14 Days of Green Valentines

 

Gift Idea #10

Enjoy a Night -- or More -- of Robe-Mance

Treat yourself and your sweetheart to a night alone at a luxurious -- and eco-friendly -- hotel. Now through February 29th, all Kimpton Hotels are giving away their leopard and zebra-print robes when you book their special robe-mance package which includes:

- deluxe accommodations at one of their participating hotels (rates start at $269/night and vary based on location and availability)

- two new signature Kimpton bathrobes ($180 value) made of 100% Turkish ring-spun cotton.  

- a $25 dining and beverage credit to use for a nightcap at their adjacent Kimpton restaurant OR breakfast in bed 

Reservations can be made at www.KimptonHotels.com or at individual hotel Websites by entering "ROBES" in the rate box or by calling 1-800-KIMPTON and requesting the Robe-mance package.   

Kimpton is my favorite hotel line.  They lead the hospitality industry in ecological practices through their innovative EarthCare program that spans all hotels and restaurants.  Heck, they were green long before green was popular and they truly get it! Also, they have over 100 hotels and restaurants, so check one out in your area or the next time you are traveling. 

 

Greening Our Hotels and A Place for Event Leftovers

lI wish more hotels would hop on the green bandwagon. Fairmont and Kimpton properties are leading the way, but I'm appalled at the lack of green initiatives at most other properties I visit. A re-use your towel and bed linen program is such a no-brainer and takes no effort on the part of the hotel other than printing signs (on recycled paper with soy or vegetable based ink, please!). Housekeeping staff replace towels only when a guest has placed them in the tub and only change bed linens every 3 days (unless the guest requests otherwise). Of course, as guests, if a hotel offers this program, we need to utilize it!

When I stayed at the Fairmont The Queen Elizabeth in Montreal last August, I was elated that the lights in my room contained CFLs (compact fluorescent light bulbs) and there was a container for recycling office paper, newspaper, cans and bottles. Each day that I received a paper, it was not in a plastic bag, but a re-usable fabric bag. They also had a re-use your towel and bed linen program as well as many more impressive initiatives.

In October, when I stayed at the Omni in Chicago and their property at CNN Center in Atlanta two weeks ago, I was disappointed that there was no recycling to be found anywhere. Since I knew I wouldn't read my daily paper, I asked that it not be delivered to my room; however, somebody on staff didn't get that memo and I still received one each business day. Since there was no recycling in my sleeping room or anywhere else in the hotel, I took my newspapers and all office papers home with me to recycle there.

I wrote the Omni to tell them about my disappointment that they don't have a recycling program and received a prompt response from the Guest Services Manager that my concern would be forwarded to the GM. I really hope others write, too. If we don't voice our dissatisfaction with the status quo, they won't think anything is wrong and nothing will change.

Green Tip:
A Place for Event Leftovers

Don't know what to do with your leftover tote bags, volunteer t-shirts, flower arrangements, and food from your meeting and event? The folks at Special E will pick it up for you and either recycle it or deliver it to people in need. Your event must have over 100 people or more. They charge a fee to cover administrative costs and pick-up/delivery fees and base the price on the type, size and location of the program and the leftover items to be rescued.