Corporate Social Responsibility GRAPEVINE Hotels Continue Green Initiatives S
USTAINABILITY AND CORPORATE social responsibility color Grapevine, Texas’ hospitality landscape. Environmen-
tal responsibility continues as the operating credo of all of the city’s full-service properties, with innovative practices that extend beyond recycling and efficient energy usage.At the Gay- lord Texan Resort & Convention Center, a“We’re Eco-Logical” program calls for numerous green initiatives, including waste reduction and recy- cling; energy efficiency; reduced water con- sumption and conservation; cleaner air due to chemical reduction; green purchasing; green vendor and partner relationships; landscaping; communication; training;and the use of environ- mentally friendly cleaning products. Elsewhere in Grapevine, the Hyatt Regency
DFW has implemented the Quench 740uv sys- tem from Quench Systems USA.The system pro- vides chilled, hot, and room-temperature water throughout the property — meaning no fossil fuels to deliver water, and no empty jugs sent to landfills. A new green compactor handles all recyclable materials, including aluminum and steel cans, cardboard, catalogs, cereal and dry food boxes, envelopes, greeting cards, junk mail, newspapers, phone books, plastic bottles, shred- ded paper, and office paper. For its part, Embassy Suites now utilizes a motion-sensor–controlled lighting system at the back of the house and is recycling paper, card- board,and plastic fromits guest rooms and office. The property has also installed an energy-man- agement system in its public spaces and guest rooms,as well as programmable thermostats with motion detectors, an environmentally friendly Ozone Laundry System,a saltwater pool and spa, and water-saving showerheads and toilets. Meanwhile, GreatWolf Resort remains on top
of the environmental stewardship game with its Project Green Wolf initiative. Spearheaded by parent company Great Wolf Lodge®, Project GreenWolf highlights include the commingling of recycling bins in all public areas, guest rooms, and employee areas to make it easy for guests and staff to pitch in on the recycling front. Other
highlights include working with waste special- ists to compost food items; managing freshwa- ter resources to permit water recycling in the property’s laundry facility; guest-linen recycling; waterless and low-flow fixtures; and highly effi- cient pool-filtration systems. GreatWolf Resort has, like all GreatWolf Lodge
ECO-MINDED: A “We’re Eco-Logical”
program introduced at the Gaylord Texan
Resort & Convention Center (top) calls for numerous green efforts.
A WINNING
STRATEGY: Great Wolf Resort (above)
remains on top of the environmental stew-
ardship game with its Project GreenWolf initiative.
At a Glance CONVENTION FACILITIES: More than 800,000 sq. ft. of meeting/exhibit space HOTEL ROOMS: 11,000 guest rooms within 15 minutes of downtown Grapevine ATTRACTIONS: More than 200 restaurants, Main Street shops and historical sites, easy access to Dallas/FortWorth area attractions (including Six Flags and professional sports), and 81 holes of golf within five to 15 minutes of any of the city’s hotels FOR MORE INFORMATION: Grapevine Con- vention & Visitors Bureau, One Liberty Park Plaza, Grapevine, TX 76051; (800) 457-6338; www.GrapevineTexasUSA.com
properties,become Green Seal™–certified. Great Wolf Lodge is the first and only hotel chain to have every hotel in its portfolio so designated.