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.

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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).

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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.

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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.

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While the whole concept of an eco hotel conjures up hefty price tags, The Gaia Anderson was extremely reasonable ($125 a night) and while small,it sports an on-site organic restaurant, a spa and pool and comfy rooms. The boys enjoyed swimming in the saline filter pool…a concept I’ve been learning to like a lot since I learned about the hazards of chlorine. I enjoyed walks through the pesticide free, native plant stocked gardens. And my friend raved about the organic cotton comforters on each bed to the point where she became the subject of six-year-old ridicule.

Since none of us had ever stayed at an eco hotel before, it became a game for us to try to find all of the environmentally friendly points. The boys located the recycling bins in each room and the ‘Do Not Disturb” sign made from recyclable and reusable foam. My friend pulled back the organic sheets and mattress to uncover beds from Cost Plus made from sustainably harvested wood.

We noted the dispensers in each shower for shampoo, conditioner and body wash, though since they weren’t labeled we not really sure if we washed our hair with soap or shampoo…maybe there’s not really a difference. But we did recognize the large refillable containers (no small or often “take home” size containers here) of EO lotion and hand soap on each counter…yum.

The organic continental breakfast in the lobby was a bit disappointing – organic, yes, well- balanced not really since it consisted primarily of organic pastries. But with the on-site organic restaurant opening next month, I’m guessing the offerings will expand.

I have to admit, we liked this hotel so much, though we drove 30 minutes north to get a bit closer to the attractions of Mt. Shasta, intending to spend a few days at a different hotel… after one night we returned to the Gaia.

And the boys proclaimed, “Ah…home sweet home” as we entered the courtyard. My friend and I had to agree.

Related Posts About Eco Travel:

Summer Vacations that Create a Green Tomorrow

Eco Trips for Families

Carbon Offsetting the Family Vacation

I started looking into this when a developer in New York City sent out an announcement concerning their plans to build a hotel with a range of green features, including striving for LEED Gold certification. The press material also speaks of organic cotton sheets and other amenities. Unfortunately, this project is still more than a year from completion, and I do not like to write about proposed or incomplete projects, because they can so often fail to meet the expectations, or the final product does not match what was originally promised. And LEED certification is no guarantee that the building or its rooms will be attractive either.

But, perhaps even more important than having a place to stay that was built green, there are programs that recognize lodgings that are operated in a green manner. The first such program I learned of is in my home state, where green tourisim is a major industry in the northern half of the state, and around the many lakes throughout the state. The State of Michigan has initiated a Green Lodging Michigan program which "encourages hotels, resorts, motels, and bed & breakfast facilities to implement environmental initiatives and cost-saving ‘green' practices to conserve energy, reduce water consumption, protect air quality, reduce waste, and participate in environmentally preferred purchasing."

Michigan's program is only a few months old, but has already added almost a dozen locations, ranging from small Bed-and-Breakfasts to corporate hotel chain locations, to a ski and golf resort. The State of California has over 100 places listed on its Green lodging website, and Vermont and Florida are also leaders in green lodging programs.

Green lodging facilities promote improved indoor air quality, energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, and improved programs for communication, education and purchasing. These aspects are reflected in such ways as having water saving fixtures, energy efficient lighting, Energy Star appliances, proper insulation, and materials recycling. Hazardous and toxic cleaning materials are reduced or eliminated altogether. Most facilities are also smoke-free.

There is also a Green Hotels Association with a list of members across the globe (though often just one or two locations in any state or country). In Canada, the Hotel Association of Canada has a Green Key Eco-Rating Program that rates hotels on their energy and environmental operation, much like other building certification programs. As part of its support for the program, the Canadian government requires many of its employees to stay at Green Key hotels.

At the far extreme, there are some resorts that take themselves and their green attitude a bit too seriously. I came across one location about a year ago that used green as a justification for their no children policy: "The building design and fragile ecosystem are not conducive to young children or pets." If the ecology of the location is so fragile that children should not be there, maybe you ought to re-think whether you should be there either. A friend of mine wonderfully summed it up this way: "I think the concern is that with children constantly playing on the rock formations, they could be eroded down to nothing in as little as 10,000 years. Also, children like to throw stones into the water, and when you think how long it took for those stones to actually make it to shore, such actions are violative of the stones' geo/ecological rights and can lead to serious self-esteem issues, not to mention the forced involuntary water displacement that is inflicted on the lake."

Green lodging can be a lot less pretentious and a lot more useful for everyone. Give some consideration to where you are going to stay as you make your summer travel plans. Even if you aren't going to be an eco-tourist, your travels can still be a little bit greener with green lodging facilities.

Links:

State of Michigan Green Lodging brochure (PDF)

Michigan's Tips for Travelers