The New York Palace Goes Green In A Big Way

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed)
Feb 5th 2011 at 8:01AM

The New York Palace in Manhattan takes its green practices very seriously. The 899-room property is one of the few hotels in New York to have a full-time green practices manager on staff and has an enviable list of 2011 initiatives including operating on 100% renewable power, participating in "Clean the World," and implementing a Green Meetings program.

As of the first of this year, The New York Palace is the largest hotel in Manhattan to operate on 100% green energy. The hotel offsets its overall electricity usage through the purchase of renewable energy certificates from Hess Corporation, offsetting some 22 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. A renewable energy certificate is a tradable commodity representing that 1,000 kilowatt hours of electricity were generated from a renewable energy resource such as solar, wind or geothermal technology.

The hotel also works with Clean the World, donating up to 500 pounds of gently-used soap and guest-room amenities per month. The items are shipped to the Clean the World Recycling Operations Center where they are sanitized and given to homeless shelters and impoverished individuals in 30 countries around the world. In the process, the hotel will divert several tons of landfill waste and recycle more than a ton of plastic per year. The Green Meetings program includes initiatives such as recycling and serving of water for meetings in non-plastic containers.

Green can be luxurious, with 805 rooms and 88 suites, The Palace is known for its sumptuous rooms and exquisite service. It blends the landmark Villard Mansion with a contemporary 55-story tower for the guestrooms that was completed in 1980. It offers many packages including a romance package that includes one night accommodation, chocolate-covered strawberries, a bottle of Louis Roederer champagne and American breakfast for two in Istana or via room serves for rates starting at $495. Guests can book accommodations online at www.newyorkpalace.com or contact reservations at 1-800-NY-PALACE (1-800-697-2522).

Tags: green hotels, new york hotels, new york palace