Three Hotels Making a Difference for the Planet During Earth Month and All Year Long

With Earth Month fully underway and Earth Day just around the corner, many hotels and resorts are highlighting their sustainability initiatives or using this month to announce new eco-friendly efforts designed to protect the planet and engage guests.

Each year, an increasing number of hotels begin integrating new eco-conscious programming. And these efforts have never been more critical. On the climate change front, the statistics are sobering. Last year was the sixth warmest year since global record keeping began in 1880, according to the National Centers for Environmental Information. What’s more, the 10 warmest years in the 143-year record keeping process have all occurred since 2010.

When it comes to protecting nature, biodiversity, and the planet’s dwindling resources, the statistics are equally troubling. The World Wildlife Fund’s Living Planet Report for 2022 revealed that there has been an average decline of 69 percent in species populations since 1970. Deforestation caused by human activity such as agriculture, development, and demands for paper products, is equally concerning. Globally, about ten million hectares of forests are eliminated every year, which is a loss of an area the size of Portugal. Every year.

These are just some of the reasons why we all have an important role to play in protecting the planet with our daily habits, purchases, use of resources and yes, even our travel choices. As a consumer, you can mindfully channel your travel dollars toward companies and brands that are thinking carefully about how to be part of the solution.

In honor of Earth Month, here’s a look at three hotels across Colorado, Hawaii and California, that are emphasizing sustainability.

St. Julien Hotel & Spa, Boulder, Colorado

A four-star, four-diamond property, St. Julien Hotel & Spa recently hired a full-time sustainability coordinator. Tim Barton’s primary job is to ensure that the St. Julien is meeting environmental goals, an effort that includes leading a newly reformed Green Team, in order to reduce the hotel’s environmental footprint.

Since Barton’s hiring in August 2022, the property has already increased its recycling by nearly 2,900 pounds per month on average, helping the property to reach a monthly recycling weight of more than 13,000 pounds.

In honor of Earth Day, the St. Julien also recently announced it’s eco-friendly goals for the coming year, which include reducing landfill weight by 20 percent compared to 2022, and decreasing the property’s energy and gas usage by 5 percent each.

The hotel is also embarking on a series of sustainability-related events that extend from the hotel to the Boulder community. This includes fully vegan community dinners at St. Julien’s on-site restaurant, as well as bike to work days, EcoCycle tours, and Boulder Creek clean-ups.

Prince Waikiki, Hawaii
A four-Diamond property that’s already a certified “Hawaii Green Business” partner, the Prince Waikiki recently announced that it’s rolling out even more sustainability initiatives in honor of Earth Month.

These efforts include two new, on-property sustainable gardens, zero food waste partnerships, nearly 100 percent locally sourced produce, and leadership development programs for local youth.

“I’m continually impressed by our team’s commitment to sustainability, seeking out new ways to reduce our environmental impact and support our local community,” said Joshua Hargrove, general manager at Prince Waikiki. “Our partnership with local organizations such as Aloha Harvest, Kupu, and Sustainable Coastlines demonstrates Prince Waikiki’s dedication to this important cause and furthers our promise to help build a better Hawaii.”

Perhaps one of the most notable additions to the property’s sustainability initiatives, Prince Waikiki operates the only hotel rooftop produce garden on Oahu. The many items being grown include lettuce, lilikoi, edible flowers, garlic chives, chili peppers, and yuzu.

Prince Waikiki is also home to a second, larger sustainable garden located at its Hawaii Prince Golf Club. This vibrant and sprawling growing space includes beehives, aquaponics, taro root, papaya, citrus trees, banana trees, lychee, avocado, mango, and native Hawaiian sugar cane. (There are also plans to continue adding new crops each season.) Thanks to each of the gardens, the hotel’s onsite 100 Sails Restaurant is able to source nearly 100 percent of its produce right on property.

When it comes to sustainability, Executive Chef Jeremy Shigekane takes his role seriously and has been working to ensure the property’s food and beverage footprint is minimal. This includes implementing smaller menus and creating seasonal dishes based on what local farmers can grow (rather than what he dictates).

“As a chef, it’s important to dive deeper into how culinary operations impact sustainability and seek out ways to create a zero waste atmosphere in our restaurant,” said Shigekane. “Whether it’s creating shorter menus, composting food scraps, working with local farmers and purveyors, or simply using the entirety of a product, there are a variety of ways our industry can make a difference.”

Taking these efforts one step further, Shigekane works alongside the local nonprofit Aloha Harvest to collect unused/untouched food products twice per week and redistribute the food to the hungry. This effort has the two-fold benefit of keeping food waste out of landfills, while also strengthening the local community on Oahu. If there’s any food waste still remaining, it is donated to a local pig farm, all of which results in zero food waste from the hotel kitchens.

One last notable effort from Prince Waikiki, the property also partners with the local, grassroots nonprofit Sustainable Coastlines, an organization focused on keeping waterways clean and the coastlines clear of trash. This important initiative allows native flora, fauna and marine life to thrive, while also supporting the local ecosystem.

Guests at the Prince Waikiki can also book the Malama Hawaii package in partnership with Sustainable Coastlines and receive a DIY beach clean-up kit. The partnership between the hotel and the non-profit expanded this year to include an opportunity for all guests to make an impact. All those who arrive at the hotel on Earth Day (April 22) will receive a beach clean-up kit in honor of the special day. The expanded program allows all guests to join the Prince Waikiki in its commitment to protecting and preserving environment.

Fairmont Grand Del Mar, San Diego, California
A legendary property in San Diego and beyond, the award-winning Fairmont Grand Del Mar implements a long list of on-site sustainability efforts. From conserving water to using greener sources of energy, the property has a strong focus on protecting the planet.

“We are proud as a resort to take a proactive approach to reducing waste and supporting conservation. We want our guests to enjoy the resort, situated on 400 acres of pristine coastal canyon and just minutes from the ocean, for years to come and to do so we must be mindful in how we care for the property and its surroundings,” said Brendan Carlin, general manager at Fairmont Grand Del Mar.

The notable efforts taking place at the Fairmont Grand Del Mar address everything from water conservation to reducing landfill waste and protecting nature. Here are at the highlights.

Water Conservation
The irrigation system on the Fairmont Grand Del Mar’s golf course uses reclaimed water that’s sent through a treatment process then used to water the course. In addition, the resort has installed wireless sensors at each hole of the golf course to measure moisture and salinity levels in order to reduce watering to only when needed. More recently, some 2,500 sprinklers were replaced with a new product to reduce water consumption. And guest room shower heads were also replaced in order to save 2.85 million gallons of water annually.

Reducing Landfill
The hotel’s efforts to reduce its waste takes on many forms. For instance, the hotel’s Agronomy team, led by David Yanez, sorts and recycles all green waste. The hotel also offers filtered water in all guest rooms and suites, in order to eliminate the use of 268,000 plastic bottles annually. The use of large format bath amenities has also been implemented in order to eliminate 135,000 small plastic bottles per year.

Protecting Nature
The hotel also works to protect nature through some of its onsite measures. This includes not performing any work on its golf course from April through October in order to protect the Gnatcatcher bird species, a protected species in Southern California.

In addition, the grounds throughout the hotel property feature a series of creeks that form a riparian habitat with several species of local trees. These areas provide shelter for many animals and reduce the flow of run-off water and stream contamination.

An equally notable and important effort while bees have been in serious decline, the Fairmont Grand Del Mar has rescued more than 120,000 bees over the years. Bees are the most effective pollinators on Earth and the creation of new bee habitats is incredibly important to maintaining the sustainability of the specifics. The resort’s special guests live near the 4th hole on the golf course.

Innovation in Sustainability
Next month, the resort will receive a new fleet of lithium-battery operated golf carts that are more energy efficient and reduce energy consumption by $7,000 annually.

Community Initiatives
One final highlight of the Fairmont Grand Del Mar’s efforts, the property partners with many local community organizations and initiatives. This includes working with farms and fisheries in the region to procure product for on-site eateries as well as participating in Plant the Preserve, a monthly grooming of the nearby Los Peñasquitos Canyon Preserve. The property also takes part in the bi-annual Del Mar Beach clean-up.