NATIONAL REPORT—Lodging establishments around the United States are ramping up their planning for Earth Day, Tuesday, April 22. It has now been 44 years since the first Earth Day was held in 1970. During the first Earth Day, 20 million Americans took to the streets, parks, and auditoriums to demonstrate for a healthy, sustainable environment in massive coast-to-coast rallies. In just a few weeks, Earth Day activities at hotels will range from cleanup events to photo contests to dining, cocktail and spa specials.
Aqua Hospitality will celebrate Earth Day by supporting ocean preservation through both a volunteer cleanup and donation to Hui o Koolaupoko.
“While we support eco-friendly programs at our hotels all year long, we’ve always felt it was important to take the time to celebrate Earth Day and mark the occasion with special efforts and donations,” said Elizabeth Churchill, Aqua Hospitality’s senior vice president of sales and marketing. “As a company with island-based hotels, water is an intrinsic part of our culture, so it makes sense for us to focus on efforts that help preserve those waters for generations to come.”
Aqua Hospitality’s Earth Day efforts will begin on April 14 when the company partners with Waikiki Aquarium for an invasive algae cleanup. The cleanup is part of a coastal restoration project led by University of Hawaii Botany professor, Dr. Celia Smith, to combat alien algae species that are destroying Waikiki’s reefs. To encourage participation and stress the importance of these efforts, Aqua Hospitality employees who join the cleanup will be paid by Aqua for their time. Tasks include the removal and unloading of algae, sorting invasive and native algae, and calculating algae removed.
Portion of Each Reservation Donated
Aqua Hospitality will also show its dedication to caring for the ocean by once again donating a portion of room revenue on Earth Day to Hui o Koolaupoko, an organization whose mission is to protect ocean health. One dollar from each reservation booked on Earth Day will go toward helping Hui o Koolaupoko’s programs for monitoring ocean conditions and watershed health by working with various stakeholders on natural resource coordination and community education. In the past three years, Aqua has raised over $10,000 for this cause.
Hotel Felix Chicago will celebrate Earth Month by offering guests and Chicagoans opportunities to participate in green-friendly programs all month long. On April 8, starting at 12 p.m., the annual discounted Earth Day room rate will be available to those who reserve a room for an overnight stay on Earth Day, April 22. The first 10 reservations to book will receive the Earth Day room rate of $20.14, exclusive of the Chicago hotel tax.
During Earth Month, Divvy will offer a special discounted rate on the price of 24-hour passes for Hotel Felix guests plus free 24-hour passes for hotel guests on Earth Day. Divvy is Chicago’s bike sharing system. Divvy has 300 stations that are located throughout the city with a station just one block from Hotel Felix.
Hotel Felix, in collaboration with Troquet River North, will host two wine receptions—one on Earth Day (April 22) and another one to wrap up Earth Month (April 30). These two “Green Networking” wine receptions will take place from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Troquet River North has a sustainable wine system through a draft pour, which reduces bottles and corks.
Hotel Felix fans and followers are encouraged to post photos on social media of any spring flowers sprouting from the ground or pictures of their “green thumb” at work. Fans can enter as many photos as they would like—the more, the better chances of winning. Photos must be tagged with Hotel Felix and include the #GreenFelix hashtag in order to be included in the contest, which will be available on Facebook. The best photo with the most “votes” will win flowers from Amlings Interior Landscape, along with a complimentary night stay at Hotel Felix Chicago.
Room Upgrade for Green Travelers
Hotel Felix guests who can show proof of green travel, either through public transportation with an Amtrak/bus/CTA ticket or driving a hybrid or an electric vehicle, will receive a room upgrade during Earth Month. For this promotion, guests must book directly through the Hotel Felix website.
Hyatt Place Raleigh-West and Southern States Management are hosting an Earth Day event to celebrate the hotel, as it is one of only a few U.S. Green Building Council LEED certified hotel options in the Raleigh (N.C.) area. The Earth Day celebration will take place from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Business leaders, loyal customers and other guests have been invited to attend and explore the hotel and learn more about its commitment to the environment.
L’Auberge Del Mar, by Destination Hotels & Resorts is celebrating Earth Day with a So Cal-style paddle out, as well as eco-friendly dining, cocktail and spa specials.
“At L’Auberge Del Mar, we strive to incorporate Earth-friendly practices into our daily business wherever possible,” said Vice President and Managing Director Michael Slosser. “Celebrating Earth Day helps to remind us of the importance of our recycling, energy saving and other ongoing green initiatives. It also allows our guests to share in our mission and be a part of these efforts too.”
L’Auberge Del Mar’s 2nd Annual Earth Day Paddle Out in honor of ocean preservation will take place on Friday, April 18. Guests, locals and employees are invited to participate in the event and can bring their own boards or have the hotel concierge arrange for a board rental. Del Mar’s Fulcrum Surf will be joining the hotel at the event.
Special Rate on Spa Treatment
Throughout the month of April, Spa L’Auberge is offering a special price on its earth- and ocean-friendly Ocean Body Indulgence, which includes a full body exfoliation, followed by a detoxifying body wrap and a hydrating body massage. The treatment utilizes the spa’s new Ocean Rescue product line that was developed exclusively for the spa and incorporates the most advanced research in marine-based skincare. All of the marine flora and plants used in the Ocean Rescue line are all-natural featuring sustainable, wild-crafted seaweed and organic essential oils that contain no artificial fragrances, colors, parabens, formalins, sulfates or sulfides. Osea Malibu, another organic seaweed based line, is also used in the treatment.
In the Living Room Bar at L’Auberge Del Mar, guests can savor ocean views while sipping the hotel’s eco-friendly Lovely Lavender Lemonade cocktail. This refreshing “green” concoction is made entirely from organic ingredients including lavender vodka, strawberries, mint and lemonade.
On Earth Day, L’Auberge Del Mar guests will be provided with souvenir LED flashlights to encourage guests to minimize use of lights in their guestrooms. Lights will also be dimmed throughout the property to support Earth Day energy savings.
Terranea Resort, by Destination Hotels & Resorts, is inviting guests to go green during the resort’s annual Earth Week, April 21 to 25. In celebration of its fifth anniversary, the eco-friendly, oceanfront resort is offering five days of green events and activities, including a pelican release, ocean cleanup by kayak, and a denim drive for guests and local residents alike to take part in and learn more about how they can support environmental conservation.
Coastline Cleanup Planned
During the ocean cleanup by kayak eco-excursion, guides will navigate guests through the local coastline to help pick up debris and educate participants about the region’s history and marine environment. During Earth Week at Terranea, a donation from each kayak trip is made to organizations such as The Surfrider Foundation and Heal the Bay to further the cause to keep the ocean environment clean and safe. Guests can also take a walk on the wild side with a Pointe Discovery naturalist and learn about the Palos Verdes Peninsula’s unique local ecosystem and Terranea’s year-round conservation efforts.
Throughout the month of April, guests may take part in a Green Getaway enabling them to both enjoy and support the environment in a variety of ways. The Green Getaway Package includes overnight accommodations; a bottle of ONEHOPE Sauvignon Blanc wine that benefits Save Our Planet; complimentary use of a Lexus hybrid vehicle for a coastal drive to explore more surrounding nature; choice of an ocean cleanup by kayak eco-excursion or guided coastal hike for two at Pointe Discovery and a plantable seed ornament. Terranea will also plant a tree on behalf of the guest.
On April 21, in partnership with the International Bird Rescue, Terranea will release a rehabilitated pelican into the wild at 10 a.m. at Terranea Beach Cove. Guests are invited to come and view the release and learn more about wildlife bird rescues. The organization operates two year-round aquatic bird rescue centers in California, which care for over 5,000 birds every year, and has led wildlife rescue efforts for more than 200 oil spills in over a dozen countries.
On April 23, guests are invited to attend a complimentary wine tasting by ONEHOPE Wine, which donates half of its proceeds to a variety of causes, including U.S. forest preservation and protection. ONEHOPE is the choice wine of Terranea because of the company’s joint commitment to making a social impact.
Is your property or company planning Earth Day activities? Send the news to me, Glenn Hasek, at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
