ALBANY, N.Y.—Audubon International has awarded The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort, located on the shoreline of Mirror Lake in Lake Placid, New York, the prestigious Four Green Leaves Rating. Notification of the award was recently received after a lengthy review process. Over the past two years the Golden Arrow has worked hard to become a sustainable, earth friendly business. The Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort is the only property in New York State to have a certified Audubon Green Leaf rating and the only property in North America to have achieved the coveted Four Green Leaves status.
“We are thrilled to have been awarded the fourth Green Leaf,” said Jenn Holderied, owner of the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort. “Everyone here at the Golden Arrow has worked so hard to create a resort that finds the correct balance between luxury and green practices. We are especially excited to be so close to attaining the fifth leaf. It gives us a great goal to work towards. As technologies develop, there are opportunities to improve. Going green is an evolution.”
Based on the criteria for the Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rating Program, a Four Green Leaves hotel is an industry leader in eco-efficiency practices, and demonstrates a management commitment to continuous improvement and industry leadership. Through their many increased programs and practices, The Golden Arrow was upgraded to Four Green Leaves. Two years ago the resort was first awarded with three Green Leaves.
The Audubon Green Leaf Eco-Rrating Program provides assurance to guests that the audited lodging facilities have met environmental best practices. The program was initiated in 1998 to meet the lodging industry’s desire to provide quality guest services, while minimizing the impact on the environment. The Green Leaf Program delivers a comprehensive and credible means for assessing the extent of the environmental measures undertaken at participating accommodation facilities. It provides the precise tools needed by hotels—from educational materials to professional audit, and the report of detailed feedback.
Rating System Covers Four Main Areas
Through its two-step program it allows hotels the opportunity to learn and also to improve their programs and practices. The review process expands over four main sections—Energy Efficiency, Resource Conservation, Pollution Prevention and Environmental Management—that together cover issues ranging from energy efficient equipment to indoor air quality to water conservation, environmental practices and communication. The Audubon Green Eco-Rating program identifies and rewards lodging facilities that are environmental leaders throughout the United States, Canada and Europe. Properties are rated on a scale of one to five Green Leafs.
With its four rating, professional and leisure travelers arriving at the Golden Arrow Lakeside Resort have verification that the facility is environmentally responsible. Committed to both guest satisfaction and to the environment, The Golden Arrow has taken steps toward becoming a leading eco-friendly resort by initiating a number of programs intended to lesson the impact of traveling on the environment and the earth’s resources. They do all this without sacrificing luxury or guest amenitites. They find the perfect marriage of comfort and sustainability.
The Golden Arrow has developed an environmental mission statement that encompasses all aspects of the resort from its infrastructure to its guests. Some of the programs initiated at The Golden Arrow include, but are not limited to a guest in-room recycling program (which to date has an 85 percent guest participation rate), solid waste reduction, material reuse, energy and water conservation and the elimination of hazardous waste materials.
A 3,000-square foot “green roof” will be installed in late spring 2008. The Golden Arrow will be the first resort in the Northeast implementing this environmental strategy. Flora native to the North Country region will make it possible for the green roof to withstand the region’s varying climate. The green roof will provide a habitat for birds, bees, butterflies and other beneficial insects. Improving air quality by releasing oxygen into the air and reducing storm-water runoff are some of other benefits of the green roof.
All conferences and meetings held at the resort are automatically green. Additional green add-ons are also available. Guests arriving by foot, ski, bicycle or hybrid car are also rewarded with a special “Thanks for Being Kind to the Earth” gift upon their arrival.
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