Improving sustainability whilst maintaining a luxury experience

At Atmosphere Resorts & Spa we combine the warmest of Philippine hospitality with first-class service and amenities. We are beautifully situated on a spectacular beachfront location within a seven-acre coconut plantation on the island of Negros, just south of Dumaguete city. As a leading luxury boutique resort in the Philippines, we are dedicated to improving our sustainability efforts whilst maintaining a luxury guests experience. We are aware of our potential negative impact on the environment and are committed to limiting such effects.

The implementation of a long-term sustainable management system enables us to identify and address integral social, cultural and environmental issues. The primary purpose is to guide decision making, management and daily operations in a sustainable manner.

Our full Sustainability Policy can be accessed here.

Community Development & the Atmosphere Soup Kitchen (ASK)

Atmosphere has created, and continues to support many local initiatives, bringing further social and economic benefits to the local community, such as the Atmosphere Soup Kitchen (ASK). ASK began in 2011 and is located within one of the most impoverished areas of Dumaguete. It’s aim is direct and simple – to  provide school children between 6 – 12 years of age with a healthy lunch 5 days a week, whilst they are attend school. Guests are welcome to join our visits to ASK twice a week, and are able to make donations and volunteer at the kitchen during their stay. For more information please contact rolyn@atmosphereresorts.com.

Supporting local businesses

Responsible sourcing of products used throughout the resort has enabled us to support local and environmentally conscious suppliers, from the soft furnishings in the rooms, the food served within the restaurant, and the items available within the resort boutique.

  • Lumago Designs – Founded in 2011, Lumago provided alternative livelihoods for women whose families had suffered following a devastating typhoon, and continues to grow and flourish. Beautiful jewellery creations are made from up-cycled materials such as paper, drink cans and scraps of fabric, and sold throughout the Philippines, including in our boutique.
  • EcoVie – Based in Cebu, Philippines, EcoVie transforms waste materials into beautiful soft furnishings seen in our luxurious rooms.
  • Anthill  – Also based in Cebu, Anthill weaves traditional Filipino fabrics and have developed a no-waste fabric, produced from waste pieces. It’s this beautiful fabric that adorns many of the soft furnishings within our rooms.

Environmental Stewardship

Our in-house marine biologist is at the forefront of ensuring we are not just maintaining our local environment, but working to improve its health and raise awareness with our guests. As the resort has developed, so have our efforts to ensure our impacts on the natural environment are minimised through;

  • Taking environmental ownership of our beach and house reef with regular clean-ups involving our guest. Data from these surveys contribute to global datasets on plastic pollution with Project AWARE and the Ocean Conservancy.
  • Raising environmental awareness with marine conservation focused presentations.
  • Guests are kindly asked not to remove coral, shells or sand from our beach.
  • Hosting school groups for service trips focusing on marine conservation and community outreach activities.
  • Working with local Non-Governmental Organisation, the Institute for Marine Research, who are gathering long-term monitoring data on the heath of Dauin’s coral reefs.

A plastic-free Atmosphere

In 2019 we joined Mission 2020, an online platform created by Fourth Element, for dive organisations around the world to publicly pledge to do something positive for the environment by World Oceans Day 2020 (8th June). We pledged;

“At Atmosphere Resorts & Spa, we have already made great strides in limiting our environmental impact. By World Oceans Day 2020, we pledge to have eliminated front of house single-use plastics and will continue to expand our sustainability and awareness raising efforts with our guests, suppliers and local community.”

This has led us to create single-use plastic free minibars, tea and coffee making facilities, as well as toiletries. We do not provide plastic straws or toothbrushes, instead offering natural bamboo alternatives. No plastic water or soda bottles are available on site, guests are provided with reusable aluminium bottles on arrival, and large refillable water containers within their rooms.

The Bigger Picture

Here at Atmosphere we are constantly striving to improve our sustainability, yet recognise we are part of a much bigger, global picture. Therefore our efforts are in line with the 2015 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Created in 2015 at the UN General Assembly, the 17 goals address global challenges including poverty, environmental degradation and inequality, and are the world’s blueprint to achieving a better, and more sustainable future for all.

Small things can go a long way and we want to encourage our guests to help us with the environment. Click here for a list of what we do – and what you can do – during your stay.