Home News & Features Portland Doubletree Hotel Presented with BEST Award

Portland Doubletree Hotel Presented with BEST Award

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PORTLAND, ORE.—The Doubletree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center Portland-Lloyd Center announced that the property has been recognized by the City of Portland’s Office of Sustainable Development for its commitment to sustainability. The BEST Award is the latest acknowledgement of the Doubletree’s efforts to bring sustainability into the hospitality industry.

The 476-room Doubletree is the first lodging property in Oregon to be certified with a Green Seal “green hotel” designation, and they have been honored by the U.S. EPA and by the national Doubletree organization for their green programs. The Doubletree was recently included on the “100 Best Companies to Work for in Oregon” list by Oregon Business.

The Doubletree Hotel and Executive Meeting Center was cited by the BEST awards program as having “initiated meaningful, environmentally responsible changes to the way it does business, including installing comprehensive energy and water efficiency programs and participation in food donation and composting programs.”

The BEST Awards are presented by the Office of Sustainable Development in partnership with the Energy Trust of Oregon; the City of Portland Bureaus of Water, Environmental Services and Transportation; the Portland Development Commission; BOMA Portland and the Sustainable Industries Journal. Forty-two companies applied for the awards, and 10 winners received awards in designated categories at an awards ceremony held at the Oregon Convention Center.

Among the Best of the BEST

“Being recognized with a BEST Award is a great accomplishment for us,” says Michael Luehrs, director of operations and head of the Doubletree’s internal Green Team. “We were humbled to be considered in the same category as New Seasons’ markets and Burgerville/The Holland, Inc., and we are deeply honored by this recognition.”

In its ongoing attempts to grow sustainability, the property has appointed a Green Meeting Specialist, and has designated a staff person to lead efforts towards a LEED-EB (Existing Building) certification. They already have a well-established commuter incentive program, and have eliminated their Airport Shuttle—an industry standard—in favor of encouraging guests to arrive on the MAX light rail. In addition, the hotel has a full-time Green Team committee that spearheads their sustainability programs.

“The BEST Award reinforces that we are moving in the right direction,” says Steve Faulstick, the property’s general manager. “This award recognizes the efforts of all of our employees to participate in our sustainability programs.”

The Doubletree has established a designated website, www.doubletreeportlandgreen.com, to educate their guests about their sustainability programs. The site contains information about green meeting packages, mass transit, and the property’s waste reduction programs. It also hosts a Carbon Calculator, which guests and groups can use to determine the global warming impact of their stay and events. The guests or groups can then make a contribution to a local non-profit, The Climate Trust, to make their stay or visit carbon neutral.

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