BOULDER, COLO.—Sustainable Travel International (STI) announced that Sonnenalp Resort of Vail has achieved its Luxury Eco Certification Standard (LECS), becoming the first hotel in the western United States to pass the intensive on-site inspection and receive this distinction. Designed to educate, as well as help luxury hotels create and implement a sustainability management framework, LECS is a voluntary, global certification program focusing on people, planet and profit.
In order to become LECS certified, hotels must undergo a preliminary desk audit, complemented by an on-site, third-party assessment handled by Leading Quality Assurance. The five areas that are evaluated include: policy and documentation, energy conservation, water conservation, recycling and community. The fusion of these five components reduces long-term operating costs, and creates customer and employee good will.
The process of becoming LECS eco-certified is challenging and requires a serious commitment on behalf of the hotel applicant. In addition to making sustainability an important aspect of decision making throughout the hotel, Sonnenalp Resort has seen an annual decrease of 5 percent in gas usage, 18 percent in electricity usage, and a reduction in water usage by 4.6 million gallons.
“The main focus of our green initiatives is to use sustainable and responsible practices that show our respect and appreciation for our wonderful mountain environment,” said Johannes Faessler, general manager of the Sonnenalp Resort. “In order to make progress with the Sonnenalp’s green initiatives, it is essential to establish baseline data, measure and monitor disciplines, determine benchmarks and establish systems to make our green focus a part of our culture and our daily lives.”
LECS is setting a new precedent in the luxury accommodation sector with an increasing number of five-star hoteliers around the world applying for eco-certification. The Sonnenalp Resort of Vail was recently listed as one of the Top 100 Hotels in the World by Travel and Leisure, further supporting the fact that combining luxury hospitality and sustainable practices is not only possible, it is popular with increasingly savvy travelers.
