DALLAS—Widely known for its eco-friendly practices and amenities, Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas is the first hotel in Dallas to achieve Green Seal certification at the Silver Level. Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert and other leaders and community partners gathered at the property recently for a special “Green” Breakfast Reception and event to celebrate the announcement and learn about the hotel’s efforts to lessen its environmental footprint. This honor brings Kimpton closer to its aggressive goal of becoming the first lifestyle boutique hotel company in the Unites States to attain 100 percent Silver Green Seal certification.
During the event, Andrew Wright, general manager of Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas, Mayor Leppert, Michele Hallahan of Green Seal, Inc., and others enjoyed sustainable dishes prepared by Central 214’s executive chef Blythe Beck in honor of the occasion. The mayor presented Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas and its Central 214 restaurant with special recognition for its renewed commitment to sustainability, which mirrors the ideals set forth by the city’s Green Dallas initiative. Attendees demonstrated their own environmental stewardship by trading in incandescent light bulbs for compact fluorescents in a “Glow Green” exchange.
“Dallas has made a major commitment to green practices and sustainability,” said Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert. “When companies like Kimpton demonstrate leadership with eco-friendly standards that its customers can relate to and understand, that kind of environmental stewardship has a lasting impact.”
Areas Covered by Green Seal
Hallahan of Green Seal, Inc. explained how the organization utilizes science-based standards to compile a thorough checklist that includes: environmental compliance, waste minimization and recycling, energy and water conservation measures, waste water protection, and bulk and environmentally preferable product and equipment purchasing in order to officially certify hotels. This process enables consumers and companies alike to easily identify what is truly green.
The hotel is also hosting a free electronics recycling drive through the month of October. Neighbors can easily discard small, household electronics weighing less than 15 pounds by driving up to the valet stand and leaving them with a uniformed bellman.
“Being ‘green’ isn’t a trendy catch phrase for us, it is a tangible philosophy and way of doing business that we live and breathe at each and every one of our hotels and restaurants,” explained Andrew Wright, general manager of Hotel Palomar Dallas. “Our guests expect us to roll out the ‘green’ carpet by offering: paperless check-in/out; eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner; organic beverages in honor bars and organic coffee and tea in the lobby; a mix of energy efficient lighting; and much more.”
To further celebrate this distinction, Wright announced plans to extend the property’s “Ride the Rails with DART” package through June 2011, which offers a 25 percent discounted room rate for guests presenting a mass transit Rail Day Pass used during their stay.
Green Seal certification is a third-party validation of Kimpton’s more than 80 environmentally responsible operational practices through its EarthCare program—allowing Kimpton to more effectively measure its nationwide reductions in waste, energy and water consumption. Kimpton’s Hotel Palomar Dallas completed a rigorous application process to earn its Silver certification, which also included an on-site audit.
Kimpton’s EarthCare initiatives date back to the company’s inception in 1981 and include several industry firsts such as in-room recycling bins and the use of non-toxic cleaners brand-wide. Through a new brand-wide Wines That Care program led by master sommelier Emily Wines, guests can enjoy many environmentally preferable wines featured during the hosted evening wine hour at all Kimpton hotels. Diners at Kimpton restaurants, including Hotel Palomar Dallas’ own Central 214, also have access to increasing selections of sustainably produced wine choices on menus, can take advantage of in-house purified water through a national partnership with Natura, and can enjoy sustainable seafood dishes in accordance with the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program.
