Home Publisher's Point of View The Bardessono Deserving of Green Hotel World’s ‘Oscar’ Equivalent

The Bardessono Deserving of Green Hotel World’s ‘Oscar’ Equivalent

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In the current green hotel building world, the equivalent of an Academy Award (an Oscar) would have to be LEED Platinum—the top level of Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification offered by the U.S. Green Building Council for new and existing buildings. Until now, only one hotel in the United States had earned LEED Platinum—the Proximity Hotel in Greensboro, N.C. The Proximity was awarded its honor in October 2008. Phil Sherburne, owner of the Bardessono Hotel, Restaurant and Spa in Yountville, Calif., just announced that his property is the second in the United States to have earned LEED Platinum. Congratulations to Phil and the management team at MTM Luxury Lodging for achieving this prestigious honor.

“We didn’t start out targeting LEED Platinum status,” Sherburne says. “We simply wanted to build the Bardessono Hotel, Restaurant and Spa in the most environmentally responsible way we could.” LEED Platinum was suggested by the project’s architect during the development process and an environmental consultant was hired to assist with the LEED documentation and application. “We were gratified at the recognition from the U.S. Green Building Council in awarding the property the LEED Platinum certification,” Sherburne adds. “We hope it will draw attention to the environmental initiatives at the Bardessono.”

For those of you not familiar with the Bardessono, it is a 62-room property located in the Napa Valley. It is clear why the Bardessono had the potential to earn LEED Platinum. A total of 947 solar panels are installed on the flat roofs of the hotel buildings. The 200-kilowatt solar energy system meets a significant portion of the Bardessono’s electrical energy requirement. Seventy-two 300-foot geothermal wells were drilled to work with a ground source heat pump system to heat and cool rooms and heat domestic water. Low flow water fixtures, dual flush toilets and waterless urinals are used. Outdoors, drought-resistant indigenous landscaping prevails, serviced by an efficient buried drip irrigation system. All grey and black water is treated and recycled for irrigation uses by the Town of Yountville. (Click here and here for additional information on the Bardessono’s green initiatives.)

The entire project ended up costing about 10 percent more than a standard hotel its size. That extra cost, Sherburne says, will be recovered over time through the property’s many design innovations and technologies. In fact, thanks to a state rebate and federal tax credit, it will take just six years (a conservative estimate) to recover the investment in the solar system.

Sherburne says guests who stay at the Bardessono remark most often about the beauty of the place, not the green initiatives. “I want to demonstrate that you need not compromise a guest’s experience when going ‘green,’” he says.

The Bardessono is now among more than 1,000 LEED registered or certified properties. To be one of just two hotels to have earned LEED Platinum is quite an achievement.

GLN Adds Moore Insurance, Kenyon International as Directory Partners

Green Lodging News welcomes Moore Insurance Agency, Inc. and Kenyon International as Green Product & Service Directory partners. Moore Insurance Agency recently rolled out a new environmentally friendly “Green Hotel Insurance Program.” The program seeks to eliminate paper transactions by using electronically delivered policies and supporting documents. The program is available to hotels, resorts, conference centers, inns and B&Bs. For more information, e-mail gotgreeninsurance@gmail.com, call (518) 258-8831, or go to www.mooreia.com.

Kenyon International manufactures Kenyon Custom “suite green” compact ceramic cook tops with one or two burners and in 120-, 208- and 240-volt models. The cook tops include “HOT” and “ON” indicator lights. Kenyon Custom’s Lite-Touch Q Outdoors waterproof one-burner cook top and All Seasons Electric Grill for outdoor kitchens are available in 120-volt models. Kenyon International offers a three-year product replacement warranty. For more information, e-mail sowens@kenyonappliances.com, call (860) 664-4906, or go to www.kenyonappliances.com.

Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference

Green Lodging News will be exhibiting at the Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference in Denver. The event will be held from February 9 to 11 at the Hyatt Regency Denver at Colorado Convention Center. If you will be attending the event, be sure to stop by. Green Lodging News is an official sponsor. Watch for coverage of the event on the Green Lodging News website and in next week’s newsletter.

Advertising Opportunities in 2010

There are still some excellent Green Lodging News advertising opportunities available for 2010, including ad spots on the website and in the weekly e-newsletter. There are also many Green Supplier Spotlight dates available throughout the year. If your company has a product or products it would like to feature in Green Lodging News in 2010, be sure to contact me at (440) 243-2055, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. The 2010 media kit is available by request or by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.

Green Lodging News Blog & Twitter

Be sure to bookmark the Green Lodging News Blog in your browser. The address for the blog is http://greenlodgingnews.blogspot.com. More importantly, participate with your comments. Green Lodging News is also now on Twitter. To follow my postings, go to http://twitter.com/greenlodging. Be sure to add Green Lodging News to those tweets that you follow. Green Lodging News now has 353 Twitter followers.

As always, I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

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