Bellstar Hotels & Resorts Join the EcoStay Program and Take Action Against Climate Change.
April 20, 2012 - Today, Bellstar Hotels & Resorts, based out of Calgary with properties located in Canmore, Kicking Horse and the Okanagan Valley, officially join the EcoStay Program. Guests now have the opportunity to completely neutralize the impact of their stay on the environment. Bellstar Hotels & Resorts, with a collection of unique boutique condo resorts, is one of the fastest growing resort management and development companies in Western Canada. EcoStayTM is a national initiative that helps hotels measure their carbon footprint, identify and fund reduction strategies and balance off their greenhouse gas emissions through carbon offsetting.
Under the program, Bellstar's Canmore properties (Blackstone Mountain Lodge, Canmore Crossing, Fire Mountain Lodge, The Lodges at Canmore, Solara Resort & Spa), plus the Okanagan Valley Spirit Ridge Vineyard Resort and Spa will all collect two dollars per night from hotel guests. Funds will be used to purchase carbon offsets in support of emission-reducing projects across the province such as renewable energy, energy efficiency, composting and recycling - making each Stay™ completely carbon neutral. Each guest's contribution completely offsets their impact, and more.
This significant commitment to environmental stewardship further demonstrates Bellstar's industry leadership. “EcoStay is an essential component in fulfilling Bellstar's StayTM GREEN philosophy and core value of delivering exceptional experiences,” says Ralf Strub, President and Chief Operating Officer of Bellstar Hotels & Resorts. “We are proud to offer each guest a carbon-neutral stay, which will help ensure that the magnificent backdrop of Western Canada's coast and mountains will remain for generations to come.”
Carbon offsets are supplied by LivClean, a top ranked retailer by the David Suzuki Pembina. All LivClean EcoStay Carbon Offset Projects are listed on CSA Group's GHG CleanProjects Registry in order to demonstrate consistency with the international series of ISO 14064 standards for greenhouse gases quantification, monitoring, and reporting. The GHG CleanProjectsTM Registry process also requires that an independent verification following ISO 14064-3 be completed so that each tonne can be uniquely serialized to ensure proper retirement and avoid double counting. The use of a public registry such as GHG CleanProjectsTM Registry is an important step for transparency and ease of access for users to review and confirm the ongoing tracking of the LivClean EcoStay Projects.
In addition to the carbon offsetting program, Bellstar Hotels and Resorts continues to make further investments in alternative transportation for guests and team members, alternative in-room energy solutions and Green Team training and education, in an effort to further reduce their operational carbon footprint.
“We're very proud of the properties participating in the EcoStay program. These hotels, together with their guests, have offset the emissions of over 4 million hotel night stays to date” said Christina deVries, Director of EcoStay. “They are true leaders in the eco-tourism movement. They aren't just talking about reducing green house gases - they're doing it.”
More information about the EcoStay program, as well as details of Bellstar's carbon footprint, in-house initiatives and carbon offset purchases are available on-line at www.ecostay.ca .
EcoStay Program supports Hotels across North America in their effort to take action against climate change. Through the purchase of carbon offsets, hotels support emission-reducing projects across the country - making each guest's stay completely carbon neutral and good for the planet! The program also helps hotels make on-site energy efficiency and environmental improvement and measure their progress at reducing greenhouse gas emissions. www.ecostay.ca.
Bellstar develops and operates hotels & boutique resorts in Western Canada. Our objective is to be the leading developer and operator of resort properties in Western Canada. Bellstar is all about exceptional resort experiences. Each property is unique, with its own name, flavour and personality. What is consistent between each hotel & resort is our love for helping our guests explore the destination, a genuine commitment to service, and our passion for delivering exceptional experiences. www.bellstar.ca.
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