Home Publisher's Point of View Properties Lining Up Activities for Earth Hour, Earth Day

Properties Lining Up Activities for Earth Hour, Earth Day

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What do the Green Guacamole Margarita, Stories of the Cosmos, Go Green by the Shore, and Wine Cave movie screening have in common? They are among the special features being offered by lodging establishments in celebration of Earth Hour on March 23 at 8:30 p.m. and Earth Day on April 22. How will your property mark these two events?

The Green Guacamole Margarita will be offered during Earth Hour at La Hacienda at the Fairmont Scottsdale (Ariz.) Princess. That evening guests will arrive at the front drive, which will be lined with luminaries, before being welcomed into a candlelit lobby. All of the resort’s fountains will be shut down, lagoon fire features and decorative lights in the trees will be turned off and the ballroom foyers will be dimmed. Resort guests will be invited to join in the program by turning off any lights in their room, and colleagues will be encouraged to take Earth Hour with them by shutting off lights at home.

Behind the scenes, engineers at the Fairmont will adjust temperatures on central heating and cooling systems, and will shut down all hotel televisions and computers not in use. Earlier in the day, youngsters in Bobcat Billy’s Kids Club will salute Earth Hour by making Solar S’mores, a complimentary activity at the East Pool, using a solar oven.

Stories of the Cosmos Provided by Naturalists

At The Ritz-Carlton, Laguna Niguel in Dana Point, Calif., guests and local residents will be invited to celebrate Earth Hour through Stories of the Cosmos. Held on the Eco-Adventure Center’s Connect the Dots outdoor game board, Stories of the Cosmos will feature naturalists who will guide guests in discovering the Big and Little Dipper, Hercules, Orion, Pleiades, Taurus and Scorpio, all constellations that can be seen in the night sky from Dana Point in March.

During Earth Day and throughout the month of April, guests who book the Go Green by the Shore package at the Shore Hotel in Santa Monica, Calif., will enjoy an eco-friendly weekend getaway with overnight accommodations, Enterprise Rent-A-Car’s hybrid or electric car rental, and bike rentals. Upon arrival, guests will receive a Forget-me-not flower and Santa Monica Farmers’ Market Cookbook. Additionally, guests will experience dinner in a natural setting with organic cuisine at the Inn of the Seventh Ray.

Additionally, during the month of April, Shore Hotel will donate $1 to Surfrider Foundation for every Green Screen e-postcard taken at the hotel. Guests are encouraged to take a picture using the touchscreen kiosk to send e-postcards via e-mail or posted to Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Disney in a Cave

At the Calistoga Ranch, an Auberge Resort property in Napa Valley, Calif., there will be a Wine Cave movie screening on Earth Day. Calistoga Ranch will invite guests to their Wine Cave, a space deep within a hillside, for a screening of “Disneynature: Earth.” Throughout Earth Month, guests will receive a departure gift of a local olive tree sapling to bring Mother Nature home with them.

At the Inn by the Sea in Cape Elizabeth, Maine, busloads of Portland area school kids will be welcomed on Earth Day to sandy Crescent Beach. The children will help clean up the beach after a long winter. The Inn has arranged for an Audubon spokesperson to talk to the children about the endangered Piping Plover, as well as the importance of protecting and preserving the sand dunes for erosion and wildlife habitat.

Earth Hour and Earth Day (or Earth month if you so choose) are great opportunities to show your guests that you recognize the frailty of our planet. The events are also great times for educational and voluntary activities as well as special promotions. Have fun and be creative. Be sure to let me know what your property or company has planned. I can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com, or by phone at (216) 848-1406.

GLN Adds Green Wolf Technologies as Directory Partner

Green Lodging News welcomes Green Wolf Technologies LLC as a Green Product & Service Directory partner. Green Wolf Technologies is an authorized reseller, dealer, and representative for Telkonet, Inc. Green Wolf Technologies uses the Telkonet EcoCentral software and EcoSmart hardware products to help hoteliers lower the cost of running their facilities without compromising guest comfort. Telkonet’s solutions for the lodging industry can easily be installed into existing or new construction projects. For more information, e-mail info@greenwolftech.com, call (800) 354-2633, or go to www.greenwolftech.com.

Who is Your Sustainability Champion?

Green Lodging News is always looking to profile sustainability champions in our Personnel Profile section. If you would like to nominate someone for this section of Green Lodging News, contact me at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Looking for Guest Columnists

Every two weeks Green Lodging News posts a new guest column on its website. (Click here for examples.) The guest column also appears in the weekly e-newsletter. Green Lodging News is currently in need of industry experts to contribute occasional guest columns. Experts may include consultants, architects, designers, suppliers and those who own or operate green lodging establishments. Columns may be articles that take a stance on a particular subject or be strictly educational in nature. Columnists benefit by having their photo included along with a one paragraph description of their company. Interested in writing a column? Contact Glenn Hasek, publisher and editor, at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.

Planning Advertising for 2013?

Green Lodging News is accepting reservations for advertising spots for 2013. Many excellent spots are available on the website and in the weekly e-mail newsletter. Many Green Supplier Spotlight dates are also available. Interested in receiving a 2013 media kit? Be sure to contact me as soon as possible at (216) 848-1406, or by e-mail at editor@greenlodgingnews.com. A media kit can also be accessed by clicking here. Thank you to all of those companies that consistently support Green Lodging News.

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

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