RockResorts creates new eco-friendly “Green Rooms” for guests

Vail Resorts brand “RockResorts” has just unveiled its new “Green Rooms” initiative to bring progressive environmental standards to every single guest room in order to not only enhance the existing environmental efforts of each resort but also help engage and encourage guests to take part in the resource conservation process.

The brand’s eco-roots date back to 1956 when founder Laurance Rockefeller based the premise of the company to embrace each property’s natural and iconic surroundings. “Green Rooms” at RockResorts follow other initiatives such as “Appetite for Life” sustainable cuisine and “Give and Getaway” volunteer vacation opportunities.

“The ‘Green Room’ standards are just the minimum requirements on the environmental front,” said Julie Klein, director of environmental affairs for RockResorts. “We plan to continue to grow this program in the future to further demonstrate our commitment to the iconic locations in which we operate our resort hotels and to the overall guest experience. Vail Resorts is striving to reduce the company’s overall energy use by 10 percent at the end of 2010, and steps like incorporating environmentally-preferable fixtures is one way to help our company reach that goal.”

The company is aggressively retrofitting all rooms with energy conserving features, including everything from lamps and bulbs to televisions, as well as programmable thermostats to control heating and cooling. In the bathrooms, the use of low flow water conserving fixtures replace the previous faucet sink aerators, toilets and showerheads.

With the support of RockResorts’ strategic alliance with Valspar paints, the walls are being converted to low-or-no VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints and finishes. All rooms and facilities across the brand are entirely smoke-free.

The new “Green Rooms” will also offer custom formulated, all-natural essential oil-based amenities, including shampoo, conditioner, shower gel, body lotion, bath and facial bars. These products are free from preservatives and other artificial ingredients such as parabens, sodium lauryl sulfate derivates and artificial/synthetic colors and fragrances. All bottled products are recyclable, including the aluminum caps. Efforts are underway to donate partially used toiletry products to charities to support people in need.

The brand is also revitalizing its recycling efforts by installing “Waste Not” baskets for in-room recycling of newspapers, beverage cans and glass or plastic bottles. To further reduce wastes while giving guests options, if guests choose to receive a daily newspaper it will be delivered in a reusable and renewable jute newspaper bag.

Housekeeping contributes to the green efforts by using environmentally-preferable and safer Sustainable Earth cleaning products, which are formulated without chemicals such as chlorine bleach and instead include less toxic and bio-based cleaning agents. Additionally, a focused commitment remains in place to support towel and linen reuse program stating that linens will automatically be changed every third night, unless the guest places the card or designated item on the pillow.

Other, more basic varieties of environmental standards will include: terry (towel) and linen reuse program and entirely smoke-free facilities.

Guests are given the opportunity to give back to the environment by donating $1 per night to the National Forest Foundation (NFF) or a similar non-profit program for RockResorts outside of Colorado. For every dollar contributed by guests, the NFF will match at $.50. Since 2006, this program including matching funds has generated more than $1.2 million that has been designated for on the ground conservation efforts in the national forests surrounding the resorts.

For information on contributions to date, please visit www.vailresorts.com/CORP/info/protecting-our-forests.aspx, or visit www.rockresorts.com.