They were green before green was cool
Published September 1, 2008
by Brian Welch
Media producer
askMANDO.com
History tells us that Cape Elizabeth, Maine, was named in 1604 to honor Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King James I and Queen Anne of Denmark. Since then the area has historically been a fishing town, a trading post, a place for settlers, an occasional target of pirating from the seas, as well as grounds for a portion of the Revolutionary War.
Today, visitors could easily feel like royalty taking in all that Casco Bay has to offer. Located five miles southeast of Portland, this town is home to Inn by the Sea, a property leading, or “LEEDing” the way when it comes to environmental sustainability.
LEED, of course, means “Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design” Green Building Rating System from the United States Green Building Council.
Inn by the Sea was certified as a Maine Department of Environmental Protection green lodging & environmental leader. It was selected one of Tripadvisor’s top ten green hotels worldwide, and the inn was included on the list of top 100 hotels in the United States and Canada by Travel & Leisure readers for 2007.
The whole “green” movement is nothing new to the folks at Inn by the Sea. Environmental sustainability is a top priority at the inn. Rauni Kew, leader of the green team here, was a speaker on the subject at the 2008 ARDA New England regional meeting. But there is a lot more to Inn by the Sea than a big green movement, even though the results of the efforts are everywhere. For example, recycled paper key cards are used instead of plastic.
The inn was built 22 years ago, replacing the former Crescent Beach Inn. In the spring of 2008, Inn by the Sea and its grounds saw the completion of a multi-million dollar renovation. Located above scenic Crescent Beach, the inn combines coastal luxury with modern and environmentally-friendly design features. Fifty-seven rooms and suites feature iPod docking stations and bathrooms with oversized showers and tubs. Visitors are surrounded by maple furnishings and nautical or locally-inspired artwork.
Inn by the Sea’s spa offers an array of services from massages to facials. In the cardio room, the “man-powered” TV’s create incentive for users. If you want to see the end of a good news story, you have to keep pedaling. The spa was built with recycled sheet rock, rubber flooring and studs, an air-to-air heat exchanger to save energy, and low VOC paint, sealants and wall coverings. Solar panels are used to heat the salinated pool.
Sea Glass, the inn’s new restaurant, led by executive Chef Mitch Kaldrovich, offers the “farm to table” dining experience, using food fresh from surrounding farms and the sea. The chef actually spends time talking with local growers and fishermen to make sure he has the freshest ingredients available.
Inn by the Sea has been heading down the green path for about seven years. Instead of just adding a sheet and towel reuse program, or building green design features, the inn tries to engage the guest in value-added green programs that are fun and educational. The wildlife sanctuary and gardens at Inn by the Sea are filled with indigenous plants that require less water and no chemicals.
Once they realized how popular the indigenous gardens were, the folks at the inn started offering classes on how to plant a garden that creates habitat and food sources for local wildlife.
“Guests seem to be enjoying the new inn, whether they appreciate all the green design features or not,” said Rauni Kew, green team leader. “When told the inn is heated with biofuel, most people react with appreciation. It is hard not to be aware of the importance in chemicals, water, energy and waste with all the media attention these days. Guests do opt to recycle and opt out on a change of linen in their rooms.”
Kew says the most successful programs are ones that get on board with preserving the “sense of place.”
“Figure out what you can do at your property that adds value to a guest stay and speaks to the sense of place. If you have a dining room using local foods that is a great way to start. Have your sheet and towel program give back to a ‘not for profit’ in your area that guests are aware of. It could be a historical site, or nature-based preservation. You’ll know what’s important to your region.”
The endangered monarch butterflies around here benefit from the sheet and towel program at Inn by the Sea. When the inn saves money by not changing sheets and towels, they give it back to local environmental organizations, and also to the butterfly sanctuary program.
Kew says they have found that this whole approach is common sense, it’s good for the bottom line, it’s good for the planet and it’s good for people. But, she adds, make sure you have fun doing it.
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