Sustainability
our commitments to a greener stay
An important aspect of Wilson's approach to responsible tourism has been to ensure that we take as many steps as we can to minimise the negative impact we have on our beautiful island. Through different initiatives, Wilson's Retreat is committed to sustainable practices that minimize our environmental impact and benefit the local community.
Energy
Wilson's Retreat is equipped with a 13 kW solar panel array which under the generous tropical sun generates a significant proportion of our energy needs. By harnessing the power of the sun, Wilson's Retreat reduces its carbon footprint whilst still ensuring a comfortable environment for all of our guests.
Water
Gili Trawangan's supply of freshwater relies exclusively on a desalination plant which, whilst providing fresh water to the whole island, is also extremely energy hungry. Wilson's Retreat has installed 20 thousand litres of rainwater harvesting tanks in order to harvest all that sweet rain that falls out of the sky during the occasional thunderstorm. After thorough filtering and treatment, our rainwater provides clean sustainable water for our pools, gardens, showers, toilets and kitchens. In addition to our rainwater harvesting system we have installed water saving fittings in all our bathrooms allowing us to save up to 40% more water versus regular fittings.
Plastic
At Wilson's we strive to ban the use of single use plastics in our resort. Some of the steps we have taken to achieve this include using reusable natural bamboo straws in our drinks instead of plastic ones, not selling or using any plastic drink bottles and only using refillable glass bottles for all the drinking water, we don't provide any plastic amenity bottles in the bathrooms and lastly finding suppliers which offer plastic free refills for our cleaning and laundry products. We have unfortunately not yet managed to eliminate all single use plastics as sometimes a sustainable option is simply not available but we will keep trying.
Amenities
In addition to all the packaging being plastic free we proudly source all our soaps, lotions and shampoos from a local producer who uses natural, eco-friendly and 100% biodegradable ingredients to create high-quality, sustainable products. These essentials provided during your stay are crafted with care, free from harsh chemicals, and infused with natural scents that reflect the beauty of the surrounding environment.
Building design
The resort's rooms are designed with sustainability in mind, featuring deck floors and furniture crafted from 100-year-old reclaimed teak sourced from old wooden houses. This practice not only provides a unique aesthetic but also promotes the reuse of materials, reducing the demand for new resources.
Huge floor to ceiling windows in the rooms provide ample natural light and when the sun decides to go to bed all of our lights are LED reducing the energy needed to keep the lights on.
The roofs are built using a double layered roof design with natural ventilation between the layers which provides excellent insulation from the hot sun and reduces the load on the air conditioning used to cool down the rooms.
Local sourcing & Community engagement
At Wilson's Retreat, we aim as often as possible to engage in local sourcing of food and materials from small local businesses supporting the local economy and reducing transportation-related carbon emissions. Additionally, with the help of our local GM, Wilson's Retreat participates in community initiatives, contributing to the well-being of the local community such as providing internships and training sessions to the local vocational high school kids or sponsoring a local youth football team so they can afford proper equipment to play.
Our staff
Nearly all of Wilson’s 40+ employees are Indonesian. Many of these same staff started with us since the first days of the opening more than 10 years ago and so have a true affinity with the place they helped to create. We have worked hard to create a relaxed and convivial work ethic that breaks away from the traditional hotel model. Our goal has been to have healthy and happy employees who take pride in their jobs. We encourage them to learn new skills and many of our staff have moved from back of house roles to front of house ones. This has been rewarding for all of us involved.
