SAN FRANCISCO, California – San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants announced today its pursuit of an aggressive national milestone for environmental responsibility. Kimpton, with 50 hotels in 22 major metropolitan cities, is in process to become the first lifestyle boutique hotel company in the U.S. to attain 100 percent Green Seal certification at the Silver level.
At present, 46 of 50 hotels have completed the rigorous application process for Green Seal certification, which includes an on-site audit. Half of those have already received certification. The rest are anticipated to be awarded certification within the next 90 days. The remaining four, including two opening this spring, will begin the certification process this year.
Green Seal certification is an important third-party validation of Kimpton’s more than 80 environmentally responsible operational practices under the company’s EarthCare program, and allows Kimpton to more effectively measure its nationwide reductions in waste, energy and water consumption. For example, at Kimpton’s Hotel Monaco in Chicago, which earned Green Seal certification in 2009 along with Kimpton’s Hotel Burnham and Hotel Allegro in the same city, tracking methods required for certification revealed that 116 tons, or 45 percent, of all of recyclables were diverted from landfill last year. This effort equates to the preservation of 1,977 trees, 477,042 kilowatts of electricity, 44,192 gallons of oil, 814,065 gallons of water and 349 yards of space diverted from landfill.
“These statistics reflect the impact of just one Kimpton hotel,” said Niki Leondakis, chief
operating officer at Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants. “Once attained, Green Seal certification will enable us to quantify our efforts across 46 properties initially, and then benchmark our progress year over year to continue to aim higher and achieve even greater positive results from our EarthCare practices. This certification reaffirms for our guests and each hotel in our collection the impact our shared contribution makes on individual communities and the planet overall.”
To qualify for GS-33 Green Seal certification, a hotel must demonstrate sustainable practices in the following areas:
- Waste minimization, reuse and recycling
- Energy efficiency, conservation and management
- Management of fresh water resources
- Waste water management
- Hazardous substances
- Environmentally sensitive purchasing
Certification requires an initial evaluation by Green Seal, including an extensive on-site audit of the property, and annual monitoring to ensure ongoing compliance. The GS-33 standard recognizes three levels of environmental achievement:
- Bronze: Entry level, meets essential environmental leadership elements
- Silver: Meets a more comprehensive level of required leadership operations
- Gold: Meets additional criteria demonstrating hotel is at the forefront of environmental leadership
“We congratulate the Kimpton hotels on committing to such an ambitious goal,” said Dr. Arthur Weissman, President & CEO of Green Seal. “As their certified properties in Chicago alone have already prevented an estimated 1,500 tons of greenhouse gasses, Kimpton is helping to create a more sustainable world.”
Kimpton hotels that have already achieved Green Seal certification include: The Morrison House (Alexandria, VA); Hotel Monaco (Alexandria, VA); Nine Zero (Boston); Hotel Marlowe (Cambridge, MA); Hotel Allegro (Chicago, IL); Hotel Burnham (Chicago, IL); Hotel Monaco (Chicago, IL); the Cypress Hotel (Cupertino, CA); EPIC Hotel (Miami); Hotel Monaco (Portland, OR); Vintage Plaza Hotel (Porland, OR); Argonaut Hotel (San Francisco, CA); Harbor Court Hotel (San Francisco, CA); Serrano Hotel (San Francisco, CA); Hotel Monaco (San Francisco, CA); Sir Francis Drake (San Francisco, CA); Prescott Hotel (San Francisco, CA); Hotel Monaco (Salt Lake City, UT); FireSky Resort & Spa (Scottsdale, AZ); Hotel Vintage Park (Seattle); Hotel Monaco (Seattle); Hotel Monaco (Washington, DC); Hotel Palomar (Washington, DC); Hotel George (Washington, DC); Hotel Rouge (Washington, DC); Topaz Hotel (Washington, DC); and Hotel Madera (Washington, DC).
Since it was first published in 1999, the Green Seal Environmental Standard for Lodging Properties, GS-33, has represented leadership in the industry. The standard focuses on waste minimization, energy conservation and management, management of fresh water resources, waste water management, pollution prevention, and organizational commitment such as environmentally sensitive purchasing. The standard can serve as a tool to help operations begin to take action to improve their operation and is available for Green Seal certification.
Kimpton’s innovative EarthCare initiatives date back to the company’s inception in 1981 and include several industry firsts such as in-room recycling bins and the use of non-toxic cleaners brand-wide. Through a new brand-wide Wines That CareTM program led by master sommelier Emily Wines, guests enjoy many featured environmentally preferable wines at the hosted evening wine hour at all Kimpton hotels. Diners at Kimpton Restaurants have access to increased sustainably produced wine selections on menus, can take advantage of in-house purified water through a national partnership with Natura® and enjoy sustainable seafood dishes in accordance with Monterey Bay Aquarium’s Seafood Watch program. Kimpton is a partner of The Nature Conservancy to support its “Plant a Billion Trees” campaign.
For more information on Green seal’s Lodging Standard, visit: http://www.greenseal.org/certification/standards/gs33_lodgingproperties.cfm. To learn more about EarthCare and Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, visit www.KimptonHotels.com, www.Twitter.com/Kimpton, or www.Facebook.com/Kimpton.
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ABOUT KIMPTON
San Francisco-based Kimpton Hotels & Restaurants, a collection of boutique hotels and chef-driven restaurants in the US, is an acknowledged industry pioneer and was the first to bring the boutique hotel concept to America. Founded in 1981 by Bill Kimpton, the company is well-known for making travelers feel welcomed and comfortable while away from home through intuitive and unscripted customer care, stylish ambience and having a certain playfulness in its approach to programs and amenities. Each hotel provides a range of exciting culinary experiences through locally-loved, top-rated, destination, chef-driven restaurants. Kimpton leads the hospitality industry in ecological practices through its innovative EarthCare program that spans all hotels and restaurants. Privately held Kimpton has consistently earned high customer satisfaction scores by the Market Metrix Hospitality Index, exceeding other hotel companies including those in luxury and upscale segments. Among the company’s newest properties are the LEED registered Hotel Palomar and LEED registered Square 1682 restaurant by Chef Guillermo Tellez in Philadelphia, PA, which opened in October 2009. Currently, projects are underway in New York City and Chicago. For more information, please visit www.KimptonHotels.com or call 1-800-KIMPTON.
ABOUT GREEN SEAL INC.
Green Seal, a non-profit based in Washington D.C., has been identifying products and services that protect the environment and human health since 1989. The Green Seal mark appears on over 3600 environmentally sustainable products and services, and Green Seal is accredited by the American National Standards Institute. The independent organization focuses on certification to its leadership standards, avoiding any conflict of interest that may arise from recommending products or consulting with applicants. For more information and a list of all Green Seal certified products and services, visit www.GreenSeal.org.