Currently celebrating its 10th year on the Palos Verdes Peninsula, Terranea Resort’s promise to protect and sustain this unique environment helps preserve one of Southern California’s most scenic and coveted coastlines for future generations. Terranea remains committed to minimizing its environmental footprint by integrating transparent, eco-friendly practices throughout the resort—including but not limited to those that protect open space, improve wildlife habitats and enhance local water quality. Today Terranea occupies only one-quarter of its 102-acre site, allowing guests to enjoy more than 75 acres of natural landscape.

MINIMAL IMPACT

When Terranea was first developed, no land was removed from the area, with existing structural and raw materials recycled during site preparation. Forty-five mature trees from previous occupant Marineland were boxed and then replanted throughout the site.

A natural irrigation and water treatment system, through a series of wet ponds and vegetated wetland channels called bioswales, enhance water quality while serving as a habitat for native avian species. First flush rainfall collection systems called storm filters also reduce and treat the runoff of pollutants.

Terranea’s Green Team continues to invest in the expansion of its commitment to sustainability and green practices. In addition to its food waste recycling program, the resort’s partially consumed, wholly usable toiletries left in guestrooms are donated to the Midnight Mission in Downtown Los Angeles. The resort also collaborates with Chefs to End Hunger, a nonprofit organization that redistributes prepared food that would normally go to waste in hotels, restaurants and other food service operations to local food agencies serving meals to those in need.

As a result of these efforts, the resort was named the Platinum Adrian Award winner for Leader in Sustainable Tourism by National Geographic and Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International. Additionally, the South Bay Business Environmental Coalition honored Terranea with its SoCal Environmental Excellence Development Award for Pollution Prevention and Environmental Leadership. The resort also earned the California Hotel & Lodging Association’s Star of the Industry Award for Good Earthkeeping.

NATURAL ENCOUNTERS

Guests can explore more than 14 acres of wildlife habitat surrounding the resort. Terranea’s native plant palette features coastal species indigenous to Palos Verdes and the Channel Islands.

The development team worked diligently to restore, protect and preserve the ecological balance of the area by replacing non-native plants with indigenous ones locally cultivated and grown by the Palos Verdes Land Conservancy to reinforce biodiversity. Pesticides and fertilizers are limited to those that are either organic in nature or pose no residual effect on the environment.

Among the native animal species that frequent the resort, the El Segundo Blue Butterfly is one of the most endangered. California Blue and Pacific Gray whales migrate through the waters just 50 yards offshore, within view of Terranea nearly year-round. Dolphins, sea lions and a variety of tide pool sea creatures also populate the waters off the costal bluffs.