Green travel ideas from two environmentally conscious travelers

There are self-proclaimed green hotels. There are certified green hotels. There are LEED certified green hotels. And then there’s Napa Valley’s Bardessono, in a league of its own.

What makes the Bardessono Inn and Spa in Yountville, CA so special? That would be because of the:-

• 14,000 sq. ft of 200 kilowatt solar photo voltaic systems on rooftops
• Eighty two 300 foot wells beneath the Bardessono as part of a geothermal system for heating & cooling rooms and preheating of domestic hot water
• Automated external venetian blinds on windows and occupancy sensors to turn off lights
• LED and fluorescent light fixtures
• Low water use fixtures, dual flush toilets, drip irrigation, drought resistant plants
• The Town of Yountville recycles grey and black waters and sells it for irrigation use.
• Recycled wood furnishings with eco-friendly fabrics
• Redwood ceilings from old wine tanks
• Glues, adhesives, paints, and wall coverings with low VOC
• Concrete with a high potash (recycled product) content
• Glass Tiles with a high recycled content
• Steel with a high recycled content
• Organic linens and terry
• Organic cleaning products
• Spa & Restaurant food use organic and local
• Recycled Uniforms
• Drinking water, filtered on site
• Vegetable waste composted for use in the gardens
• Laundry done with limited hot water and non-detergent cleaners
• Recycling throughout the hotel
• Recycled paper products
• Electric and bio-diesel vehicles for hotel use

Photos courtesy Studio 707

To learn more about the 62-room Bardessono Inn, spa and restaurant, visit www.bardessono.com/  

Don’t let any mental pictures of LA’s summer smog cloud your thinking about the city’s commitment to environmentally friendly hotel options. In fact, LA is making many good green choices, and the eco-friendly Hotel Palomar is only one example. The Palomar has a program in place called EarthCare which puts to use over 40 eco-friendly practices in and around the hotel. For example, their website lists:

*  In-room recycling bins
* Energy efficient lighting
* Water efficient fixtures
* Toiletries made from natural ingredients by earth-friendly manufacturers
* Organic food and beverage options in our mini bars
* The restaurant adjacent to our hotel follows the Monterey Bay Seafood Watch’s sustainable seafood guidelines
* We are a 100% non-smoking hotel

I found it particularly interesting that this hotel works with an environmentally friendly restaurant - overfishing our oceans is a large problem, and it’s inspiring to see a hotel and a restaurant working together on this front.

These efforts resulted in the hotel being awarded the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership award by the California Environmental Protection Agency.

The hotel itself is beautiful and classy - don’t neglect to check out the artwork before you leave; it provides an interesting reflection on the area’s Hollywood scene.

Photo: Todd Jones Photography

As re-reported by Bnet.com, Oklahoma has unveiled a series - seven, to be exact - of sustainable travel programs designed to meet the growing needs of consumers interested in sustainable and eco-friendly lodging and travel options. I found this article to be interesting on a number of fronts, including this statistic:

“…U.S. Travel Association research shows that 51 percent of consumers would continue to patronize sustainable travel service suppliers regardless of an economic downturn, and 48 percent said continued support of sustainable travel is a necessity.”

51% is an astonishingly high number to me, and it’s encouraging.

The article highlights the potential partnership between Oklahoma’s Colcord Hotel and Clean the World,   non-profit which provides third-world countries with “gently used” hygiene products like soap and shampoo from hotels around the world.

It appears as though a major push to increase recycling will be the first component of these sustainable travel programs. This is a good first step, and it will be interesting to see what the next steps will be. We’ll have to wait for feedback from the programs to determine how these efforts are being received and what new efforts will be made in the future.

Photo: Serge Melki

Key West, Florida is a green town - literally. There are ten green properties, including the LEED certified Weather Forecast Office. Four of these properties have complete something known as the iStayGreen audit. According to this audit, the Doubletree Grand Key Resort in Key West is well on its way to LEED certification - it qualified for the 3 Green Leaf Eco Rating (out of 5 leaves).

In order to qualify for this rating, the resort had to prove that it complied with over 70 eco-initiatives, and the more of these initiatives are met, the more “leaves” the hotel is awarded.

Here’s a short list of some of the efforts this hotel is making to make the property more environmentally friendly:

- Guest rooms air conditioning units automatically turn off when doors are open

-  Shower heads conform to most updated low-flow guidelines

-  Fluorescent lighting is used throughout the property

-  Pool furniture is made out of recyclable materials

- Complimentary shuttle service to multiple locations reduces the number of cars which are used on the island

And more!

Photo: Milan.boer

The New York State Department of Environmental Conservation has launched a ‘Green Certification’ program for hotels and lodging establishments.

Green credentials will be certified by the Audubon GreenLeaf program. Based on environmental performance, a hotel could be assigned one to five green leaves.

The certification program is part of a larger initiative to support and market sustainable tourism in New York.

The New York State Green Hospitality and Tourism Partnership - a combination of state agencies, business associations, and academia - worked together to initiate the certification program.

Earlier this year, the partnership helped launch the Green Restaurant Certification process.

Forty-three hotels and inns — spread all over the Empire State - have already signed on for the ‘Green Hospitality’ certification process.

Here’s the full list of the 43 initial applicants:-

Long Island
1. Gurney’s Inn Resort & Spa - Montauk
2. The Stiring House Bed and Breakfast - Greenport

New York City
1. Grand Hyatt - NY
2. The Beekman Tower Hotel - NY
3. Westin - NY

Hudson Valley
1. Bear Mountain Inn - Bear Mountain
2. Fox Hill Bed and Breakfast - Highland
3. Mohonk Mountain House - New Paltz
4. Ritz-Carlton Westchester - Westchester
5. Tarrytown House Estate and Conference Center - Tarrytown
6. The Rhinecliff - Rhinecliff

Capital Region, Catskills, Leatherstocking
1. 74 State - Albany
2. Crowne Plaze - Albany
3. Glens Falls House - Round Top
4. The Fairlawn Inn - Hunter
5. Amsterdam Castle - Amsterdam
6. The Otesaga Resort Hotel - Cooperstown

Adirondacks
1. Elk Lake Lodge - North Hudson
2. Holiday Inn - Plattsburgh
3. Shaheen’s Motel - Tuper Lake
4. Silver Bay YMCA of the Adirondacks - Silver Bay
5. Sleep Inn & Suites - Queensbury
6. The Glen Lodge Bed & Breakfast - Warrensburg
7. Gideon Putnam Resort - Saratoga Springs
8. Hyatt Place Saratoga/Malta - Malta
9. Saratoga Farmstead Bed & Breakfast - Saratoga Springs

1000 Islands, Mohawk Valley
1. Holiday Inn - New Hartford
2. Best Western Carriage House Inn - Watertown
3. Capt. Thomson’s Resort - Alexandria Bay
4. White Pillars Lodging - Canton

Central
1. Berry Hill Gardens Bed & Breakfast - Bainbridge
2. Aurora Inn & E.B. Morgan House - Aurora
3. Bed & Breafast Wellington - Syracuse
4. La Tourelle Resort & Spa - Ithaca
5. Sheraton Syracuse University Hotel & Conf. Ctr - Syracuse
6. Turtle Dreams - Groton

Finger Lakes, Rochester
1. Bristol Harbour Resort - Canandaigua
2. RIT Inn & Conf. Ctr - Rochester
3. Radisson Hotel - Corning

Western
1. Adam’s Mark Hotel - Buffalo
2. Asa Ransom House - Clarence
3. Days Inn Batavia - Batavia
4. Super 8 Batavia - Batavia

The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort in Lake Placid, NY is the only one which has already has been certified green by Audubon, with a rating of 4 leaves.

For more information about the certification process, visit the DEC and Audubon.

Photo by laverrue

The U.S. Green Building Council says that as of now, there were 888 applications from hotels and resorts awaiting LEED certification. And 697 of these applicants are from the U.S.

It’s soon going to be difficult for travelers to keep track or remember which hotel has been certified green by the USGBC. So here’s the deal - On this page, we’ll maintain a master-list of all LEED certified hotels & resorts in the U.S., categorized by state.

List will be updated once every month. Last update - September 19, 2009.

Index:- Jump to… Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Index –> California:-

Gaia Napa Valley - American Canyon, CA
The Ambrose - Santa Monica, CA
Hotel Carlton - San Francisco, CA
Orchard Garden Hotel - San Francisco, CA
Orchard Hotel - San Francisco, CA
Hotel Indigo - San Diego, CA
Montage Beverly Hills - Beverly Hills, CA

Index –>Florida:-

Sandpearl Resort - Clearwater Beach, FL

Index –> Georgia:-

The Lodge and Spa at Callaway Gardens - Pine Mountain, GA
Hotel Indigo Athens University Area - Athens, GA

Index –> Illinois:-

Hotel Arista - Naperville, IL
Holiday Inn Chicago Mart Plaza - Chicago, IL

Index –> Massachusetts:-

Element Lexington - Lexington, MA

Index –> Maryland:-

University of Maryland Inn & Conference - Adelphi, MD

Index –> Michigan:-

CityFlats Hotel - Holland, MI  

Index –> Missouri:->

Unity Village Hotel & Conference Center - Kansas City, MO

Index –> Nevada:-

The Palazzo - Las Vegas, NV 
ARIA Resort’s Hotel tower - Las Vegas, NV
Vdara Hotel - Las Vegas, NV

Index –> North Carolina:-

Proximity Hotel - Greensboro, NC

Index –> Oregon:-

Avalon Hotel and Spa - Portland, OR
Courtyard by Marriott Portland CityCenter - Portland, OR
The Nines - Portland, OR

Index –> Pennsylvania:-

Hotel Palomar Philadelphia - Philadelphia, PA

Index –> Washington:-

Hilton Vancouver Conf Center & Hotel - Vancouver, WA
Hyatt at Olive 8 - Seattle, WA

Index –> Wyoming:-

Hotel Terra - Teton Village, WY

Good Karma or coincidence? Just in time to celebrate 09-09-09, the Nines Hotel, which occupies the top 9 floors of the historic Meier & Frank Building in downtown Portland, Ore., has been awarded Silver LEED Certification by the U.S. Green Building Council.

The Nines, a member of the Luxury Collection of Starwood Hotels & Resorts, and developed and managed by Sage Hospitality - is one of only 5 hotel properties in the world to rank Silver.

As part of the $137m renovation, the hotel has implemented efficient plumbing systems - including dual flush toilets - that save upwards of 500,000 gallons of water annually.

Furthermore, the Nines receives 100% of its energy from renewable sources such as wind power and carbon offsets.

A vital part of the revitalization of downtown Portland, The Nines - located next to Portland’s Pioneer Square and the MAX light Rail, offers 331 luxurious guest rooms and suites.

The hotel boasts of an extensive art collection - built by Art Consultant Paige Powell, long time friend of Andy Warhol - featuring rotating installations by local artists.

Upon arrival at the hotel lobby, guests enter a soaring, seven-story atrium featuring a glass skylight that provides natural light throughout the interior.

There’s also a stylish modern steakhouse, a private floor-to-ceiling library curated by Powell’s Books, an exclusive Club Floor, state-of-the-art fitness facilities and 14,000 square feet of eco-friendly meeting and event space.

Photos courtesy Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.

Info: 525 SW Morrison Portland, Oregon 97204; (877) 229-9995; www.thenines.com/ 

InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), the world’s largest hotel company, has pledged up to $1 million to the University of Oxford to support innovation behind conservation.

But it’s not just a philanthropic gesture by IHG. This $1m is extemely crucial for the future of responsible travel, and will provide a roadmap for the future design and development of hotels and the international operations of hotel groups.

The money will primarily be used to fund Oxford research aimed at pinpointing areas of the planet - small in some cases - that have the greatest concentration of rare and threatened plants.

A central objective of the IHG funded work is the development of improved online hot spot maps linked to the data that defines them.

These will reveal hot spots at all scales including small areas in otherwise ‘cold’ regions, which are generally neglected by conservation agencies.

Conversely this will also identify extensive ‘cold spots’ in hot spot regions, which might be highlighted as places more suitable for sustainable forest use and economic development.

The aim will be not always to say ‘protect this, protect that’, but rather to recommend ‘protect this, use that’.

And to make it even more of an admirable initiative, IHG plans to raise this $1m over 5 years by asking it’s Priority Club Rewards members to switch from paper to online statements.

IHG has 44 million PCR members, and the switch will save the company $400,000 each year, half of which will be donated to the Department of Plant Sciences at Oxford University.

From October, IHG PCR members can track the progress of this project and speak directly to the scientists involved via this website - www.priorityclub.com/OxfordPlants.

Photos courtesy IHG Plc.

Traveling with a pooch? As someone who does often, I was interested to see that Loews hotels, already known for their green policies and commitment to the environment, are now offering a “Grrreen Dog” package.

Rates start at $119/night, but the actual rate depends on the hotel you choose.

What might this include? Well, you get a specially crafted room service meal for your pet which contains ingredients that all come from local farms. Vet-approved, of course, so your night in the hotel room with them won’t be a bad one.  You also get a 100% organic cotton bandanna made by Doggie Go Green as well as a Zogoflex Huck dog toy, which is apparently not only indestructible, but it floats and bounces, too. This seems to be a very hand toy to have in a hotel room when you leave your pet alone; coming back to a chewed up bed or sofa would be a touch stressful.

Cute? Yes. But on a more serious and significant note, this program is just another way that this hotel chain is demonstrating their commitment to making every part of their guests services more environmentally friendly. It would be easy to provide low-grade dog food and toys made out of non-biodegradable materials. But, Loews went the extra mile, and I like that.

You can book this package until December 19, 2009.

Happy Holidays to all.

Just wanted to check in and post a link related to a discussion we’ve been having on this blog the last week or so.  The folks at MarketingProfs had a very interesting post recently about how hotels play on travelers’ emotions through environmental messaging rather than really doing the most they can to decrease their environmental footprint.

Well, as you know, we’ve tried to get beyond the marketing messages and get a better idea of concrete actions that both Hilton and Marriott have taken.  We declared Marriott the winner.

First of all, I completely agree with MarketingProfs’ assessment of where the “green consumerist” movement is right now.  There is a lot of marketing to play on people’s emotional response to environmental issues, but not enough substance, regulation, or knowledge of how to implement effective environmental change in products and services.  (That’s note to say that the knowledge isn’t out there — it is, in many respects.)

Secondly, this gets at exactly what we’re trying to do with Simple Green Choices.  We want to take the traveler’s emotion OUT of the equation and look at what travelers can do by making the proper choices and taking actions that lessen their environmental impact.

Reusing towels is a nice first action–it saves energy, water, and money on the hotel’s bottom line, but it’s a drop in the bucket.  Let’s all be honest–with ourselves and with our customers.