FOR THE PEOPLE

Sustainability is usually synonymous with environmental impact, but it’s far broader than that. How are hotels working to sustain local communities? 

- Coco Marett

From a haven in the cradle of Incan civilisation to a lodge on land owned and protected by First Nations people in Canada, Tatler explores properties that are making a meaningful impact on local communities, ensuring bright futures rooted in rich pasts.

CANADA
KLAHOOSE WILDERNESS RESORT, BRITISH COLUMBIA

If you love and respect something, you’ll protect it. That’s the attitude that Canada’s Klahoose First Nation hopes to stimulate by inviting visitors to its small slice of paradise at Klahoose Wilderness Resort, which the Nation bought in 2020 and reopened in 2021. Today, it stands as a symbol of social, environmental and economic reconciliation, providing employment and healing to indigenous people.

Accessible only by boat or an hour’s seaplane ride north of Vancouver, the seven-room resort sits between the Salish Sea and a coastal forest of soaring cedar and fir trees. Here, you can experience life—and the natural world—through the lens of Canada’s indigenous people; every stay includes a guided boat tour where guests will see orcas, humpback whales, dolphins and sea lions. On-land experiences include grizzly bear viewing, guided nature tours and storytelling by First Nation elders.

Unlike the other properties in this article, Klahoose Resort isn’t linked to an organisation. But as a First Nation-owned resort, Klahoose resort offers employment opportunities that are aligned with the traditions and values of the Klahoose First Nation people—from song and storytelling to crafts and conservation work—preserving it for generations to come.