SANTA MONICA, CALIF.—A Partner Member of the Green Hotel Assn. and a Santa Monica Sustainable Works Business Greening Program participant, The Ambrose hotel here is doing what it can to “Leave Only Footprints Behind.” It is that phrase that the 77-room property uses in its stylish logo. In every area of the hotel’s operations, a commitment to sustainability is clear. That commitment stems from the owner, The Ambrose Group L.L.C., as well as the “all concierge” team of employees at the property. The Ambrose first got involved in greening the hotel’s operations by participating in Santa Monica’s Sustainable Works Business Greening...

PORTLAND, ORE.—The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland-Lloyd Center is doing its part to help make Portland one of the greenest meeting destinations in the United States. Host to the Green Meeting Industry Council’s recent Greening the Hospitality Industry Conference, the 476-room hotel is a national leader because of its commitment to sustainable hotel operations. From the lobby area, where recycling containers can be found, to the back of the house, where food scraps are collected for composting, the Doubletree’s commitment to waste reduction is evident. Purchasing policies ensure that waste and recycled content is considered before anything is...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—With the Kimpton Hotel & Restaurant Group’s EarthCare program as its guide, the 82-room Hotel Madera is quietly making a positive impact with its subtle approach to green hotel operations. “Our story here is ‘Conscious Living,’” says Marco Scherer, general manager of the Washington, D.C. boutique hotel. “Throughout their entire stay, we try to remind our guests to live in a conscious manner. We let them decide to what degree they want to participate.” Opened as a Kimpton hotel five years ago, the Hotel Madera has been a green hotel for just a couple of years. The property is owned...

MADISON, WISC.—Upon entering the Arbor House—an Environmental Inn, you may want to watch where you step. The door mat is made from recycled truck tires. That is just one of the many ways the eight-room inn lives up to its name. Many of the items found in this historic Madison property were added or kept with the environment in mind. “Arbor House’s mission is to provide the art of hospitality within a model for urban ecology,” the inn’s website says. “Our goal is the wise use of resources and providing guests with an unparalleled combination of natural design, features, fabrics,...

KELOWNA, B.C.—Anyone skeptical about using the power of the sun to heat and cool a hotel should give Greg Salloum a call. He is c.e.o. of Salco Management Ltd., the owner of the 154-room Best Western-Kelowna in British Columbia. For more than six years now, the hotel has been heated and cooled with the help of a solar and geothermal system. In 2000 and 2001, 102 hot water solar panels were installed on the hotel’s roof. At that time, two five-ton heat pumps also were installed in the hotel’s basement. The system cost $258,000, of which $53,000 was paid by...

BOSTON—The 426-room Seaport Hotel, 100 percent nonsmoking since it opened in 1998, is marching toward Energy Star certification with a basket full of resource-saving programs. The initiatives include everything from guestroom energy management systems to public transportation incentives for employees. All of the Seaport Hotel’s environmental efforts are considered part of Seaport Saves. Matt Moore, director of rooms at the property, said the Seaport got a wake-up call in 2005 when the Northeast Sustainable Energy Assn., an organization that planned to meet at the hotel, expressed disappointment in the Seaport’s green offerings. “They suggested we do something...

CAPE ELIZABETH, MAINE—The Inn By The Sea, here in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, is not a bad place to stay, especially if you happen to be a bird or a bug—the good kind, that is. The luxury property, which includes 43 suites and cottages, is two-thirds surrounded by a state park and is adjacent to a bird sanctuary. Management at the Inn By The Sea takes its responsibility to maintain its surroundings seriously. Over the years, the need for chemicals has been reduced by replacing exotic plants with indigenous species that not only create a pleasing landscape for guests, but also...

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Led by general manager Herve Houdre, the Willard InterContinental Washington, just two blocks from the White House, is on the road to becoming one of the most environmentally friendly hotels in the United States. To move the 334-room hotel toward sustainability, Houdre and his team of associates have initiated a plan called “Willard InterContinental—The Next 100 Years.” The plan emphasizes steps that encompass the triple bottom line of economic viability, social responsibility and environmental concern. Three teams have been put together to develop and carry out the plan’s programs. The teams include: Community and Suppliers; Customers and Employees; and...

VANCOUVER, B.C.—The 233-room Pacific Palisades Hotel, a champion of recycling since it became a Kimpton property seven years ago, has increased its recycling efforts to include used batteries, light bulbs, fluorescent lamps and food waste. The initiative is part of the property’s plan to operate profitably while implementing sustainable practices. Linda Chin, hotel manager, says the hotel in Vancouver, B.C. has been recycling office paper, cardboard, newspaper, cans and bottles for seven years. Recycling containers throughout the property ensure that recyclables are kept separate from other waste. Recently, however, hotel management decided to increase the number of items...

VANCOUVER, WASH.—The 226-room Hilton Vancouver, Washington, will know later this summer if it will become one of the United States’ first hotels to obtain Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. LEED is a building rating system established by the U.S. Green Building Council, Washington, D.C. The hotel, which is owned by the city of Vancouver, is managed by Beverly Hills, Calif.-based Hilton Hotels Corp. It was designed by Portland, Ore.-based Fletcher Farr Ayotte (FFA). The design incorporates myriad sustainable design strategies, including sensors that adjust the climate control systems when rooms and hallways are vacant,...