Monterey, CA — Portola Hotel & Spa has had a consistent history of commitment to being as environmentally friendly as possible while still providing stunning accommodations for guests. Earlier this week, Portola Hotel won a 2011 Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA), one of California’s highest awards for strides in environmental
consciousness. On Tuesday, December 13, Portola Hotel & Spa was again rewarded, for the eighteenth consecutive year, with the prestigious Waste Reduction Awards Program (WRAP) Award from the California Department of Resource Recycling and Recovery (CalRecycle) for the hotel’s environmentally friendly business strategies and commitment to waste reduction.
From the décor to the electricity that is produced and used, Portola Hotel & Spa is designed to mind the environment first and foremost, while being stylistically and aesthetically pleasing to hotel guests. The hotel regularly participates in environmental conservation programs, holds a silver LEED® certification from the U.S. Green Building Council, and is the first completely green hotel in Central California. Janine Chicourrat, General Manager of Portola Hotel & Spa, said, “We are so proud of this achievement. We are committed to continuing our efforts in making a positive impact on the planet.” About WRAP Awards: Recipients of the WRAP Award are given to businesses and organizations for their environmentally friendly business strategies, and for actively making efforts to reduce waste reduction and reach recycling goals.
Taking extra measures in preserving the environment to ultimately reduce greenhouse emissions also helps reduce waste mass at landfills and promote a waste free environment. In 2010, California threw away more than thirty million tons of municipal solid waste, and nearly sixty-seven percent of this waste came from the commercial sector. CalRecycle evaluated each entry individually by analyzing reports on waste prevention, recycling, composting, procurement, and educational activities About Portola Hotel & Spa: Portola Hotel & Spa is Monterey’s first and only Silver LEED® EB certified hotel and recently earned AAA Four Diamond Rating. The full-service hotel offers guests a rich, historical ambiance, with residential style and a dedicated staff to ensure an unparalleled guest experience.
The hotel features 379 newly renovated guest rooms, including 10 suites, ranging from 400 to 1,000 square feet. Inspired by the Monterey Peninsula’s surrounding landscape and nautical heritage, all guest rooms feature elegant wood furnishings, large bathrooms with separate vanity areas, white shuttered windows. Many guest rooms offer private balconies with ocean, garden terrace or pool views. In compliance with LEED requirements, all guest rooms are non-smoking. Portola Hotel & Spa is home to Jacks Restaurant and Lounge and Peter B’s BrewPub, the Monterey Peninsula’s only craft brewery. In addition, overnight guests have access to the hotel’s spa and fitness facilities, complete with steam room, sauna, outdoor pool and Jacuzzi. The newly renovated 6,000-square-foot Spa on the Plaza offers 10 treatment rooms and an extensive spa menu of signature treatments. Portola Hotel & Spa offers 25 separate conference/banquet rooms, full-service event technology, catering and outdoor function space. With 50,000 square feet of flexible indoor and 60,000 square feet of outside meeting space, the Monterey Conference Center is the largest conference center on the central coast of California. (For more information, please visit: http://www.portolahotel.com)