OUR ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL PRACTICES
At Hotel San Cristóbal, sustainability is not a program, it’s a practice embedded in how we operate every day.
LOCALLY HARVESTED
Our menu features dishes and beverages made with ingredients grown in our own garden. The garden serves as a primary source of produce, with the team regularly harvesting fresh ingredients to incorporate into dishes at Benno, the pool bar, and Cosecha. What we can’t grow ourselves, we source as locally as possible —reducing shipping-related waste while keeping money within the community.
- 80% of our food suppliers are Mexican, and we prioritize vignerons who farm biodynamically, naturally, or organically
PROTECTING LOCAL WILDLIFE
The Pacific coast of Baja is home to humpback whales, sea turtles, and some of the most biodiverse marine ecosystems in Mexico. We take our responsibility to protect wildlife seriously, and believe responsible tourism starts with the people who know these waters best.
- Facilitated a workshop for local fishermen and tour guides on whale ecology, whale-watching best practices, and maritime safety, in accordance with SEMARNAT (Secretariat of Environment and Natural Resources)
- Made annual donations to the local sea turtle conservation camp over the past five years
WATER MANAGEMENT
In a desert on the Pacific, water isn’t taken for granted. Hotel San Cristóbal operates its own wastewater treatment plant and desalination plant — making the hotel largely self-sufficient in drinking water without drawing from the community’s supply. Treated water is fully repurposed for irrigation, eliminating the need for potable water to maintain green areas.
- Self-sufficient potable water through desalination
- Zero reliance on local freshwater sources for landscaping
- Greywater is reused for irrigation, saving the equivalent of approximately 360 water tanker trucks per year
COMPREHENSIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT
Hotel San Cristóbal adheres to a rigorous waste separation program, and our team members are continuously trained to ensure that all standards are met. As part of the program, all waste is meticulously sorted and weighed before leaving the property in order to track it and identify opportunities for further reduction. All cardboard, aluminum, recyclables, and glass are sorted separately, and all organic waste is deposited into our own compost piles or sent to a local pig farm. The hotel has also implemented a strict zero-plastic policy and provides purified drinking water to all in-house guests.
- Ongoing staff training in comprehensive waste practices through our partnership with Cero Basura (Zero Waste)
- Diverted 68.8% of total property waste from local landfills
- Reduced plastic bag use by 50%, keeping roughly 1,530 bags out of landfills every year
- Generated 1,560 kg of compost, used directly in our on-property garden to supply all three restaurants
- Recycled 150 kg of glass, cardboard, and plastics
LET’S TAKE CARE OF PUNTA LOBOS
For the past three years, Hotel San Cristóbal team members have participated in bimonthly community service efforts, many of which benefit the environment, such as community-wide trash collection and beach cleanups.
- Bimonthly cleanups sustained over 3+ years
- Coverage of 5 km of dirt road and 800 m of beachfront from Todos Santos to Punta Lobos
- Removal of single-use plastics, tires, cardboard, household trash, and abandoned appliances
- Co-creation of a long-term community waste management strategy for Punta Lobos Beach with Cero Basura
- Beyond the cleanups, this program has raised awareness, inspired other institutions to participate, and strengthened the bond between HSC staff, the community, and the land
EDUCATION & COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
We believe long-term sustainability depends on investing in people. Through partnerships with local schools and organizations, we support education, skill-building, and community well-being.
By creating career opportunities for young people in the community, the local economy is strengthened, families are encouraged to remain in their home region, and these efforts help mitigate the impacts of gentrification. Investing in local talent not only raises the quality of service but also fosters more equitable and sustainable development for Todos Santos.
- In alliance with CECyT 02 Todos Santos, the local public high school, Hotel San Cristóbal has created a dual education program that brings students into the hotel four days a week to train across departments in a real hospitality environment.
- Supported the renovation of CECyT’s hotel-training classroom, which had gone 23 years without maintenance, by donating repair services and furniture from the hotel.
- Experts from Hotel San Cristóbal deliver talks and workshops on hospitality in alignment with the school’s curriculum.
- Provide psycho-emotional health support to Casa del Estudiante (a site that provides housing and meals to young people from rural communities and nearby ranches to support their high school studies) through a series of workshops in partnership with Community Psyche.
- Leased land to The Palapa Society so the non-profit organization can host community sports activities.
- In the process of installing water stations in four public schools, benefiting 1,261 students while reducing single-use plastic.
SUPPORTING THE COMMUNITY
Hotel San Cristóbal makes regular contributions to daily life in Todos Santos by providing sporting equipment for kids, supporting local NGOs, supplying materials for community celebrations, and supporting infrastructure for organizations doing meaningful work. We also host Cero Basura’s annual fundraising event, providing space and logistics so their work can continue.
- Sports equipment, travel fees, and gear for youth athletic programs
- Material and operational support for local NGOs (mattresses, equipment maintenance, etc.)
- Host venue for Cero Basura’s annual fundraiser
- Contributions to local cultural festivities throughout the year
