marthas vineyard

4 Fabulous Hotels That Keep it Green

Filed under: Luxury Travel & Hotels, Green

I have to confess that I have a lot of cynicism about hotels and their efforts to help the environment. There's hardly a hotel that I visit that doesn't give me the opportunity to save the earth by opting not to have my sheets and towels replaced, which does indeed save on water and detergent, but, I know it also saves the hotel serious dollars. Don't get me wrong, I'm not against win-win situations, I'm just not getting too many green good vibes if doing less laundry is the only earth-friendly step that a hotel takes.

In fairness, it's often hard for a guest to tell what a hotel is doing for the environment, because most of the heavy lifting comes behind the scenes -- in the hotel's construction, energy supplies and so on. Here are a few fabulous properties that are also doing right by the planet, in ways you might not recognize.

The Nines in Portland, Oregon. In the renovation of this hotel from its previous life as a department store, 90 percent of construction waste was diverted from landfills for reuse or recycling. In addition, housekeeping employs green cleaning products and the hotel gets 100 percent of its energy from renewable sources including wind power and carbon offsets.
The Westin Riverfront Beaver Creek, Colorado: This hotel just received Silver LEED certification, and it's saving energy in a variety of ways, including a building control system that allows the front desk to adjust the temperature in guest rooms so unoccupied rooms aren't heated or cooled unnecessarily. The hotel also donated a 5 acre zone along the Eagle river as a permanent public open space.
The Ritz Carlton Highlands, North Lake Tahoe: This soon-to-open hotel was built with environmental factors in mind, from careful site planning designed to spare as many trees as possible, to the introduction of underground parking, which reduces the use of asphalt, allowing snow melt and rain to return to the water table. What's more, Northstar Resort, which the Ritz is a part of, is the first ski resort to be entirely LEED certified.
Harbor View, Martha's Vineyard. One of the most luxurious places to stay on Martha's Vineyard also has a serious commitment to the environment, from its use of low-flow plumbing, to energy efficient appliances, to an active recycling program that includes replacing the distribution of plastic water bottles with reusable water bottles and water stations.

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Fisher-Bliss House, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

This month the world spotlight will focus on Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts yet again as another U.S. President vacations there. Martha's Vineyard was a favorite vacation destination of the Clintons and the island a ferry ride away from Cape Cod has been a celebrity summer spot for years. It also has a long history, illustrated by today's home, the Fisher-Bliss house in Edgartown. This home was constructed in 1832 by master builder Thomas M. Coffin, with later alterations dating to 1924. The home was built for Captain George Lawrence who sold it to Captain Jared Fisher. It is the only three-story Greek Revival house in Edgartown's Historic District and is within walking distance of the many attractions in this picturesque island town.

The house remained in the Fisher family until 1964 and was then handed over to the Society for the Preservation of New England Antiquities, now known as Historic New England. It was never operated as a public museum but was maintained by the organization and used for summer rentals. It has 11 bedrooms and eight fireplaces and the upper stories offer harbor views. From the widow's walk you can enjoy sweeping views of the harbor and bay. Behind the house there is a one-and-a-half story barn, constructed in the mid-nineteenth century, which can be used as a garage, children's playroom or storage area. It is listed at $3.65 million.

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Gallery: Fisher-Bliss House

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Tuscany Inn, Estate of the Day

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Estates

Earlier this year I mentioned the listing for the Land's End Inn in Provincetown, MA. Now another inn has gone on the market in another Massachusetts resort area, Edgartown on Martha's Vineyard. This classic white clapboard home is an 1890s Captain's House which was renovated in 1993 and operated as The Tuscany Inn. Now it is a private residence with L'Etoile restaurant on the main floor. There are eight guest rooms, eight and a half baths, two dining rooms with seating for forty people, terrace dining seats and a bar area. The building has a restaurant kitchen with basement wine storage. There are jarbor views from the second and third floors. Unfortunately the listing pictures for this one are even worse than the bad ones we saw for the Land's End property so you'll have to use your imagination to conjure up an Edgartown summer evening. It is listed at $8.7 million.

Gallery: Tuscany Inn