Cool Holidays In San Francisco

Top: Bedroom and Red Suite, W San Francisco, San Francisco; Bottom: Bay Bridge view at night.

Planning a San Francisco, California holiday?  If you’re looking for a green hotel, then you should check out W San Francisco, recent winner of the Good Earthkeeping Award.

The award, from America’s Hotel & Lodging Association, recognizes W San Francisco for its environmental initiatives in the areas of sustainability and green practices.

W San Francisco on 181 Third Street in San Francisco.

The Good Earthkeeping Award highlight lodging properties which have environmental management practices that improve their daily operations and bottom line.

The award criteria include demonstrated success in one or more of the following: energy conservation, solid waste reduction, effluents and emissions, water conservation, purchasing and business issues.

Among W San Francisco’s environmental initiatives are:

• Energy efficient lighting using CFLs, LEDs, motion sensors (70 percent of guestroom and 90 percent of back-of-house);
• HVAC cooling towers replaced with energy-efficient models;
• Motion sensors power off HVAC in unoccupied guestrooms;
• ENERGY STAR power management features activated on all PCs;
• Green “Sensory Meetings” with organic, biodynamic and local food and beverages;
• Hosting “zero-waste,” carbon-neutral events with “Live Neutral” carbon offsets and
• New restaurant Trace with seasonally driven selections and a minimal impact menu.

In 2010, W San Francisco also achieved Silver LEED certification.   Past awards have also included the Green Business Award (Best Practices for Small Companies) by the San Francisco Business Times.

For more info, visit the W San Francisco site.

Images and video courtesy of W San Francisco.