Hacienda Puerta Campeche, a Sustainable Destination

The story of our social and environmental commitment to Mexico began over 15 years ago, when we focused our gaze on the crumbling henequen haciendas or plantations, their former glory faded by years of neglect and the ravages of time, who now stood as mute witnesses to the precarious living conditions present in the many indigenous communities surrounding them.

In 1994, Grupo Plan acquired Hacienda Temozon and our social and environmental commitment to the region was born.

In our quest to create a successful sustainable tourism project in the Yucatan Peninsula we looked foremost to rescuing the magnificent henequen haciendas and bring their architectural splendor to the attention of the most discriminating traveler by inviting him or her to share with us their exciting history and cultural value in the region. This has permitted us to become catalysts for economic growth and social development in the rural Mayan communities of Yucatan and Campeche.

We strive to act as the link between the past and present in what is now called the Mundo Maya, or Mayan world, attempting to generate new opportunities for individual growth along with improved social conditions for the inhabitants of the communities that surround our hotels. In this way we contribute to finding a balance between preserving the environment, maintaining and encouraging the rich cultural values of the Maya, improving the well-being of the population and achieving sustainable development that will result in economic growth.

The Haciendas del Mundo Maya A.C. Foundation

In 2002, after the devastating destruction caused by hurricane Isidore throughout the Yucatan peninsula, our ongoing social commitment was strengthened with the creation of the Haciendas del Mundo Maya foundation (Fundacion Haciendas del Mundo Maya, A.C.). A non-profit institution, its mission was to generate micro-regional, sustainable development in the rural Mayan communities of the Yucatan peninsula which would enable them to improve both their quality of life and living conditions through cultural development and tourism. An important aspect of the foundations mission was to involve locals directly by having them actively participate in the promotion of their social welfare projects.

Based on initiatives proposed by each community and with the interdisciplinary team from the Haciendas del Mundo Maya foundation, we encouraged members of each community to become involved with the design and execution of sustainable development projects in the following areas:

1. Health; promoting traditional Mayan herbalist medicine 

2. Educational Development

3. Personal and Family Development

4. Housing Improvement with the active participation of the direct beneficiaries

5. Environment

6. Community Business Promotion

Description - Hacienda Puerta Campeche

On the morning of July 6, 1685 the city of Campeche was attacked by pirates under the command of the famous French pirate, Laurent de Graff. From moment they arrived, the new occupants sacked the city; no house, store or church was spared. Campeche was prosperous and an attractive target for pirates through the export of such valuable items as logwood and other precious hardwoods in addition to having large tobacco plantations nearby.

The constant incursions by pirates obliged the authorities of the time to take action and after obtaining the King‘s blessing, construction was begun on the fortification called Villa de San Francisco de Campeche.

In early April 1738 the local government sent an official communiqué to the Spanish court to inform them of the changes they had made to the access points to the city and that the Puerta de Tierra (translated as land gate, this became the entry to the city) had been officially inaugurated.

From early 1810 on, the building on the property where Hacienda Puerta Campeche now stands was known as Casa Guerrero and is located in front of the Puerta de Tierra entrance to Campeche. The first member of the Guerrero family on record as its owner was Eligio Guerrero Quero, an accountant, who married Rosario Mendez Estrada and with whom he had 4 children.

In 1870, Eligio Guerrero opened a wholesale import business called “El Bronce” which offered a great variety of products, including French “Les Pommery” champagne, along with other French, Italian and Spanish wines and such delicacies as glazed chestnuts, fine cheeses and canned goods, alongside many local products such as cacao, coffee, cinnamon and rum. The warehouse for his business was the building known as Casa Guerrero.

Eligio Guerrero died on the 9th of September, 1914 in Mexico City and the store was closed; the building left to his widow Rosario Mendez Estrada who bequeathed the property to her son Gonzalo Guerrero Mendez upon her death.

Gonzalo Guerrero died in 1940, leaving the property in the hands of his brother and sisters who ran the property under the name Hermanos Guerrero Mendez. Finally, Eligio Guerrero Estrada became the sole owner of the property and used the building as a warehouse for the bales of henequen fiber being produced in the haciendas of San Antonio Yaxa, Imi and Xtelchel. However, when the henequen industry went into decline due to lack of demand and land reform, the building was abandoned.

The only information found regarding the building in later years was that it had been restored and used as a guest house.

In June 2004, the hacienda was inaugurated as a hotel, after almost 4 years of dedicated work by specialized architects and experts in restoration. Hacienda Puerta Campeche is a 17th century colonial construction and is strategically situated in Campeche’s historic city center which in turn has been recognized by the UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. Hacienda Puerta Campeche recreates the feel of southeastern Mexico’s belle époque and its 15 guest rooms and suites are located within the historic building; all have a magnificent view of the stunning pool built among crumbling walls in the construction.

The comfortable guest rooms feature furniture and bed frames of dark wood, characteristic of the colonial era. Guest room amenities are hand made by Mayan artisans from the Haciendas del Mundo Maya foundation. Specialty body lotions, conditioners and shampoos contain natural ingredients such as aloe vera and cucumber.

In-room guest amenities:

Ø  No smoking rooms

Ø  Internet

Ø  Scale

Ø  Hair dryer

Ø  32” LCD television

Ø  1 king-size

Ø  Egyptian cotton sheets

Ø  Goose-down pillows

Ø  Minibar

Ø  Telephone

Ø  Ipod Docking station and alarm clock

Ø  Wi-Fi

Ø  Air conditioning

Ø  Ceiling fan

Ø  In-room safe                           

Sustainable Tourism

As the Hacienda Puerta Campeche is a sustainable tourism destination, it is faced with the ongoing challenge of minimizing its ecological footprint through actions which protect and preserve the environment.

To honor this commitment, our efforts in the area of environmental responsibility have focused on:

1. Measurement and minimization of energy consumption.
2. Measurement and minimization of potable water usage.
3. Measurement and adequate handling of waste water.
4. Measurement and minimization of solid waste (inorganic and organic).
5. Adequate handling of dangerous substances and waste.
6. Preservation and cataloguing of fauna and flora on the property.

Results

• We have catalogued the Hacienda’s indigenous flora.
• Water conservation techniques have enabled us to report a decrease in water consumption of 1,608 cubic meters from 2009 to 2010.
• Energy saving methods have resulted in a reduction in our consumption of propane gas. From 2009 to 2010 a reduction of 655 liters was achieved, which translates into 0.8842 metric tons of CO2 not released into the atmosphere.
• Electricity usage has also seen a decrease from 2009 to 2010: 26,776 KWh less, which represents 88,151 fewer metric tons of CO2 released into the atmosphere.

Community Projects and their Results:

As previously mentioned, community projects are coordinated by the Haciendas del Mundo Maya foundation.

Promotion of Community Businesses:

We work in coordination with community groups to support initiatives designed to generate income for the member families and promote the creation of micro businesses in the form of sustainable cooperatives with a special focus on gender. In addition, we help them in obtaining financing, also providing a portion of the funds needed for training, tools, equipment, and certification (WFTO – World Fair Trade Organization); assistance is also provided by the foundation to locate markets or buyers that will provide a fair price for their work.

Goals:

·   Profitability of the cooperatives.

·   Social and economic improvement for the members of the cooperative.

·   Business management of the undertaking to be taken over by cooperative members.

·   Administrative management of agricultural enterprises to be assumed by cooperatives.

Taller Maya Boutique (Mayan Artisans Boutique)

Directly facing the Hacienda Puerta Campeche is a Mayan artisan’s boutique which offers products made by Mayan artisans and renowned designers such as Sandra Gutiérrez and Claudía Muñoz (México) and Roxana Liendro (Argentina); the pieces are one-of-a-kind works of art that combine traditional Mayan techniques and materials with cutting edge design.

Through the sale of their art, the artisans obtain income that permits them to support their families. In addition, the boutique serves as a venue where both hotel guests and the general public can not only admire the artisans work but also see the benefits generated by the project.

www.tallermaya.com

Results

•       A newly designed children’s clothing line called Colección Mosaicos has been introduced; the designs are based on the original pasta tile floors of the haciendas as well as local flora and fauna.

•       The amenities and decoration in the Hacienda Puerta Campeche guest rooms and its restaurant are produced in the artisan workshops.

Puerta Campeche Spa

The Spa Therapists program is the result of the search for new opportunities of development for women in the communities. The Haciendas have set aside areas in each property in which local therapists could work. This, in turn, permitted the creation of a cooperative which provides spa services to the hotels.

One of the unique characteristics of the Spa is its therapists, who have inherited an ancient Mayan technique known as “sobada” and have the power to heal through their hands.

This knowledge is being transmitted from these therapists to the younger women of their communities, who not only learn these ancestral skills but also see their value and application in the modern world. The skills that these women possess allow guests to experience a truly unique and magical escape through a combination of peaceful, spiritual rest and the ancient healing traditions of the Maya.

Results:

Therapists were trained to perform Ying and Yang massage treatments as well as facials.

• A total of 357 spa services were realized which represented an income to the cooperative of $139,008.35 pesos.
• An average monthly income of $770.81 pesos per therapist was reported; this in addition to the income received from the “Taller Maya” artisans workshops.

Awards

• Silver Certification, Earth Check
• “Global Vision Award” - 2010 - Travel and Leisure - in the category Artisan Revival for The Haciendas efforts in promoting architectural, cultural and artisans revival in the Yucatan Peninsula
• “World Saver’s Award” – 2009 - Conde Nast Traveler
• “Best Employers México” - 2007‐2008 - Hewitt
• “TO DO!” – 2007 - Worldwide International Tourism Exchange (ITB) Fair, Berlín, Germany
• “Investor in People Award” – 2005 - World Travel and Tourism Council, Tourism for Tomorrow Awards