Eco-friendly travel, which has a positive impact on the planet, may bring to mind images of roughing it in the wilderness but, throughout the world, you can enjoy luxury with a conscience as there are many resorts that are both green and glamorous.

Here in the country, one such resort is the 95-room Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa, the only luxury resort along Sabang Beach within the equally eco-friendly city of Puerto Princesa in Palawan.

The Sheridan Beach Resort & Spa, built in 2010, was developed and operated by Jeco Development Corp. The resort, known for its energy-efficiency projects, is where one can truly take a vacation -- without the guilt trip. Wind turbines cover about 70 percent to 80 percent of Sheridan’s electricity requirements. During rainy days or when the solar plant cannot produce energy, or when there is scarce wind to power the wind turbines, the resort has backup generators. The resort also has a catch basin for rainwater and a water-recycling system in place. They also use light-emitting diode lighting and their air conditioners use inverters. They also have green landscape features and architecture, so they don’t use air-conditioning in their hallways. The resort also takes great pains to maintain the gorgeous, gradually sloping and sugary fine Sabang Beach. On March 3, 2014, as a reward for its efforts, the city government, through the Oplan Linis Program, conferred the Clean & Green Award (Beaches Category) to the resort.

On September 30, 2014, this “green” resort was awarded the Sustainable Energy Finance Award of the International Finance Corp. through the Bank of the Philippine Islands, one among the seven honored for promoting energy efficiency and renewable energy at the recently concluded Energy Smart Forum organized by the European Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines.

The resort’s minimalist-style guestrooms are tastefully furnished and decorated in a contemporary Asian style with a touch of local culture. All have split-type air conditioners, a spacious private ensuite bathroom with hot and cold shower, flat-screen cable TV with a DVD player, minibar, hair dryer, in-room safe and tea- and coffee-making facility. The suites and the Palawan and Sabang Rooms have bathtubs. For groups and families, there are 13 connecting rooms. Wi-Fi is offered at the lobby and restaurant. In 2014 Booking.com gave the resort an Award of Excellence for achieving an overall guest review score of 8.5/10.

It’s big, 340-feet-long, 4-foot-deep swimming pool, said to be the largest in Palawan, has chaise lounges that are actually partly submerged. The swim-up Sip n’ Dip Bar is in the middle, while three jacuzzis are located on the sides. There are plenty of dedicated lifeguards on duty here. A small but excellent outdoor workout gym overlooks the pool. The nearby Sheridan Nature Spa Village offers its signature, healing and truly relaxing hilot massage.

The beachfront, 24-hour South Sea Restaurant, overlooking Sabang Beach on one side and the Saint Paul’s Peak on the other, offers an a la carte menu of the finest local and international gourmet cuisine, great seafood, pasta and delicious oven-brick pizza, with healthy options of organic ingredients straight from the resort’s very own organic farm where 80 percent of the resort’s food requirements are sourced (including organic rice). Couples can also avail themselves of romantic, four-course set dinners by the beach. Facing the beach are benches, sundeck chairs, small tables and cozy, woven reed hammocks under shady coconut trees where one can sit or lie down, nap, read or listen to the waves crashing around you.

The resort also has a coffee shop, a bar/lounge by the beach, kiddie swimming pool, 24-hour front desk, convention center, smoking area, shared lounge/TV area, children’s playground, sauna, a sports bar (darts, billiards, table tennis), a giant chess board, barbecue facilities, library near the lobby, game room, and business center. They also offer Segway, beach bikes, ATV rides, watersport facilities (surfboards, wakeboards, kayaks, body board, etc.), as well as Puerto Princesa Underground River (this member of the New Seven Wonders of Nature is just a stone’s throw away) tours, the 800-meter-long Sabang X Zipline tours (where you zip over the sea), and the highly educational Mangrove Paddle Boat tours. 

Source: Business Mirror