Four Seasons Resort Hualālai Enhances Green Initiatives With King’s Pond Eco-Crescent

KONA, HAWAI‘I -- Four Seasons Resort Hualālai at Historic Ka‘ūpūlehu, the first and only AAA Five-Diamond and Forbes Five-Star resort on Hawai‘i Island, announces the King’s Pond Eco-Crescent. This crescent of 65 rooms surrounding the King’s Pond pool experience has been enhanced, allowing guests of these rooms to reduce their carbon footprint during their stay.

Enhancements include:

• Disposable water bottles have been replaced with ceramic carafes and cups. Water is refreshed daily, and refilling stations are also available for guest use
• Insulated water bottles (BPA-free) are available for in-room purchase, with a donation going towards the Resort’s partnership with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods
• Disposable bath amenity bottles (shampoo, conditioner and body lotion) have been replaced with refillable pump dispensers
• Disposable terrycloth slippers have been replaced with reusable rubber spa sandals
• Paper collateral in room has been minimized, with remaining being made from recycled and biodegradable materials
• Automatic enrollment in the Green Linen program, limiting bed linen changes to every third day
• Incandescent light bulbs have been replaced with compact fluorescent light bulbs

“The Eco-Crescent at King’s Pond is the latest enhancement in our continued commitment to bettering our environment and be a leader in doing so,” says Robert Whitfield, regional vice president and general manager of Four Seasons Resort Hualālai. “We take great pride in this commitment throughout the Resort and within our community.”

The Resort’s other efforts include:

• Sustainable Cuisine – Executive Chef James Babian and his team work with over 160 farmers and fishermen on the island, providing guests resort-wide with food that is 75% from Hawaii Island.
• Legacy Koa Forest – In partnership with Hawaiian Legacy Hardwoods, Four Seasons has committed to planting 500,000 legacy (never to be harvested) koa trees on the island.
• Waste Management - Comprehensive mixed recycling program throughout the Resort for glass, aluminum, paper, and plastic. Green waste (landscape) is taken to off-site compost facility and re-introduced into the Resort. Grease waste is shipped to Maui for bio-diesel conversion. Select linens are recycled by seamstress into aprons. Discarded linens and towels are recycled as rags within the Resort or donated to local charities. Yukata robes are recycled by seamstress into mini yukata robes for teddy bear amenities. Greeter station/gate is a self-sufficient building (solar panels that run on distilled water.)
• Water Conservation - Water from private wells are pre-treated through reverse osmosis as drinking water. Pre- and post-treatment water is processed on-property wastewater treatment facility. "Gray" water is used to irrigate the golf course and surrounding grounds. Landscaping team sprays plants with about 500 gallons per week of compost tea, a liquid concentrate of microorganisms that feed and stimulate the soil, which in turn produces nutrients for the plant. The plants also absorb this "tea" through its leaves, boosting its ability to ward off diseases and insects.
• Natural Resources - Restoration of Waiakauhi Fishpond, a three-acre historic fishpond and waterbird habitat. Lake Pūnāwai - a man-made, self-sustaining, low-energy, three-million gallon, self-cleaning pond is the "water feature" of the 5th Hole on the exclusive Ke‘olu Golf Course. It is a mini-ecosystem, a "living machine." This project won an EPA Award in 2005. Pond tours are offered to guests, local schools, organizations, and seniors clubs. King’s Pond is a 1.8-million gallon swimming aquarium, home to over 3,000 fish from75 different species. A variety of educational programs are offered daily here, conducted by marine scientists.

All guests staying at the resort on Earth Day, April 22, 2012, will have a legacy koa tree planted in their honour, as part of the Resort’s partnership with HLH to plant 500,000 trees on the island.

The Resort also announces the Eco-Crescent Package, allowing guests to further offset their carbon footprint during their stay. This package includes nightly accommodations in the King’s Pond Eco-Crescent, daily breakfast buffet for two and a legacy koa tree planted in the guest’s honour.

For more information and reservations, please call toll-free (888) 340-5662, contact your travel professional (chain code FS) or visit .