GETTING AWAY

A Sustaining Place

If there’s one thing that posh resorts do better than anybody else, it’s one up on upgrades. And sustainability is no exception. Organic produce is so yesterday — try biodynamic. And just eco-friendly is so passé.

As the self-proclaimed world’s first geogreen resort, The Sheraton at Wild Horse Pass charged its “GeoGreen Team” to consider not just the environment. Geotourism looks at sustainability from a five-fold perspective, measuring a properties practices not only by their impact on the environment, but pulling its culture, aesthetics, heritage and the well-being of its residents into the equation.

On the old-fashioned greening front, their efforts include recycling grease for biofuels, composting at the equestrian center, trading in their courtesy vehicles for hybrid models and trading out bottled water for that sourced from the Gila River Indian Community.

Beyond these, the Sheraton — located on the Gila River Indian Community — was already positioned among the culturally aware, showcasing Native American artifacts amidst their luxury resort trappings. However, through the geogreening process, they have upped their heritage and cultural offerings to include among other things, a Cultural Concierge, Storytelling and Song Program and an arts and crafts initiative.

The Sheraton offers up an interesting challenge to tourism properties. Through their model, Sheraton visitors — even those disinclined to leave the resort premises — still receive a taste of their destination’s geographic character. It’s just experienced in air conditioning … with perhaps a massage thrown in. 602-221-0100, wildhorsepassresort.com