4212008: Driskill Goes Green

On Earth Day, our attention turns to eco-friendly travel so this news caught our eye. Austin’s Driskill Hotel has announced its launch of “Destination Earth…Destination Driskill,” a three-stage plan that ensures operations and services positively impact the environment. Destination Hotels & Resorts (DH&R), the Denver-based hotel management company that oversees operations at The Driskill, along with some 30 other luxury hotel, resort and condominium properties, recently rolled out the “Destination Earth” program which targets all areas of the hotels’ operations.

In commemoration of Earth Day, the Driskill also introduces several special activities:

• Free valet parking is being given to guests arriving in hybrid vehicles.
• The 1886 Café & Bakery offers a special organic menu that includes organic breads and desserts, ice tea and lemonade, chemical- and hormone-free poultry, eggs from locally-raised free-range chickens, locally-raised venison and local farm produce.
• The Driskill Bar is conducting a tasting of organic wines.
• The hotel will not launder any towels or bed linens from guest rooms on Tuesday, April 22, unless specifically requested by guests. This is expected to save 7,385 gallons of water, equivalent to one month of water consumption by an average Austin household.
• Packets of wildflower seeds are being placed in all guestrooms with notes encouraging guests to consider native landscaping at their homes to reduce water consumption.
• Recently named the most “Pet-Friendly Hotel in the Country,” the hotel is stepping up its pet program by providing waste bags and scoopers for guests who arrive with dogs.

What the Program Includes: The complete “Destination Earth…Destination Driskill” program includes a checklist of 90 changes and improvements, which range from establishing more energy-efficient protocol for guest rooms—having only one light and the radio turned on at check in—to replacing all Styrofoam products with recycled paper and plastic products. Bottled water is provided only by request for meetings; outdated bath linens are recycled for cleaning purposes in house and bed linens are donated to charitable organizations; incandescent lighting is being replaced with energy efficient florescent bulbs. Sensors are being installed in all mechanical rooms, housekeeping closets, hallways and meeting rooms to reduce electricity usage.

The program is already garnering good marks from Austin officials. General Electric and the City of Austin performed recent electric and water audits on the hotel’s current operations. Both gave praiseworthy remarks.

For More Information:
• visit www.destinationhotels.com