Acquired international certification "Green Glove"

2026/01/30

Grand Mercure Lake Hamana Resort & Spa has obtained Green Globe certification.

Green Grove is a certification program based on international standards developed for the travel and tourism industry that evaluates sustainable initiatives not only through environmental conservation but also through indicators that include social and cultural aspects.

Surrounded by the rich nature where the hotel is located, Hamanako is a place where the beautiful environment that shows the seasonal expression and the culture and history rooted in the region have been nurtured.
In order to connect this precious natural environment and local communities to the future, Grand Mercure Lake Hamana Resort & Spa operates a variety of sustainability activities as the center of hotel management, providing guests with comfortable stays, and working daily to provide eco-friendly options for both the earth and the community.

Certification of Green Globe

The Green Grove was born in the wake of Agenda 21 at the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 to apply the principles of sustainable development to the tourism industry and is based in Los Angeles. He is also a supporting member of the U.N. World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and has certification programs in more than 80 countries around the world. Based on four themes: sustainable management (corporate environmental and social policies, employee education, supplier management, etc.), socio-economics (local job creation, fair working conditions, contribution to local communities, etc.), cultural heritage (protecting historical and cultural heritage, supporting local cultural activities, etc.), and the environment (energy and water consumption, waste management, biodiversity protection, etc.), we have established 44 standards and over 400 compliance indicators to evaluate comprehensive sustainability, including not only environmental conservation but also social and cultural aspects. In order to obtain certification, not only document screening but also on-site audits by an independent third-party organization are required, and once a year after acquisition, the certification is reviewed to see if the standards are met.

Grand Mercure Lake Hamana Resort & Spa achieved 80% of the above indicators on January 16, 2026 and obtained certification.

 

Various Initiatives in Grand Mercure Lake Hamana Resort & Spa

■Initiatives in Rooms

With the aim of balancing consideration for the natural environment with comfortable and comfortable stays, we are promoting the following initiatives in guest rooms.

1. Installation of Reusable Water Bottles and Water Servers

2. Amenities using biomass materials
Amenities are made of biomass-derived materials with less environmental impact.

3. Reduction of disposable plastic and reuse of towels
As part of the reduction of disposable plastic, bath amenities have been gradually switched to bottle type. In addition, we ask for cooperation in reuse of towels during our stay, and reduce the use of water resources and electricity by reducing the washing process.

■Initiatives at Restaurants

At the restaurant in the hotel, we are working to reduce food loss, recycle resources, and use sustainable ingredients.

1. Introduction of automatic toweling machine
Instead of conventional individually-packed paper towels, a machine that automatically emits paper towels when pressing a button is introduced. You can eliminate vinyl packaging and reduce the total amount of paper towels used.

2. Reduce food loss by rice robo
Introduced automatic rice cooking system "Rice Robo". We provide optimal rice cooking according to the amount provided to reduce food loss.

3. Use of environmentally friendly cutlery
For straws and madlers, materials with less environmental impact such as wood and biomass are selected. We are working to reduce the amount of disposable plastic.

4. Rainforest Alliance Certified Coffee
The coffee machine uses Rainforest Alliance certified coffee, produced in sustainable farming. We support initiatives that lead to conservation of nature and support for farmers.

5． Winnow (Food Loss Management System AI)
Reduce food loss by leveraging AI systems that measure and manage food leftovers in restaurants.

■Initiatives in Public Space

Water-saving frame of the shower head in the public bath is installed to reduce the amount of water used.

■Events and Local Activities

1.Participated in Operation Hamanako Clean