Walking into Serrano Hotel in downtown San Francisco, its opulent atmosphere may give you the wrong "eco" impression. In actuality, this Kimpton Hotel Group property is one of the greenest lodging options in all of the Bay Area. General Manager of the Serrano Hotel, Michael Pace, also spearheads Kimpton's company-wide EarthCare program in his dual role as Director of Environmental Programs. Launched in 2004, the EarthCare program is beginning its fourth phase this year. As part of their latest eco-commitments, Serrano will be teaming up with local non-profit DriveNeutral to offset the greenhouse gas emissions that come from the cars owned by the nine hotel and restaurant managers at the hotel.
"We are committed to doing the right thing for our environment locally, while still preserving the Kimpton culture and luxury experience we offer our guests,� said Michael Pace. "Offsetting our carbon footprint is only the beginning. There are so many things to tackle that seem so small, but when you add them up it makes a significant difference in helping the environment and being socially responsible." The mission of the EarthCare Program is to reduce the impact on the environment and "lead the hospitality industry in supporting a sustainable world, by continuing to deliver a premium guest experience through non-intrusive, high quality, eco-friendly products and services." Every Kimpton hotel has adopted a sustainability checklist of eco-friendly products and practices, from cleaning supplies to energy conservation, and just about everything else in between. "Michael is taking the leap as a leader in the Kimpton organization to implement the DriveNeutral initiative at his property early on," said Jason Smith, founder and director of DriveNeutral. "Starting with offsetting emissions for the nine managers’ cars, we hope to see this partnership grow to include opportunities for offsetting the carbon emissions for the entire hotel, their guests, and ultimately for the Kimpton group as a whole."
The practices that encompass the EarthCare program are extensive; a recent list that I received had 40 specific points, with more to be adding in 2007.
We are making every attempt to work with our suppliers to encourage their reduction of packaging and to raise awareness about the impacts of this type of packaging on the environment. In addition:• We are working with local laundry services to convert them to using non-toxic cleaning products.
• Office carpet and employee areas flooring replacement in March 2007 will utilize only recycled and recyclable carpet tiles and vinyl tiles, using non-toxic and low-VOC glues.
• Fitness room and business center carpets will be replaced with bamboo flooring and eco-friendly glues in April 2007.
• By March 2007, all paints in the hotel will be replaced by low VOC alternatives.
• We continue to implement energy saving measures across our property.
• We are currently testing the next ten EarthCare Standards to be rolled out in early 2007, which include reusable bags for guest dry cleaning, phone books by request, eco-friendly soaps in public and employee restrooms, and 100% recycled content toilet tissue (to name a few).
• By January 2007, our evening wine reception will feature (in addition to organic wines) organic beer and soda.
• By June 2007, our hotel limousine service will purchase a hybrid car for guest transportation.
A major sponsor of all three Green Festivals, Kimpton is becoming a great first choice when looking for travel lodging (or visiting family). It comes as no surprise that Serrano has garnered a fair amount of recognition for their eco-efforts. The Serrano Hotel is certified by the California EPA and Integrated Waste Management Board’s “Green Lodging� Program. The hotel is also in the final phase of certification as a �Green Business� by the City of San Francisco’s Department of the Environment.
So, the next time you are in the market for a place to stay, or for friends and family to get a good night's sleep (darn tiny SF apartments), consider Serrano and all other Kimpton locations as a great, green option.
