Thanks to a night flight back last night, this post is coming to you a few hours late. I spent the weekend treating my husband to a special birthday trip to LA. We stayed at the famous Chateau Marmont
(talk about a splurge!), playground of the stars since 1929. We didn't see any A-listers, but we were definitely treated like Hollywood royalty. Tomorrow, I'll share some of the small, glamorous touches that made our stay special -- and that Green Postcards eco-hotels could adopt. Today, I want to suggest a few easy ways Chateau Marmont could green up its luxury. A few things need no improvements: The accommodations were built in the 1920s and have been maintained in all their golden-age-of-the-screen glory ever since. No new carbon-sucking construction here. Guests could opt in or out of daily cleaning and linen service. Shower amenities were natural. Their menu was also environmentally conscious: organic ingredients, free-range chicken and eggs, etc. There were organic (and socially conscious) treats in our guest cottage, such as Green & Black's organic chocolate and Newman's Own pretzel sticks.
Here's my three-pronged eco-Chateau wishlist:
1. Water conservation fixtures in the bathroom. The original tile was charming; the gushing faucets were not.
2. CFLs. The technology has advanced enough to erase fears of "ugly" light. Plus, the hotel's interior designers are obviously talented enough to work around lighting changes.
3. We were constantly offered bottled water, at the valet, at the nightly turn-down service. We appreciated the hotel's attention to our hydration, but I've got an eco-idea: How about offering guests custom-designed aluminum water bottles? They could be re-filled by staff with filtered water, carried around town as status symbols, and brought back home to continue fighting plastic glamorously.
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