This past week I had an opportunity to chat with Dominique Cocquet, CEO of Villages Nature. I am working on an article on the very impressive Villages Nature project. For those of you not familiar with it, it is a joint venture of Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs and Euro Disney and is located 20 miles east of Paris and just a few miles from Disneyland Paris. Villages Nature is expected to open next spring with 916 dwellings, more than two-thirds of which will be cottages and one-third family suites. Within the next five years there will be more than 1,700 dwellings. The dwellings will be owned by individual and other investors and managed by Villages Nature. Villages Nature is expected to host up to 900,000 visitors a year—almost 2,500 daily—on its 444 acres. In addition to places to stay, there will be many attractions including the Aqualagoon covered water park and outdoor lagoon, shops and restaurants, farm, lake, spa and gardens.
Upon opening 100 percent of the heat demand (heating, hot water and the water for the Aqualagoon and outdoor lagoon) will be covered by geothermal energy. Compared to a natural gas solution, 9,000 tons of CO2 emissions will be avoided each year. Two wells were bored to a depth of 1,800 meters into the Dogger aquifer with water extracted from one well at 172°, used to provide hot water centrally and then pumped back into the aquifer through the second well. The water will be distributed around the site in insulated pipes to provide heating and hot water for all of the houses and recreational facilities, including the Aqualagoon, as well as the neighboring Disneyland Paris theme parks and the Disneyland Hotel.
Ten years ago Villages Nature was one of the first projects to embrace the One Planet Living principles and to embed them into its concept, design and vision. One Planet Living is a global initiative based on 10 principles of sustainability developed by BioRegional and WWF (World Wide Fund for Nature). One Planet Living projects aim for zero carbon, zero waste, sustainable transport, local and sustainable materials, local and sustainable food, sustainable water, land use and wildlife, culture and community, equity and local economy, and health and happiness.
The list of green initiatives related to Villages Nature is long. For example, it will be a zero car site. Once luggage is dropped off, guests will rely on foot and bicycle transportation. A range of strategies are being put in place to encourage guests to use mass transport to reach Villages Nature and for staff to make their daily commute on public buses. Pierre & Vacances Center Parcs and Euro Disney are supporting the development of a neighboring anaerobic digestion plant that could supply renewable electricity to Villages Nature. As of the Villages Nature Annual Review report published in November, the construction site waste management has exceeded expectations by achieving close to an 82 percent material recycling rate, 17 percent energy recovery and less than 1.5 percent waste to landfill.
The partners on the project are aiming for net zero carbon impact from all energy use by 2020—an aggressive, and impressive, goal for such a large project. Be sure to watch for my Villages Nature article soon on the Green Lodging News website.
GLN Adds HotSpot Energy Inc./ARAMA as Directory Partner
Green Lodging News welcomes HotSpot Energy Inc./ARAMA as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. The ARAMA PTAC (PTHP) uses a state-of-the-art Mitsubishi High-SEER energy saving DC Inverter compressor to save 35 percent or more in energy costs. The Mitsubishi DC Inverter variable speed compressor technology allows the ARAMA units to accurately match their capacity to the load, avoiding the compressor on/off cycle. The DC Inverter compressor is also much quieter. The units need no drain, have fresh air option, and they offer a wide variety of control options including a touchpad on the unit, wired or wireless wall mounted controls, and front desk control. Standard 16”x 42” capacity of 7000, 9000, 12000, and 14,400 BTU. Details at http://www.hotspotenergy.com/hotel-air-conditioner/ e-mail info@hotspotenergy.com, or call (757) 410-8640.
Earth Day Activities Planned?
Earth Day is April 22. In honor of Earth Day, the Hyatt Regency Hotel and Spa in Monterey (Calif.) will give out a tree-in-a-box kit to guests who check in on April 22. Starwood Hotels & Resorts is donating tree-planting kits to the New York Restoration Project. Kids will have their trees ready to plant by Earth Day. How will your organization be marking the occasion this year? I would love to know. Call me at (813) 510-3868, or e-mail editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
SWFL Sustainability Summit
I will be moderating a panel discussion at the SWFL Sustainability Summit on April 28. The session is entitled, “Lessons in Lodging Sustainability: Association & Property Best Practices.” Panelists will include: Joe Nugent, Director of Sales & Marketing, Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites, Fort Myers; Dan Murphy, Vice President of Corporate Relations and Membership for the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association, Tallahassee; and William Mejia, Energy Engineer, The Ritz-Carlton, Naples. The event will be held at the Hyatt Regency Coconut Point in Estero, Fla. Click here for more details. For $10 off of your registration, use the promo code: GreenLodgingNews.
Who is Your Sustainability Champion?
Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Looking for Guest Columnists
Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
Planning Advertising for 2016?
Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2016. Many excellent spots are available on the website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2016 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. Media kits can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.
Newsletter & Green Supplier Spotlight Circulation
The circulation of our weekly e-newsletter and Green Supplier Spotlight currently stands at 4,821. Thank you to our new subscribers for signing up. Be sure to encourage your colleagues to do the same. There is a “subscribe” form in the upper left area of the Green Lodging News home page.
Green Lodging News & Social Media
Green Lodging News now has 1,659 Twitter followers. Thank you to all of those who follow our tweets. In addition to following us on Twitter, be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also on Facebook. Be sure to “Like” us there. Green Lodging News now has 737 Facebook followers.
As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
