Eco-friendly Hotel Opens in California
The Gaia Napa Valley hotel (- named after the Greek term for Mother Earth) is the first hotel on the West Coast to meet the U.S. Green Building Council’s requirement for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification.
The 133-room hotel has been in the works for about six years and is still under development. Unlike other hotels who implement green features, the Gaia has been developed from the ground up.
Some of the eco initiatives used by Gaia:
• Responsibly harvested “new growth” wood was used
• Extensive use of solar power
• Techniques for conserving water, energy and other materials in its ongoing operations were developed
• Recycled corrugated metal covers the lobby’s outside walls
• “Gray” water from the showers and sinks are recycled in the ponds and landscaping.
Eco Aesthetics and Comfort:
• Heat and cold are regulated naturally
• Rooms are lighted with Solatubes
• Air quality is maximized through low emission paints and adhesives.
The GAIA hotel is not stopping there. The rooms are equipped with toilet paper and facial tissue made from recycled products, shampoo dispensers that do not leave a plastic bottle to dispose of and recycling bins in each room. The rooms are also cleaned using cleaners that meet eco-friendly standards.
Guests can also learn about green living by utilizing the hotel’s news kiosks and reading the conservation tips found in each room.
Like many things that are either good for us or the environment, the hotel came at an inflated cost. Using typical and traditional materials and construction materials the hotel would have costs $9 million to build. Unfortunately the Gaia’s green initiatives pushed the construction costs to $20 million. It isn’t cheap being green but well worth it. I hope people who are visiting the area will choose green and help support this wonderful hotel!
Visit the Gaia Hotel website
Technorati Tags: eco hotel , Gaia Napa Valley, sustainable travel, green friendly hotel, California Eco-friendly hotel
Written by steve on November 7th, 2006 with
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