Our engagement : preserve the environment as much as possible, use or consume natural materials and products, and to favor in all respects the use of human resources and natural resources of our village and the surrounding villages, by adapting, if necessary, the hotel service to these two priorities.
Local jobs, for a circular economy
All the fittings and constructions of the hotel were carried out by masons, carpenters, carpenters, workers within a radius of 5 km, and they always take care of it. The highly technical work was entrusted to companies from Antananarivo, but their maintenance is ensured by plumbers, electricians, Sainte Marie mechanics.
All hotel employees were recruited from the villages around Sainte Marie Lodge, and have been patiently trained in hospitality and tourism trades : housekeeping and laundry, cuisine, maintenance of green areas, guidance, etc.. We are not "little proud" of the result ! Each of our employees has been able to adapt to the Western way of life while maintaining their Saint-Marienne identity, thus creating real cohesion.
Today, all of our staff and ourselves are vaccinated against Covid to protect you ! And for obvious reasons, we are "on horseback" on the basics of hygiene and prevention. Every day, with or without client, all rooms are ventilated, cleaned and defective equipment is immediately reported and replaced.
Responsible purchasing and water management
For constructions and installations, everything is local and made of natural materials except cement : For concrete, granite carving and quarrying from Maromandia, sand end of Anivorano ; for roofs, partitions and furniture, hardwoods like Nanto and Intsy, and other natural materials, like the leaves of the traveler's tree (Ravenala), the raffia palm, the Penjy and the assembly lianas. The materials used for the dining room are mainly wood, guarantee of sustainability.
The water falls abundantly at Sainte Marie, two meters of precipitation per year ... but runs directly into the sea, and from October to December, very little rain. We must therefore avoid wasting it. We operate with a well and a pluvarium, collecting water from the roofs in large reserves (20 m3). On the other hand, we closely manage the consumption of showers, with economical equipment and time slots for the use of showers intelligently adapted to your needs, before breakfast and before dinner. Laundry and dishes are done by hand, no aquavores machines !
Energy and waste
The north of Sainte Marie is not electrified ... which explains the virtual absence of tourist facilities, and thus preserves the authenticity of the environment and the nonchalance of the villagers from the nuisances of over-frequentation.
The most economical solution, was to equip itself with a large diesel generator, super polluting. What we did at the beginning ... Since 2017, we have made the choice to minimize electricity consumption as much as possible, and fuel pollution.
A solar installation now provides for lighting and small equipment needs, kind chargers, TV and wifi, and refrigerated food storage, using the most efficient equipment in terms of electricity consumption.
The filtration pumps for the swimming pool and the water supply to the water chambers consume too much for solar energy, we have selected the best material, and we can limit their operation to about 7 hours per day, with small gasoline generators.
Ultimately, we were able to drastically reduce our pollution, from about 40 liters of diesel per day in 2012 to 7 liters of gasoline today. Waiting for better, "zero energy pollution" is not far away!
We produce very little waste, working as much as possible with fresh or bulk products. Everything that can be is cremated, and the little that remains is buried. Human waste is disposed of with natural septic tanks, without using any chemicals.
