There’s a lot of talk about sustainable restaurants and schools, but what about hotels?

Whether you’re a resident or visiting Philly for a weekend, frequenting sustainable businesses encourage others to catch on and become more sustainable too.

Sustainable Philadelphia Hotels

Consumers are seeking ecotourism & sustainable travel to support environmental initiatives beyond delaying towel and sheet changing.

Lucky for us, many hotels in Philadelphia are making tremendous strides in a variety of ways. Let’s compare a few sustainable trends amongst the different Philly hotels.

Hotel Rooftop Gardens

Rooftop gardens provide shade, remove heat and reduce energy use. Three Philadelphia hotels recently implemented rooftop gardens: The Palomar Hotel, The Sofitel Hotel, and The Four Seasons.

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  The Palomar: Located in Rittenhouse Square, the Palomar installed a 9-foot aeroponic garden system on their hotel roof. The Palomar can grow fresh vegetables without the use of dirt (theoretically difficult to transport to the roof) and use a smaller space than a traditional garden. Their produce grown is based on their seasonal restaurant menu, but nearly every dish on Square 1682’s includes ingredients harvested from their rooftop. Talk about roof-to-table…

• The Sofitel: Located on 17^th Street, the Sofitel followed a traditional route by installing large containers of soil and rain conservation barrel. Their rooftop garden vegetables are used for their restaurant, the Liberte Lounge, including healthy menu items that incorporate portions of their harvest. The Sofitel wants to install beehives on their rooftop in the near future.
• The Four Seasons: Located on Logan Square, The Four Seasons began their traditional rooftop garden in 2009, expanding the produce and herbs ever since. The project began when installing wind turbines on the roof, Four Seasons saw an opportunity to lift the couple hundred pounds of dirt as well. The kitchen staff of the Fountainis cares entirely for the garden.

Philly Hotel Green Initiatives

Ranging from energy conservation to reducing paper products, these hotels have made sustainable strides over the last couple of years: Philadelphia Airport Hotels, The Inn at Penn, and the Hyatt Regency.

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  Philadelphia Airport Hotels: Many eco-initiatives implemented, like donating used soap and shampoo to the Clean the World organization, are managed by their Green Council. Their Make a Green Choice Program gives guests a $5 voucher for opting out of housekeeping services.

• The Inn at Penn: Recently renovated the hotel’s wall coverings, bathroom tiles, and other amenities to use only materials that were made out of recycled content. A $100,000 grant to install technology that activates air-conditioning and lighting only once a guest arrives, cutting down significantly on their energy consumption.
• The Hyatt Regency: Beyond cutting down energy use by using hotel sensors and timers, the Hyatt Regency offers its staff discounted SEPTA passes to encourage public transportation use.
• Sheraton at University City: In addition to participating int he Clean the World Organization and recycling efforts, the Sheraton partners with city organizations like Alex’s Lemonade Stand, collects school supplies for children and donates food to the Police District’s Annual Christmas Party.

When you’re booking a hotel in the city, support sustainability initiatives by choosing your suite carefully.

Regardless of where you go, finding sustainable hotels is easy with websites like EcoGreenHotel.

Readers, what other green hotel innovations do you know about?

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Catharine was an Editorial Intern in 2014. From growing up in Damascus, Maryland to studying Marketing and Finance at Saint Joseph’s University, she got her first taste of sustainability in Elementary School when her mother went on a recycling binge and got the family on board. She assumes she'll probably be something like that when she grows up, too. She loves her other roles as a Resident Assistant and barista at Starbucks. In her spare time, she loves to go for long runs, reading Game of Thrones, and watching Hockey. View all posts by Catharine Gaylord