Florida’s Green Lodging Program adds St. Augustine properties

Historic St. Augustine, Florida, is now home to 11 properties that have earned membership within the state’s Green Lodging Program.

Historic St. Augustine, Florida, is now home to 11 properties that have earned membership within the state’s Green Lodging Program. Featured quite often on this site, the program establishes guidelines for hotels and motels to conserve natural resources and prevent pollution. Properties that meet the guidelines are recommended by the state to companies and trade organizations seeking environmentally-conscious lodging and convention facilities.

The most recent properties added to the program are four Jalaram Hotes, including the Best Western Spanish Quarter Inn, Holiday Inn and Suites, Hampton Inn St. Augustine Historic, and the Days Inn at St. Augustine Beach.

The Hampton Inn and Suites St. Augustine at Vilano Beach was one of the first properties to be included in the Green Lodging Program, and was actually chosen last October as a host for a Green Lodging workshop.

“It’s not surprising to me that our destination is among the most environmentally-conscious in the state,” said Glenn Hastings, executive director of the St. Augustine, Ponte Vedra & The Beaches Visitors and Convention Bureau. “As one of the nation’s most historic destinations, we take preservation seriously—and not just when it comes to history and culture. Preserving our natural environment is also essential to telling both the story of our past and ensuring our wise stewardship of the natural world will continue into the future.”

Even large properties can achieve induction, such as the 300-room Renaissance Resort at World Golf Village. After a $10 million renovation, the luxury locale became one of the world’s leading golf and convention destinations was able to be included in the program.

Other hotels include the Hilton Garden Inn as well as the new Hilton St. Augustine Bayfront, which was designed to meet the oldest city’s stringent requirements for historical accuracy as well as comply with the program’s guidelines—as does the located just across the street from the inviting seaside sands of St. Augustine Beach.

The new Castillo Real Resort Hotel, also in St. Augustine Beach, proved that architecture inspired by 18th century Spain can be adapted to meet the environmental needs of the 21st century. Just a block north, the oceanfront Hampton Inn located on historic A1A has also become a member of the elite group of properties included in the Florida Green Lodging Program.