Green Hotel in Napa Caters to Eco-Conscious Travelers Seeking Luxury
NAPA, Calif. — Located on four acres in American Canyon, the Gaia Valley Hotel is an eco-operational hotel that features several concepts endorsed by the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED program.
The hotel offers such amenities as fine dining, more than 4,000 square feet of meeting and conference facilities, a fitness and business center, pool and a full-service spa. But what really sets this property apart is that it is environmentally sustainable and it attempts to set a trend for eco-conscious travelers.
For example, the lobby features a real-time display of how much energy the hotel is using and saving, along with the energy generated from solar panels on the roof. The hotel’s 132 rooms feature VOC paints, sealants and adhesives. Carpeting is made of recycled material and energy-saving air conditioners and heaters are quieter and more efficient than standard HVAC systems. Aluminum exterior grates line all entrances to the property, minimizing dust and particulates entering the building, and improving air quality. All restrooms use recycled tiles and granite.
All wood used in construction was certified as new growth FSC wood. The hotel achieves a water use reduction of about 40 percent due to low-flush toilets and low-flow shower heads.
Solatube Tubular skylights are used throughout the hotel, magnifying solar rays to deliver abundant light into the property’s interior spaces during the day. Solar panels provide 10 percent of the property’s electricity while a reflective roof saves cooling costs.
Recycling bins are located in rooms and around the property, and the hotel uses only recycled paper products.
Bulk soap and shower dispensers are used in all guest rooms, eliminating plastic packaging, and housekeepers and maintenance people use only environmentally friendly products to clean the property.
Landscaping is chemical-free and the fertilizers are all natural. Native and climate-adaptive plants form the landscaping, so water use for irrigation is very limited. A koi pond uses recycled water from the site, which is filtered and cleaned prior to entering the pond.
The hotel was developed by Atman Hospitality Group, a California firm that develops and operates a series of green hotels. The company incorporates custom design, solar energy, specialized building materials, conservation techniques and environment-friendly practices to set its properties apart from regular commercial hotels.