VAIL, COLO.—Having guests check in to recharge is nothing new at the Antlers at Vail where the peaceful Vail, Colo., creekside setting and spacious guest suites foster relaxation. But now the Platinum-ranked Colorado hotel is receiving bookings from guests set on literally recharging—their cars. The Antlers has just added a complimentary-for-guests SemaConnect Electric Vehicle Charging Station to its long list of eco-initiatives that has earned the hotel honors that include GreenLeader status from TripAdvisor.
Budget Travel has called electric vehicle charging stations “the new must-have hotel amenity.” Indeed, for Antlers at Vail, not only does the charger fit the hotel’s green directives, but it suits its commitment to providing an array of unusual complimentary amenities to increase guest comfort and convenience. From gourmet appliances for use in the guest suites’ full kitchens, to snowshoes and GoPro cameras for winter hiking, to Ski Butlers ski valet for ski and snowboarding ease, the Antlers is known for having Vail Valley’s most attentive, amenity-filled accommodations—as well as some of the greenest.
Other recent eco-updates include the installation of eight more solar panels—raising the Antlers’ total to 22—by Clean Energy Collective at the community solar-energy site near the Rifle airport that feeds back into the grid. The hotel also just completed replacing more than 1,300 lights with LEDs in its guest suites (adding to the already-converted lighting in public areas and prompting a “how many Sustainability Coordinators does it take to screw in a light bulb?” quip in the hotel blog). Not to mention purchasing an electric hybrid Ford C-Max, which uses electric power exclusively for the first 20 miles or so, making it perfect for local around-Vail trips.
Actively Green 2015 Status
In addition to its GreenLeader status, the Antlers at Vail was named Vail Valley Partnership Green Business of the Year several years ago and was one of the first Vail hotels to earn Actively Green 2015 status as designated by Sustainable Travel International. From being a Vail Valley leader in converting wood-burning fireplaces to gas more than 20 years ago to installing an environmentally friendly laundry that remains one of the greenest in the area to smaller efforts like using refillable amenities containers in all of its suites, the Antlers has made green practices a regular part of doing business for decades.
Additional Antlers at Vail eco-friendly initiatives include a highway cleanup day that guests can help with for a free overnight stay, free bus passes for employees, hotel-wide recycling, purchasing supplies with recyclable content, smart landscape sprinkler timers with moisture sensors, participation in the Town of Vail’s Sole Power program and sponsorship of the town’s solar-powered VoltsWagon, plus the investment in solar panels—and wind power.
The new SemaConnect Electric Vehicle charging station is available for guest use at no charge. Non-guests can also use the charging station at a cost of $1.95/hour. For more information on the hotel’s green offerings, visit the Green Efforts page on the Antlers website.
