Sustainability Programs a Guiding Light at Pueblo Bonito Resorts

Innovative eco-friendly practices that protect the environment have been a mainstay at Pueblo Bonito Resorts for more than 35 years. Since the early days, management embraced its role as an environmental custodian—first, in Mazatlán and later, in Los Cabos, nurturing conservation as a core value.

Flash forward to the present. Pueblo Bonito Vantage San Miguel de Allende, the hospitality company’s new luxury brand and its first urban, European Plan (EP) hotel, will open February 15, 2025. This stylish property is a short walk from an enchanting colonial city designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.

To honor its fabled address, the hotel is pursuing LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environment Design) certification. This globally recognized rating system certifies the sustainability of buildings, homes and neighborhoods. LEED-certified buildings use less energy and water, create less waste, and preserve land and habitat.

As part of the LEED certification, Pueblo Bonito Vantage will participate in local and international energy saving initiatives such as Earth Hour, Plant a Tree and others. The property is also committed to preserving local flora and saving water, a key resource in Mexico’s central highlands.

In advance of opening, the hotel has already created signature sustainability programs. For example, glass bottles for use in the hotel’s dining areas will be filled at its own natural and sparkling water bottling plant. In partnership with a local farm, seasonal fruits and vegetables will be grown organically for guest consumption. Products such as cheeses, honey and chocolate will be sourced from nearby communities, as will items made by regional artisans.

The deep-seated environmental focus at Pueblo Bonito Vantage is a culmination of the hospitality company’s early eco-friendly commitments. For decades the company has participated in beach and river clean-ups in Los Cabos to reduce waste, improve habitats, and prevent harm to wildlife and humans.

A turtle protection and release program has been ongoing for years in Los Cabos and Mazatlán. In November and December, guests can release turtle hatchlings from their protected nests into the sea, greatly increasing their chances of survival.

In one case, Pueblo Bonito Resorts has raised its recycling efforts to a fine art. The San Miguel Blown Glass Factory collects up to two tons of recycled empty bottles from the hotels each month. The glass is cleaned, melted and transformed it into colorful hearts and figurines. In a perfect circle of sustainability, Pueblo Bonito not only supplies the raw material for the glass pieces, the resort company buys back the creations to display around its hotels and communities. These items are also for sale in the resorts’ gift shops. This inspired recycling initiative sends a clear message to enlightened travelers who prize sustainability efforts and who want to see local communities benefit from their visits.

Water is a precious resource in Los Cabos, which occupies a subtropical desert that receives very little rainfall. Consequently, Quivira Los Cabos was conceived and designed to ensure that residents and guests have access to water while preserving the municipality’s water sources by not depending on its supply.

Quivira’s desalination plants are a prime example of advanced technology, converting seawater into potable drinking water. Every day, these plants produce more than 4.65 million liters of safe, drinkable water.

The world-class Jack Nicklaus Signature course at Quivira Golf Club is surfaced from tee to green in paspalum, a salt-tolerant, disease-resistant grass varietal that uses a fraction of the chemicals and pesticides required by normal grasses. The entire course is irrigated with recycled water generated by two wastewater treatment plants. Treated water is also used to irrigate green areas throughout the development, creating a more sustainable community. This was Pueblo Bonito Resorts’ top priority from the very beginning.