By Tina Casey •
October 13, 2009
From the outside, the Comfort Inn La Estancia near San Diego looks like your garden variety mainstream hotel, complete with free parking for truckers and RV’s. But soon it will share something sustainable that many boutique “green” hotels boast, 100% solar power for its electricity usage.
The greening of Comfort Inn is thanks to a partnership with Pursol Solar Systems, which will install an 83 kilowatt photovoltaic system under its Solarize financing program, basically guaranteeing the hotel a 20% savings on its electricity bill without any up-front costs.
Have you interior designers learned about the USBGC Suite Design Competition? This is not only for professionals, but students as well. And it’s global!
Beware the entry deadline is fast approaching on August 31st, 2009 and judging will be completed by October 1st, 2009. The competition is sponsored by USGBC, The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), and The Hospitality Industry Network (NEWH).
By Courtney Carlisle •
September 14, 2008
The Orchard Garden Inn claims to be San Francisco’s “Purely Green Hotel,” and as a one of the only LEED certified hotels in the country, I would say it’s off to a good start. Wanting to support such eco-minded entrepreneurs, I checked out the boutique hotel this weekend.
The hotel staff were lovely and although our room wasn’t ready when we arrived, they made accommodations for our bags while we took a day trip to Napa to visit vineyards, such as Domaine Carneros, a gem for delicious California Bruts made from organic grapes - more on that later. When we returned and checked into our Terrace Suite, the staff were just as welcoming and amiable as they had been earlier that day, a true plus for the service industry.
By Courtney Carlisle •
August 27, 2008
Not only is the new Kimpton hotel in Los Angeles exceptionally stylish, but it’s also very eco-chic from the in-room recycling to the locally and organic sourced ingredients at the restaurant.
Immediately upon arriving, I was greeted by lovely hotel staff serving complimentary local organic wines at the Kimpton’s standard happy hour in the very comfortable lobby.
Kimpton hotels recently received the California Environmental Protection Agency’s highest ecological honor, the Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award, which is given to businesses that focus on preserving the state’s resources.
By mcmilker •
July 30, 2008
My short vacation this year was spent in far Northern California, hiking, trekking through caverns and climbing up and down hilly beaches of the Mt. Shasta region with my son, my best friend and her son. At the end of the day we retired to our eco hotel for a bit of luxury …ahhhh.
While the whole concept of an eco hotel conjures up hefty price tags, The
[...]
Photo Credit: State of Michigan
Eco-tourisim is a growing field, but it's not the only sector where people want to find a green option when they need travel accommodations. Whether they are traveling for business or for recreation, even if they aren't headed to an eco-destination, travellers need a place to stay. And while the Building Design + Construction magazine's 2006 white paper on green building suggested that the hospitality
[...]
