purchase, you can visit the Bond information page right here.
I will continue to report on what is going on at the hotels over the next few weeks. Stay tuned …
With a virtual hug and best wishes for health, strength and an ongoing positive attitude.
Hans Pfister
President & Co-Founder of the Cayuga Collection
4 Responses
Briliant plan to help everybody around and in the Arenas Resort.
Thank you for your comment Johan. We hope to see you in Manuel Antonio again really soon. Saludos from all of us.
What happens to the Green Futures Bond if you go out of business?
Thanks for the question. A good one. But we can assure you that the probability of going out of business for our hotels is very small. We have committed owners that see their hotels as their babies and will continue to support them. We are also a very solid management company with 20+ years experience in this area. But in the unlikely case that one hotel goes out of business, we could look at applying them at another Cayuga Collection Hotel. If you have any further questions, please contact me directly at hans@cayugaonline.com.