123 Main Street, New York, NY 10001
We Care
Land, water, food and fuel were always used wisely in the densely built Medieval Town, where people of different faiths and cultures lived side-by-side.
The walled city has been the home of thousands in times of peace, and a refuge to even more during long sieges and wars
The buildings now housing KÓKKINI PORTA ROSSA belonged for centuries to families whose way of living can be used as a model of autonomy, sustainability and social consciousness:
Little was used, nothing was wasted, no harm was done.
People cared for their surroundings, lived respectfully and were concerned about their neighbors’ wellbeing.
We try to follow their footsteps by:
- providing “good for all”, personalized hospitality,
- respecting our history, culture and tradition,
- supporting the local community,
- using less water, energy and chemicals,
- matching traditional practices, ways and materials with modern ones.
Our staff, as well as our suppliers, businesses and individuals whose services or products we source, share with us the same points of pride:
- respect for nature and people,
- love for everything “Rhodes”,
- philoxenía (the unconditional, warm welcoming of strangers),
- consummately professional attitude and performance.
Our way to a “Good For All” Hospitality:
Realizing our direct impact on the environment and our community, our choice is to work for a “Good for All” presence. We therefore:
- Employ, purchase, donate and invest locally,
- Finance and otherwise undertake the preservation of historical buildings,
- Volunteer repairs, maintenance and cleaning of parks and public areas,
- Promote local history, culture, products and cuisine,
- Highlight “hidden gems”, lesser known attractions, alternative activities,
- Do our best to improve the quality of tourism and relevant services in the region,
- Recommend worthy restaurants, shops, artisans and businesses,
- Point out out the ones to be avoided because of poor quality and business practices,
- Infuse a sense of pride, participation and partnership into people we work with,
- Happily exchange knowledge and experience with everyone interested,
- Find second homes for our replaced items (e.g. bed linen, towels, furniture, appliances, computers).
- Our own solar systems cover 45% of our energy needs,
- They provide hot water and generate electric power for storage,
- Stored energy is used for lighting in public areas, water purification and power cuts,
- LED light bulbs are installed in all indoor and outdoor lights,
- Energy efficient equipment is used to the extent possible,
- Sensors and timers regulate lighting and air conditioning in public areas,
- Air conditioners and most lights are automatically switched off when guests are not in their rooms
- Hot water tubing in walls. roofs and floors is effciently insulated,
- All windows and glass doors are double glazed and have wooden shutters,
- Bicycles are exclusively used for carrying persons, goods and luggage in the Medieval Town,
- Eco-friendly cars cover our transportation needs outside the walled city,
- Transport millage is reduced by purchasing from local suppliers.
- Water for housekeeping and for use in the suites, after going through a 4-stage filtration, is decalcified to minimize the use of detergents,
- A constantly replenished amount of 3.000 lit is hygienically stored for the event of shortage,
- Drinking and cooking water is used immediately after being multi-filtered and UV purified,
- Wasted water minimization:
- Part of the used tap water is filtered, purified and reused for irrigation & outdoors’ washing,
- Aerators, auto-timed drip irrigation and fountain recirculation pumps are used.
Our approach is to actively manage and reduce our waste by:
- Using less, reusing, repurposing, refilling and recycling to the extent possible,
- Salvaging and giving a second life to all kinds of items and materials,
- Purchasing recycled, recyclable, natural, biodegradable, and compostable materials to the extent possible,
- Having a system for filling reusable containers with purified drinking water:
- Sanitized glass bottles are filled for use in the hotel, and
- New, unused aluminium canisters are offered gratis to guests for when not in the hotel,
- Buying, storing and using foodsuffs wisely,
- Distributing excess food daily to those who need it.
It has been said that, when it comes to food, “we have an appetite for giving”.
However, our approach involves more:
- Local, fresh and (when possible) organic products are bought daily,
- Our sources are producers and suppliers we personally know and often visit,
- They all practice sustainable and responsible production and business methods,
- We grow our own herbs, herbal teas, aromatic plants and a small part of the fruit we use,
- Everything we serve is lovingly prepared in our kitchen,
- “No Wasted Food” is a key part of our ecological and social behavoir,
- Everything is purchased, stored and prepared wisely, depending on the season,
- Excess food is put to good use: it is daily distributed to those who have use for it,
- The rest is composted and used in fertilising our gardens.
In our efforts to drastically reduce the use of plastic:
- Detergents and cleaning liquids are bought in large, reusable containers,
- Drinking water is purified and offered in glass, refillable, sanitized bottles,
- Brand-new aluminium water canisters are complimentary for guests to take with them,
- Natural, sustainable materials are used instead of plastic whenever possible,
- Biodegradable, reusable and recyclable plastics are chosen when necessary,
- As soon as covid-19 precautions are lifted, refillable dispensers for personal care products will again be in our suites’ bathrooms,
- Nylon begs brought with our supplies are reused and eventually recycled.
Our gardens and terraces are simple, natural and sustainable. In their limited space, we are proud to:
- Grow native herbal teasy aromatic plants, spices and flowers,
- Look after our 300-year-old mulberry tree, our olive, bitter orange and other trees,
- Encourage the presence of bees and butterflies,
- Choose plants that need little or no watering,
- Use compost, natural fertilisers and invasive insect repellents,
- Avoid chemicals and pesticides,
- Reuse filtered tap water for our auto-timed drip irrigation system,
- Have cisterns and recirculation pumps for our fountains.
When building, restoring, furnishing and decorating we are driven by our
- Respect for our buildings past of 700 years,
- Sense of responsibility towards local architecture, history and culture,
- Awareness of our Greek and multicultural heritage,
- Ecologically and socially caring approach,
- Defiance of all kinds of decoration clichés and “styles”,
- Admiration for time-proven, traditional techniques,
- Extensive use of “old school” materials such as lime, pumice, bees wax, linseed oil,
- Appreciation of modern, innovative ones,
- Reuse of salvaged timber, steel, stones, marble and other materials,
- Repurposing of old furniture, architectural elements, lights, odd items
- “Fix it, don’t throw it” attitude,
- Continuous learning and sharing everything we know,
- Dedication in making our impact as positive as possible.
