Located steps from the scenic Monterey Bay, Portola Hotel and Spa has added to their eco-friendly bona fides by earning LEED Gold Certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, one of the most widely recognized designations in sustainable building and operations worldwide.
Managing Director Janine Chicourrat said the recognition is years in the making and reaffirms the hotel’s truism that hospitality and environmental responsibility go hand in hand, especially on the Central Coast.
“We had our first silver certification in 2010—it was all about trying to find efficiencies and ways to be more sustainable in running our business,” said Chicourrat, who has been with the hotel for 17 years. “It just makes sense given where we are to put these practices into place.”
Considered one of the first green hotels in the Central Coast, the Portola Hotel and Spa has led the way in sustainable travel accommodations—it was named one of the top 10 eco-friendly hotels in the United States last year by USA TODAY.
The hotel diverts more than 75% of its waste from landfills annually, runs a solar-heated pool and on-site cogeneration system, decorates with Green Label Plus carpets and wallcoverings made from post-consumer recycled materials, and even recycles water through a heat-exchange system at its on-site brewery.
Guests are offered reusable aluminum bottles to help minimize single-use plastic waste, while the hotel also prioritizes sustainable dining practices, emphasizing locally sourced produce from the Salinas Valley and responsibly harvested, sustainable seafood.
For making meaningful, measurable efforts to protect the ocean and coasts by reducing single-use plastics and conserving water onsite, the Portola Hotel and Spa was last year recognized as a Surfrider Foundation Ocean Friendly Hotel, the first hotel in Monterey County to receive the designation.
Chicourrat said that over the years, the hotel has spent over $65 million in upgrades—incorporating energy-efficient features at every level, from a large-scale HVAC system upgrade to thoughtful sustainability elements integrated throughout its 379 rooms.
“All of the rooms, which have a coastal flair to them in terms of their decor, have various components of sustainability built into them—from the faucets and shower heads to our toilets, which have a sensor that notifies our engineering department if there is a leak,” Chicourrat said.
Sustainability extends beyond the hotel’s walls to its on-site brewery, Peter B’s, which uses a heat-exchange system that recycles water during the brewing process and saves thousands of gallons annually.
Peter B’s, Monterey’s original craft brewery, recently underwent a $2 million renovation. The chill spot where you can watch 22 HDTVs on game day, relax with a pint on the heated, pet-friendly patio, or gather with friends in the private Barrel Room, Peter B’s delivers a one-of-a-kind dining experience. There is also live music every Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m.
On July 16 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., Peter B’s will hold a fundraiser for the Surfrider Foundation with live music, food and drink specials and raffle.
“It’s nice to be able to cater to all different types of people from all over the world,” Chicourrat said. “We are a multi-generational hotel—kid friendly, and we’re pet friendly so you can bring your dog with you. Some people even bring cats—you never know.”
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This article originally appeared on Salinas Californian: Portola Hotel and Spa adds to their eco-friendly bona fides
Reporting by Roseann Cattani, Salinas Californian / Salinas Californian
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Roseann Cattani, Salinas Californian | USA TODAY Network
