Earth Matters, Sept 06

Green Vacationing
You can enjoy a getaway and think environmentally, too.

By Naomi Serviss

    When was the last time your family vacation depended on how “green” your hotel was? Don’t worry, you’re not alone. But if you care about the environment—and you should!—maybe now is the time to start changing the way you choose your trips. Today, thanks to an increased consumer understanding of global warming and other environmental concerns, the travel industry is jumping on the green bandwagon.
    Perhaps one of the most stunning destinations in North America is the Purcell Mountain Lodge (www.purcellmountainlodge.com), located in the rugged wilderness of British Columbia bordering Glacier National Park. The lodge sits within Canada’s largest alpine meadow, an area elk, deer, bald eagles and grizzly bears call home.
    According to spokesperson Nora Weber, the lodge’s electricity is supplied by a mini-hydroelectric system that harnesses clean energy to produce power for low-watt lights, baseboard heaters and kitchen appliances. Food waste is composted and recycl-ables are sent to the depot, with a minimal amount of landfill-bound solid waste. A custom-designed wastewater treatment plant helps keep the water clean.
    Other resorts, including the Fairmont Hotel chain (www.fairmont.com), have adopted numerous methods of conservation. The Fairmont Hotels & Resorts’ EcoMeet Program enables conference planners to order ready-made green conferences. The Fairmont San Francisco, for example, maintains a composting program that produces high-quality compost from excess food scraps and kitchen waste, which significantly reduces the amount of waste that would be diverted to landfill. The popular tourist magnet also maintains its own herb garden, using leftover bottled water from banquets.
    The environment isn’t the only thing that benefits. The San Francisco Fairmont donates leftover food and clothes to La Casa de Las Madres, San Francisco’s largest shelter for abused women and children. When the hotel is remodeled furniture, restaurant and kitchen items go to the shelter.
    No wonder the Green Hotel Association has more than doubled its current membership of 100 properties from 1996 to today. Member hotels are encouraged to implement water-saving measures and energy-saving techniques, and reduce solid waste.

Clean, Green…and Profitable
    Why are so many hotels and spas eager to go green? According to a June 2006 Harvard Business Review report by environmentalist/real estate expert Charles Lockwood, it’s all about the money. “Hundreds of studies have proven the financial advantages of going green, from reduced construction costs to lower operating costs,” Lockwood writes. “Green buildings today cost no more to construct than standard buildings, thanks to lower materials and technologies costs, much greater availability of green building products and greater real estate industry experience in planning and constructing green buildings.”
    Do you prefer to soak up luxury at a spa? There’s healthier destinations for you, too. The originators of El Monte Sagrado Living Resort & Spa (www.elmontesagrado.com), in Taos, New Mexico, launched Living Spa, a sustainable spa/building system. It provides green architectural design, strategic marketing and specialized branding services to health-oriented businesses.
    The firm’s first project will be at the Three Sisters Mountain Village (www.stewartcreekgolf.com/resort/village) in Canmore, Alberta, nestled deep in the Canadian Rockies. “The combination of being in one of the most magnificent locations in Canada and their commitment to environmental and social sustainability is a perfect fit for a Living Spa,” says company president Amy McDonald.
    The recently opened Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey, is another resort that’s gambling on the green factor. To satisfy a large portion of its energy needs, the Borgata signed a 20-year contract with Marina Energy for renewable energy. “Using green energy from landfills is a natural extension (of) our pursuit of energy alternatives,” according to Borgata’s senior vice president Kevin Sullivan.
    For a cozy family getaway visit Maine’s first environmentally responsible hotel, The Colony in Kennebunk (or its sister property in Delray, Florida). The Colony combines personal hospitality with environmental stewardship; programs include solid waste reduction, material reuse, recycling, energy and water conservation, and hazardous waste elimination. The hotel has won green practice accolades from the National Wildlife Federation, the Cornell University School of Hotel Management and the Maine Chamber and Business Alliance. “We acknowledge our interdependence with all living things,” says the resort’s website (www.thecolonyhotel.com), “and we operate with the belief that ecological, economic and cultural sustainability require equity and balance among all parties.”
    According to Charles Lockwood, “The green future is here. Like the dramatic, occasionally unsettling and ultimately beneficial transformations wrought by the introduction of electric lights, telephones, elevators and air-conditioning, green building principles are changing how we construct and use our workplaces, as well as our homes, schools, stores, medical facilities, and civic and cultural institutions.”
    So before you book your next vacation ask, “How green is that hotel?”

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