Review These Garden Vacation Locations
If you are a responsible and environment-friendly tourist, your values of being one should be brought with you wherever you go, particularly in the choice of a garden hotel. In the US, specifically in Seattle, there’s one hotel that stands out among the rest for being eco-certified, and this is Hyatt at Olive 8. This is the city’s First LEED- (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified hotel which certifies that it makes use of green building practices, which is a new addition to the hotel offerings of downtown Seattle. It is a block away from the old and remarkable Paramount Theatre, shopping is just a stone’s throw away from Pacific Place and for sightseeing, venture into Pike Place Market or Capitol Hill.
Passing by its facade, one can’t help but notice its all-glass exterior which is very smart and classy and admire its interior design that is artistic but natural. The building, mostly designed with glass, is combined with LED, fluorescent and cold cathode electrical materials which add up to the energy-efficient lighting characteristic of its infrastructure, which the hotel proudly boasts of. Its living green roof cuts consumption remarkably because it uses 32 per cent less water and 20 per cent less energy compared to other buildings of the same size. This allows guests to continue their eco-friendly practices even away from home. It is interesting to note that 95 per cent of its building design is attributed to construction debris diverted from landfills that was recyclable. Urbane, its ground-level restaurant is filled with candlelit tables and offers raw and locally-grown ingredients incorporated in their very own cuisine that is originally Pacific Northwest coupled with wine and beer.
Outstanding room features include energy-efficient lighting controls, water-conserving dual-flush toilets and water-reducing showerheads while the hotel housekeeping utilizes green chemical-free products for cleaners. This eco-friendly hotel offers excellent dining and spa experience which presents a resort experience in an exciting and luxurious city atmosphere.
Avalon Hotel and Spa: Green and Serene Hotel in Downtown Oregon
Nowadays, because of global concerns to go green, most hotel guests would also demand eco-friendly hotel services like the use of housekeeping chemical-free cleaners, spa and organic bathe products, and water and light conservation practices. One of the green hotels maximizing the use of these practices is the Avalon Hotel and Spa which is Oregon’s First LEED- (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified hotel located in Portland, a place famous for its residents’ and businesses’ eco-attitude and sustainable consciousness.
The green hotel is located in Portland’s South Waterfront District along the serene Willamette River. It is perfectly situated along the riverside which are often used by guests and residents as jogging trails. It is located near downtown shopping areas, near public transportation and the significant Portland Art Museum frequented by many people who wants to learn more about the place. It is easily found 14 miles from the Portland International Airport, of which is also roughly three miles from Portland Art Museum, can be toured four miles from the Oregon Zoo, and five miles from the Japanese Gardens. The hotel includes amenities like the two-storey, 13,000-square-foot Avalon Spa offering highly professional body treatments, and an energizing fitness club where you can even swim and enjoy the sunshine in a pair of polarized goggles. The hotel also offers efficient concierge service, quick valet and laundry service, and complimentary car services to downtown locations. It is basically guest-oriented offering modern sophistication and warm welcome, typical of most green hotels in the Pacific
Northwest.
The 99-luxury room hotel lies alongside Cottonwood Bay, a protected green space of 8,000 square foot and provides habitat conducive for butterflies. Irrigation needs in the area are reduced by 95% because of the planting of native-drought tolerant plants.
The hotel boasts of luxurious 99-guest room appointments and is a perfect choice for weekend dreamy and romantic interludes, peaceful and quiet group recollections and retreats, and exciting and electrifying weddings and birthday celebrations. It offers its guests complimentary wireless Internet access and Continental breakfasts served on every hotel floor, plus excellent dining in their highly-acclaimed Aquariva Italian Kitchen and Wine Bar which offers seasonal Menu that is Italian-inspired. Outdoor dining is also available at the riverside patio. They also present exclusive spa accommodations and full-service fitness center, together with its unparalleled view location. It is the ideal escape from the busy city though it is just close at hand.
Orchard Garden Hotel: The Greenest Garden Hotel in San Francisco
The newest and greenest boutique hotel right in the heart of San Francisco, the Orchard Garden Hotel is considered to be the first hotel to receive the Green Seal and LEED (Leadership in Energy and environmental Design) certification in San Francisco, one of the greenest cities in California. It belongs to this state’s first generation of truly ‘green’ hotels and the only hotel built according to the nationally accepted standards for green buildings developed by the U.S. Green Building Council. It can be reached minutes from the lively Union Square shops and theatres, near the money-making Financial District dealmakers and San Francisco’s celebrated cable cars, and just steps away from the vivacious Chinatown gate. It has over 86 fashionable guest rooms, spacious assembly room, alluring rooftop garden and the magnificent Roots Restaurant which combines sophisticated luxury with up-to-date design in a cherished, uptown atmosphere.
This green hotel provides eco-friendly transportation with the use of bike racks and car sharing or cars-on-the-go such as the zip cars for its guests and commuter checks to its employees. Bath products, such as Aveda organics, that were partially used are donated to the homeless shelters while green products are extensively used like the recycled carpets that are chemical free and the cleaning products are citrus-based, organic, and natural. It utilizes the latest system, which unveiled the city’s guestroom key card energy control system, the first of its kind, similar to European and Asian systems that will save 20 percent of its energy costs because upon entry of the guests inside their room, placing the guestroom key card in a box triggers the lights to turn on and when they leave with their key, the lights automatically turns off. Aside from this, their ‘green’ practices also includes an in-room recycling system, chemical-free cleaning products, compact fluorescent light bulbs and a 100% tobacco-free environment. Guests play a very important role in the conservation of the environment while enjoying the city’s finest accommodations and services every time they come and visit the place.
This eco-friendly hotel is dedicated to sustaining the environment aside from their excellent commitment to quality service. There are experts in the provision of hospitality services to assist their guests with their needs such as efficient and fast valet parking, speedy and competent concierge assistance as well as complimentary and professional car service to the Financial District. They are equipped with Internet and Wi-Fi access of the highest speed, LCD television with clear resolutions, new DVD and CD player of the latest technology, and iPod docking station. Each room includes amenities like coffee/tea maker for instant coffee experience and honor bar without stepping outside the room, in-room safe for keeping valuables, and cordless telephones with dual lines for easy communication. Famous artworks by local artists are proudly featured in their magnificent and vast welcoming lobby enjoyed by the guests while taking part of a buffet breakfast in European style, available each morning at Roots Restaurant.
Mourtzanakis Hotel Residence: Real Green Greek Experience
With a spectacular background setting of peace, tranquility and breathtaking scenery, Mourtzanakis Hotel in ancient Greece is a green hotel which is delighted to welcome you and experience Greece’s traditional hospitality. This hotel, owned by the Mourtzanakis of Greece, was once their medieval home and now transformed into a magnificent hotel, will relieve you from the stress of your job and strain of urban living while you enjoy the modern comforts and amenities they offer amidst olden surroundings. This is truly a grand vacation while you have fun experiencing nature, history, and beautiful weather which only Greece can afford to give you.
The Mourtzanakis Hotel is nestled in the village of Achlada, where you can enjoy panoramic views of the sea beyond and the mountains protecting the island. It is a quick 10 minute drive to 4 different sea shores and 20 minute drive from the Center of Iraklion or Heraklion. The airport is just 25 minute drive away while the University Hospital is a good 15 minute drive if there’s to be an emergency. The fabulous golden sunset is an additional touch to the already gorgeous and stunning scene of the countryside. It is the most ideal place to leave stress behind while enjoying the serenity of nature as well as the ecotourism activities that abound in the area. Interesting lectures are also conducted here using the languages Greek, English, French and Arabic.
The Mourtzanakis Hotel Residence is divided into four luxurious traditional villas which offer cozy and comfortable residence that are equally luxurious. The Main Reception Building houses the Library, a place where you can read; the Lounge, where you meet with other guests; and the Terrace where you can relax, enjoy the views, and leisurely sip the wonderful coffee served.
It is truly a nature’s paradise because the easy contact with nature is readily accessible which is also due to the traditional environment of the surroundings. Activities concerning Ecotourism such as fabrication of Olive Oil, Wine, and Cretan Raki are among the few of the many offered in the area. Each activity will depend on the availability of the ingredients according to the season. There are also such activities like discovering Cretan herbs and plants and flowers that exist in the surroundings. There are also organized walks or mountain biking done during the weekends through the region’s historical paths and visits to the neighboring historical villages, such as old villages that are in ruins, ancient monuments and old convents like the medieval Savathiana Convent located on a marvelous spot with an outstanding view, as well as scuba diving in a nearby sea-village while requesting for a possible transfer service going to anyplace in the island.
Hotel Terra Jackson Hole: an Eco-Friendly Hotel Experience
Many people nowadays are already equipped with the knowledge of the benefits given by green hotels and so by being eco-friendly themselves, look for these kind of hotels in their midst like hotels that offer sustainable and alternative businesses like the use of organic bath and beauty products, natural cleaning ingredients, water and light conservation practices and fuel-free and savings transportation like bike rentals and zip cars use.
The Hotel Terra Jackson Hole in Jackson, Wyoming is one such hotel which makes use of the advantages of being eco-friendly to their guests realizing that customers like hotels who does their bit of being one. It is the first green hotel launched by the Terra Resort Group which cuts on energy cost like the utilization of eco-bells and whistles doing away with the traditional energy-consuming and noisy buzzers around and floorings in the parking garage that are radiant-heated which helps to retain building heat. For construction of the building, it made use of reclaimed lumber for its lobby pillars, recycled vinyl and cellulose fiber for its “Eco Shake” roof singles, and reflective-coated Energy Star-rated for its windows. All around the hotel are garden settings making use of native landscaping without irrigating the land and double-flush toilets and urinals that doesn’t use water as a means of saving it in public men’s restrooms reducing an annual 34 per cent of Hotel Terra’s water usage.
A silver LEED-certified hotel, the Hotel Terra also offers other eco-amenities. For their bath products, they utilize refillable aluminum bottles, and for their bedroom mattresses, bed sheets and soft towels, they make sure these are made of 100 percent organic cotton. Relieving yourself of stress from workload brings you to their Chill Spa which features body treatments with the use of the natural Eminence Organic Skin Care; a 50-minute soothing massage. Breakfast of organic eggs and natural ham is enjoyed at the Terra Cafe while you gaze out from the ceiling-high windows over Jackson Hole Valley.
They also practice and participate in food composting done through Terra Firma Organics, a local group. Their Eco-Adventure packages include a wildlife tour which is led by biologists in the area.
Proximity Hotel: The Greenest Green Hotel in the US
Nowadays, many hotels are struggling to become eco-certified, meaning they must pass rigorous green building and green service standards because many travelers and hotel guests demand these from hotels. These people are aware of the benefits of being environment friendly and so this is one requirement they look for when they travel and find a place to stay. In North Carolina, USA, there’s one hotel and the first to achieve Platinum LEED certification, which is the highest rating by LEED and this is Proximity Hotel in Greensboro.
The hotel boasts of 70 sustainable features in its 157-room for their guests including the construction materials used in its built like salvaged wood, recycled asphalt and concrete, and steel that’s 90 per cent post-consumer reinforced. These energy-saving materials works efficiently in lessening energy consumption to 41% making use of the 4,000 feet of solar panels situated in the hotel’s rooftop. These produces 60% of the building’s heat which is utilized in heating water. The building also features materials of the latest and highest quality in building technology such as the regenerative drive for Otis
Gen2 elevator, which was first installed here and reduced over-all use of energy by encapsulating its own energy and feeding it back into the building’s own energy. Water consumption is also lessened at 30% less than a comparable hotel.
Each guestroom features extra-large and oversized windows to utilize abundant natural light and a lot of efficient fresh air giving the highest quality air circulation and ventilation. It is also artistically decorated with simple yet elegantly sketched original charcoal artwork by local artists residing in the vicinity. The hotel’s adjacent Print Works Bistro is the first U.S. restaurant to achieve Platinum LEED certification which features fresh local ingredients in producing flavorful traditional and modern cuisine. The restaurant’s sustainable practices include ventilation in the kitchen which is sensor-controlled, utilization of heat energy from the earth for refrigeration, and tabletops made of reclaimed walnut wood. Aside from the extensive wine list, Print Works offers a smoke-free bar and plenty of outdoor terrace dining along the tranquil restored stream.
New York Westin Hotel: Green Hotel for Green Guests
Most green guests, travelers and tourists traveling around the world today bring with them their environment friendly values and attitudes wherever they go and while looking for a hotel where they would like to stay, naturally puts their choice on a green hotel. Green hotels care about the well-being of their customers and also the environment by addressing the global issue on environmental concern. These hotels also promote sustainable dishes and cuisines around the world, embrace local art made by local talents, and support natural health and well-being of its customers. When in New York, one such hotel is the Westin Hotel, one of the colored green hotels you can find in the middle of Times Square.
The Green Seal-certified hotel is the first in New York and also the first Westin hotel to achieve such recognition. Green seal certification shows a green hotel utilizing products and services according to international standards. Its eco-features include paperless guest registration, 100 percent recycled and biodegradable room keys, and recycled kitchen grease that’s used by a local company to produce bio-fuels.
Located at the Westin New York at Times Square is the Atrium Club where anyone in New York who worked hard can find peace, privacy and relaxation much just like a second home. The Atrium Club boasts of exclusive and luxurious rooms, the private and classy Atrium Club Lounge and excellent personal services and amenities only distinguished guests can avail.
The Westin’s “environmental initiatives” include green construction designs like low-flow faucets and 1.6-gallon flush toilets to conserve water. But Westin also values simple green efforts such as turning off air conditioning units when not in use, recycling ink and printer cartridges in all their offices, reusing pieces of scrap paper and giving uneaten banquet food to staff or distributed to local charities. These subtle efforts shown by hotel individual or groups signify a philosophy for sustainability where everyone in the hotel, whether staff or guests work together to promote a common goal, that of promoting a healthier, greener earth.
Starwood Hotels: the Green Element Hotels
Lodging on eco-certified US hotels makes one feel great because it’s good to become a part of the global goal of being environment friendly. These green hotels are exerting effort to care about the well-being of their guests and most especially the earth so we, too, should become part of working hard towards this endeavor. These hotels are acquiring the benefits of going green so they promote sustainable practices of constructing their buildings with the use of recycled or natural materials, promoting natural and healthy cuisine, maintaining individual’s health and well-being and embracing local art and culture.
Element Hotels, a chain of eco-hotels, are green hotels inspired by Westin Hotels and Resorts. These are actually Starwood Hotels that are turning green featuring healthier dining rooms, spacious lobbies, ceiling-high windows and energy-efficient but luxurious rooms for the guests. All of these element hotels are working for LEED certification.
Eco-conscious travelers, tourists and guests can find such room amenities as placing of recycling bins specifically for paper, glass and plastic in strategic areas, magnetic signs on doors such as the Do Not Disturb signs which can be used for a long time over and over again, water which is filtered and dispensers of soap in order to minimize if not eliminate plastic bottle waste. Superb, plush and comfortable rooms also feature kitchens with complete facilities, pantries containing healthy food and ergonomic desk chairs while the drivers that’s hybrid gets priority slots in parking.
The first element hotel to open was the Element Lexington in the summer of 2008 and other open locations include element Arundel Mills, element Las Vegas Summerlin and element Houston Vintage Park, with 21 more properties slated to open through the year 2011, including one in Abu Dhabi, the United Arab Emirates and their hotel rates vary depending on location. Element Lexington in downtown Boston is located in the suburbs and surrounded by wealthy colonial history and animated business community which is within easy reach of its cultural, sporting and entertainment world. It boasts of an up-to-date fitness center, a magnificent and refreshing pool and healthy options for food served anywhere in their splendid dining rooms. Their vivid and open multi-purpose public spaces are very stimulating areas for unwinding from busy work, play, and socials.
