Joie de Vivre Has Most Green Hotels In San Francisco
Hotel Del Sol and Galleria Park Hotel Earn SF Green Business Certification
San Francisco (March 9, 2010) – San Francisco is known as an epicenter of sustainable food and progressive politics, but increasingly it is also a destination for green travelers seeking an environmentally sustainable place to rest their heads. Joie de Vivre is leading the green hospitality charge in San Francisco with the largest number of certified green hotels according to standards set by San Francisco Green Business, the certifying body recognized by the city. In December, the Hotel Del Sol and the Galleria Park hotel achieved certification, joining a list that also includes Hotel Vitale, Hotel Carlton, and Hotel Drisco. With the addition of the Galleria Park and the Del Sol, five out of 10 of the hotels to achieve certification from San Francisco Green Business are Joie de Vivre properties.
To be awarded green certification from San Francisco Green Business, each hotel had to complete the program's in-depth standards, which require measures in a number of categories, from energy conservation to pollution prevention. The Carlton made news in 2009 for achieving LEED-Gold certification in the existing buildings category, effectively making it the greenest hotel in San Francisco by U.S. Green Building Council standards.
Joie de Vivre is also rolling out biocompostable bath amenities from California-based Lather at its hotels. The new Bamboo Lemongrass amenities are packaged in materials made from biodegradable cornstarch rather than petroleum-based plastic and are made of 85% post-consumer recycled materials. A number of the hotels take their sustainability efforts one step further, opting to use Lather's products in bulk dispensers in their guestrooms.
"By the end of 2009, roughly one-third of our hotels had achieved official green certification," said Chip Conley, Joie de Vivre founder and CEO. "Achieving formal certification requires a long-term investment of time and resources. These hotels reflect our commitment to environmental conservation, and we are working steadily toward green certification for all of our hotels." Joie de Vivre's environmental conservation program, Green Dreams, focuses on four main areas: recycling and waste reduction, energy conservation, water conservation, and pollution prevention. Conservation efforts range from implementing guestroom recycling programs and installing energy efficient lighting at the hotels to donating leftover food and setting up composting programs at the restaurants.
About Joie de Vivre
San Francisco-based Joie de Vivre (http://www.jdvhotels.com) is a collection of creative lifestyle businesses. Founded in 1987 by Chip Conley, Joie de Vivre manages nearly 40 boutique hotels, more than 20 restaurants and four spas, and is recognized for creating some of the most innovative hospitality services and products and designing one-of-a-kind properties. Joie de Vivre also manages residential projects with hotel-style services and amenities. As California's largest boutique hotel collection, Joie de Vivre Hotels is becoming the hotel brand synonymous with the California travel experience, offering a wide range of unique urban, suburban and waterfront boutique hotels that cater to leisure and business travelers in all market segments. Joie de Vivre hotels are located in San Francisco, Marin County, Silicon Valley, San Francisco East Bay, Big Sur, Sonoma County, Santa Cruz, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Huntington Beach, Long Beach, and Venice Beach.