Eco-Travel Green Luxury I


felt like a lucky Goldilocks at the Hotel Drisco. I didn’t have to try out things that were too large or too small, or too hard or too soft – at Hotel Drisco every- thing was just right, right from the start.


The hotel bills itself as a combination of a small European hotel and an upscale B&B – an apt description. With 48 rooms (29 bedrooms and 19 suites), it’s larger than most B&B’s, yet it’s still intimate. The decorating is graceful and traditional. The atmosphere is friendly, yet elegant and luxurious. The neighborhood – in historic Pa- cific Heights – is lovely, residential, and quiet.


Hotel Drisco, like the Hotel del Sol


down the hill (reviewed in the October issue of Natural Nutmeg), is a Joie de Vivre (Joy of Life) property. Joie de Vivre, the second-larg- est boutique hotel company in the country, is committed to incorporating sustainability into their core business operations. Their green practices are designed to reduce waste and toxins, conserve natural resources, edu- cate employees and guests about environ- mentally friendly practices, and partner with local and environmentally-friendly busi- nesses – while maintaining an impeccable quality of guest experience. Surprisingly, not that many hotels in San


at Hotel Drisco


Francisco have earned “Green” Status by San Francisco Green Business. Not surprisingly, most of the ones that have been awarded Green status are Joie de Vivre properties. This company (founded by Chip Conley, CEO, author, speaker, etc., who once said, “The leaders I most admire are those who look at business as enduring and transformational – as opposed to short-term and transactional”) is enthusiastically green, but you might not notice the sustainable practices if you’re not looking for them. Some are almost de rigueur at this point, such as water efficient bathroom fixtures, environmentally friendly lighting, tissues and toilet paper, guestroom recycling, energy-efficient lighting, and the


standard towel and linen reuse pro- gram. Behind the scenes, the office uses recycled office paper and soy- based inks, and employs two-sided printing; electrical equipment and appliances are Energy Star rated; and the hotel pays for renewable electricity.


Other green practices are more


unusual. A tour of the clean and modern kitchen was refreshing – there were posters about recycling everywhere, and there were four bins for recycling, two for garbage, and one for compostable food scraps. Bravo. General Manager John Spear was enthusiastic about the entire program, including train- ing efforts for the staff that resulted in a fabulous team that diligently separates recyclables, gathers half-used toiletries for donation to local shelters and the Clean the World program, turns off lights, and does many more little things that quickly add up to a plus for the environment. In addi- tion, food is locally sourced, the gym uses ‘electricity-free’ equipment, food scraps are composted, and the five-year plan calls for the addition of on-site solar and/or wind power.


Whether you’re green-minded or not, Hotel Drisco strikes me as a perfect hotel for an executive traveling on business, or for a romantic getaway. However, the atmo- sphere, amenities, and special touches are designed to make any traveler feel special, as evidenced by the fact that they have teddy bears for their youngest guests! In addition to all the fairly usual guest- room amenities that upscale hotels offer (a good mattress, nice linens, free WiFi, a large- screen HDTV, a safe, a plush robe, an iron, and the daily paper delivered to your room,) they also offer some fun and useful things – things that add some joie de vivre – like a pillow menu, an iPod docking station, free HBO, a DVD player and free lending library, a yummy gourmet honor bar, an umbrella, nightly turndown service with chocolate shortbread cookies, and my personal favor- ite, a long-handled shoehorn.


30 Natural Nutmeg December 2011


By Deb Percival


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