Italian Gold illuminated at Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda

Green Globe recently awarded Gold status to Lefay Resort & SPA Lago di Garda marking five consecutive years of certification.

Chief Executive Officer Liliana Leali said, “Very proud of having been the first Southern Europe Property to be Green Globe certified. Today we are honoured to achieve Gold status. Our business vision is deeply committed in offering a green excellence in luxury hospitality and it is our goal to continue improving all our sustainable pratices to ensure a consistent future for the business as it further expands.”

Lefay’s green commitment is evident in the detail given in acquiring international ecological certification for its natural beauty products, ensuring that staff meet recognised standards with training in holistic beauty treatments and the implementation of a carbon offset program.

Certified Wellness

In addition to the ISO 14001 and ISO 9001 certifications, Lefay has also obtained Being Organic and Ecological SPA issued by Ecocert, a French certification body. Lefay SPA, the first property in Italy and the fourth in the world to be awarded this new certificate, achieved the Excellence Level thanks to three distinctive aspects: the uniqueness of the Lefay SPA Method treatments and health programmes together with the commitment dedicated to training and to the professional development of staff, the exceptional comfort of the cabins which offer guests an incomparable relaxing experience, and measures put into practice for the sustainable management of the wellness area. To obtain this certification at least 50% of the treatments offered on site must use certified organic cosmetics. To comply with this standard, Lefay undertook a strict review of the protocols and products used in treatments. This led to the successful certifications of the Lefay SPA cosmetic line, which is entirely cruelty free and vegan OK certified.

Lefay People

The key to the success of Lefay Resorts is the excellent qualities and performance of people who work there. For this reason, staff members upon entering the Lefay world, become part of a Team that is driven and motivated to achieve excellence, have opportunities to increase their professional development, and enjoy the many benefits that are unique in this area of Italy.

Great attention is also dedicated to staff training, which is divided into three categories. During the year each member of staff attend special training courses as required (eg. foreign language courses, customer relations courses and management of guests suffering from celiac disease) in order to develop or improve the specific skills required in their designated role. In addition, other courses are held on specific topics including Health and Safety, HACCP and Privacy, waste management and management of allergies. Each staff member of the SPA department attends a specific training course, which involves the Lefay SPA training coordinators, medical experts and representatives specialised in the various holistic disciplines. Each staff member is given a training manual that summarises the theory behind courses attended, the number of on-the-job training hours carried out to achieve the necessary qualifications to perform treatments on guests and the assessments given following periodic inspections, which evaluate the level of preparation undertaken by each individual and their respect for Lefay SPA’s standards. A professional certificate is presented at the end of the course.

Neutralization of CO2 emissions

Since 2011 Lefay Resorts has dedicated itself toward tackling the issue of CO2 emissions. In the same year, on the 20th December in Rome, the company signed a voluntary agreement with the Ministry of the Environment for the promotion of projects aimed at assessing a specific environmental footprint and, in particular,  calculating a carbon footprint and reducing greenhouses gas emissions. After calculating the emissions of CO2 at Lefay Resort & SPA, the Lefay Total Green project sought to offset by purchasing an equal number of credits on the international market. The first year of compensation was in 2013. Compensation is made by discounting the outstanding share of carbon emissions against the purchase of CER credits recognised by the UN, in compliance with the provisions of the Kyoto protocol. The program aims to cut CO2 emmissions and other greenhouse gases in both developing and other countries. All details are outlined in the Lefay Sustainability Report, published each year since 2013.

About Green Globe Certification

Green Globe is the worldwide sustainability system based on internationally accepted criteria for sustainable operation and management of travel and tourism businesses. Operating under a worldwide license, Green Globe is based in California, USA and is represented in over 83 countries.  Green Globe is an Affiliate Member of the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO). For information, please visit greenglobe.com.

MEDIA CONTACT: Bradley Cox, Director of Communications, Green Globe Certification, 5230 Pacific Concourse Drive, Suite 102, Los Angeles, California 90045, U.S.A., phone +1-310-337-3000, fax +1-310-626-9982, Email [email protected] , web www.greenglobe.com