It is with great pleasure that Alexander Chetchikov, President of the World Luxury Chamber of Commerce, interviews Mr. Amadou O.M Njie, Group-Chief Operating Officer of Papagayo Beach Hotel & Resort. The hotel & resort was recently recognized as one of the TOP 100 Sustainable Hotels & Resorts of the World for its outstanding commitment to sustainability.  

In this interview, Alexander eagerly explores the vision behind Papagayo’s remarkable journey toward environmental responsibility, the sustainable practices that have contributed to their prestigious recognition, and how Mr. Amadou’s leadership is shaping a more eco-conscious future for the hospitality industry. 

Alexander Chetchikov: Mr. Amadou, congratulations on the success of Papagayo Beach Hotel & Resort, especially in your commitment to sustainability. Can you share what inspired Papagayo’s focus on environmental responsibility, and how that vision has evolved over the years? 

Mr. Amadou: Thank you, Alexander. This is great news for me and the entire team of Papagayo Curacao as winners of this prestigious award. This is a great achievement, and it means a lot to me. At Papagayo Curacao, we pride ourselves as pioneers in sustainability in Curacao. As we all are aware of the challenges posed by global warming with half of the world’s wetlands disappearing and the high cost of water and electricity rising every year. It is important for a hotel group to adapt to sound business practices which are in line with sustainable development. 

AC: Could you walk us through some of the key initiatives you’ve implemented at the resort, and how they align with your sustainability goals? 

Mr. A: Over the past years, Papagayo Curacao has invested heavily in sustainability and has implemented many initiatives to involve our team, guests, and the local community. 

In 2021 more than half a million was invested in a wastewater processing plant to process and recycle all water used in the guest rooms and other areas of the company to be recycled and reused for the hotel garden and plaza area. 

We have also a mentorship program that we do with university students from different universities in Europe and Curacao in the area of circular economy. I am now with my fourth group of students completing their mentorship program in January 2025. 

We also introduced in our restaurants, a total ban on single-use plastic in 2023 and can proudly say that this helps a lot in reaching goals in sustainable operations. 

There is also a small pineapple garden in the hotel where fresh pineapples are harvested once in a while to educate and inform our team and students that it’s possible to grow pineapple in Curacao instead of importing it to save carbon footprint. 

AC: One of the challenges in hospitality is reducing energy consumption. Papagayo has made impressive strides in energy management. What were some of the biggest hurdles you faced, and how did you overcome them? 

Mr. A: As a hotelier, it’s important to note that water and electricity costs are the top operational costs in running a hotel. This can make you or break you. It’s important to keep this under control for the profitability and sustainability of a company. At Papagayo Curacao. We have taken several initiatives to tackle these issues of the high rising cost of energy and water within the region. 

• We have installed a solar system in the hotel which produces 360,000kwh per year. 
• We have also installed a smart building power monitoring system in the hotel to monitor power usage within the hotel & resort to be able to take action right away when issues arise. 
• Changing of all outdoor lights and parking lot lights from electric to solar-powered in 2023.
• All electric boilers will be changed to solar-powered in 2022. 
• Pressure control valves are also installed in each building of the hotel to control and reduce excess usage of water. 
• We also encourage the reuse of towels in guest rooms to promote more sustainable ways in preserving water. This is also communicated during check-in and during guest stay. 

All this has greatly helped in reducing the cost of energy and water within our organization. 

AC: Beyond the resort’s physical operations, how does Papagayo engage its guests in sustainability practices? Could you highlight any initiatives designed to encourage guests to participate in your green efforts? 

Mr. A: Beyond the operation, we engage with our guests by sharing our vision and mission of sustainability on all our social media sites and during check-in. We also share data on our website using our corporate responsibility report. There are also recycle bins all over the hotel and beach with signs displaying our sustainable initiatives. 

AC: The resort is known for reducing water usage and investing in water management systems. What role do you see water conservation playing in the long-term future of hospitality, especially in regions like the Caribbean? 

Mr. A: Thank you once again for this great question. Our role as Papagayo Curacao in conserving water will help to maintain the ecosystems while supporting biodiversity and ecological stability within the region. 

AC: Papagayo’s sustainability efforts are multifaceted. How do you balance these initiatives with the luxury experience that guests expect? 

Mr. A: We balance our sustainability effort with luxury to meet guest expectations by carefully redesigning our product with our vision of sustainability without affecting the service we give to our guests. E.g. Asking guests to reuse towels, dual flush bathrooms, etc. 

AC: From a leadership perspective, how do you inspire your team to embrace sustainability as a core value? What steps do you take to ensure all levels of staff are engaged in achieving the company’s green goals? 

Mr. A: We engage our staff by communicating our vision and goals, providing training and support, and also involving them in decision-making. This has helped us greatly in achieving our yearly goals and shaping the future of our organization. 

AC: Finally, looking ahead, what do you envision for Papagayo Beach Curacao in terms of its future sustainability initiatives? What other eco-friendly innovations can we expect from Papagayo in the next five to ten years? 

Mr. A: As a leading hotel & resort in sustainability, we are looking in to expanding our solar project to other parts of our organization. Our aim is to go completely green by 2030. We will also continue to invest in training our staff and engage the local community to preserve and protect our ecosystem. 

It has been a privilege to learn about the innovative and impactful sustainability efforts at Papagayo Beach Resort. Mr. Amadou’s leadership in transforming the hospitality industry to be more eco-conscious is truly inspiring. Thank you to Mr. Amadou for his time and invaluable insights. 

To learn more about the hotel and their initiatives, visit https://www.papagayo.com/