Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa - Napa Valley, CA
Napa Valley has its first fully environmentally-sustainable hotel and spa. The Gaia Napa Valley Hotel and Spa was the first hotel to receive the coveted LEED Gold Certificate. monitored by the non-profit U. S. Green Building Council. This is the highest certification a building can receive. What makes this hotel different?
LUXURY IN EVERY WAY
This hotel has an old-world charm that ranks right up there with any conventional hotel in the area. But, the little things (and big things) that are different (once you know them) will make this hotel stand out from the rest - like a copy of An Inconvenient Truth
RESPONSIBLE BUILDING PRACTICES
All of the lumber used to build this hotel is FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) certified - which means it was harvested using responsible foresting practices. In addition, low-VOC (volatile organic compounds) paints were used throughout the hotel. This means the paint releases virtually no harmful gases or pollutants into the air. This makes it suitable for those who have chemical sensitivities, as well. It also does not have an obnoxious odor.
The hotel carpeting was created using post-consumer recycled materials in the backing, fiber, and pad. The contractor placed recycling bins on the property for the collection of all cardboard. All the cardboard that was collected was recycled on the premises. All restrooms in the hotel use recycled tiles and granite.
We believe the above practices show a real commitment by this hotel to do the right thing. These are all hidden things that guests would not know if they weren’t told.
WATER-SAVING PROGRAM
The hotel has installed water-saving toilets in every room, as well as low flow showerheads. Gray water is cleaned and recycled for use in the hotel koi pond. Implementing these things has reduced the hotel’s water usage by approximately 40%.
WINDOWS & LIGHTING
All hotel windows are low energy tranmittable with glare reduction. So, energy is not transferred between indoors and outdoors through the windows. Also, the hotel has installed many Solatube Tubular skylights in their public areas including the lobby, conference rooms, and the hallways. These skylights magnify the sun’s rays and provide abundant natural (and free) lighting to the hotel.
MISCELLANEOUS GREEN PRACTICES
Each hotel room is equipped with a recycling bin. Newspapers aren’t automatically delivered to each guest room but, instead, are available in the lobby for any guest who wants one.
RESPONSIBLE LANDSCAPING
All fertilizers used on the property are chemical free and natural. Native plants were used to minimize the water consumption.
SOLAR PANELS
Solar panels provide 12% of the hotel’s energy. In addition, a cool, light roof reflects heat so it’s not absorbed into the building. Compared to other hotels, the Gaia Napa Valley Hotel & Spa already uses 25% less energy. So, with them providing some of their own power, they are offsetting their energy consumption even further.
We try to find hotels and resorts that go over and above the call to being “green.” This hotel has taken eco-tourism to a new level and has set the standard for other properties in the area. We give them our highest recommendation.
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