Destination Earth
PRESERVING OUR ENVIRONMENT, ONE DESTINATION AT A TIME
Destination Earth is...
In recognition of the need to preserve the world in which we operate and serve our guests, Destination Hotels & Resorts is dedicated to practices and programs that pay respect to, and lessen our footprint on, our changing environment.
As the fifth largest independent hospitality management company in the country, we are committed to creating a new benchmark for our hotels and resorts through a series of environmental initiatives, both on the corporate level and at each of our individual properties.
HOW ARE WE PLANNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE?
Property Intiatives
Meetings
In an effort to save water and plastic, we've come up with a number of initiatives. While we have bottled water at each meeting place setting, we encourage meeting attendees to use our Poland Spring® water cooler for refills during breaks. Of course, your bottle in the meeting rooms will be replaced with a fresh bottle when empty, which is why we've also created... --- A coaster, which doubles as a water 'preserver' so that our conference services staff doesn't replace your water bottles before you're ready.
All waste paper left behind from meetings as well as all of our office waste is collected, and placed in locked shredder boxes. We do this to both ensure our client's privacy, as well as to recycle all of that paper.
We installed a 'rooftop economizer' which uses outside air to cool meeting rooms. So for example, it may be cool outside, but 200 people in a meeting room generates enough heat that air conditioning is needed to cool the room down. The Economizer pulls in the outdoor air to cool the room, rather than have a compressor kick on which uses quite a bit more energy.
Guest Room Amenities
We've switched our bathroom amenities to Ecossential Elements® bath products... made with organic natural ingredients
We've replaced 5,000 light bulbs with long life energy efficient compact fluorescents. Every compact florescent saves 450 pounds of emissions from a power plant over its lifetime!* They also live up to 10x longer than old fashioned bulbs, so that's a whole lot less dead light bulbs in the garbage!
Other Recycling
We recycle all newspapers, cardboard boxes, plastic and glass.
Transportation
In an effort to help our employees get to work efficiently, and economically and with less cars on the road, we've participated in "New Jersey Wheels," a shared ride service. Our involvement in this program won us state-wide recognition by New Jersey Transit as one of the premier companies in New Jersey.
Cuisine
Chef Ron Roccasecca, an avid gardener himself, is passionate about local and sustainable cuisine. New Jersey is well known for its great local produce, and Chef Roccasecca works diligently at ensuring each day's menu features the best of local cuisine, from Jersey's famous tomatoes and corn, to other delicacies like fiddlehead ferns. New Jersey has some of the finest artisan bread makers and other food purveyors that fill out the rest of Hamilton Park's recognized superior meals.
Corporate Practices
We are proud to have created a "Destination Earth" taskforce, comprised of leaders throughout the organization and representing hotel and resort operations, to ensure that all departments and associates of Destination Hotels & Resorts are personally involved and committed to the program. We have already put in place the following initiatives which each of our properties have made a commitment to pursuing:
- Establishment of a property specific "green team" at each Destination property nationwide, to adopt and implement earth-friendly practices in our businesses and to become better stewards of the natural resources we utilize. Finally, to monitor effectiveness of these practices.
- Sourcing environmentally sensitive products and services locally, and purchasing organic, environmentally friendly/responsible and recycled supplies, whenever possible.
- Purchasing fresh, and sustainable foods locally grown, whenever possible.
- Creating partnerships with other organizations that have demonstrated a commitment to preserving the environment.
- Leading our associates to apply eco-friendly practices in their daily operations.
- Utilizing environmentally-responsible building materials and strategies for new properties and renovations to reduce environmental impact.
- Retrofitting existing properties with energy efficient lighting, heating and cooling systems, as well as water-saving devices.
- Implementing tools that allow us to continually measure the progress of our individual properties and support their commitment to preserving the environment through the Destination Earth program.
Destination Hotels & Resorts recognizes that our customers, owners and associates all benefit from and desire a healthy, sustainable environment. As we continue on the journey of environmental stewardship, we are committed to maintaining the superior guest experience that our customers expect, while reducing our impact on the earth's natural resources.
