7 West Coast Kind Hotels Share Their Proudest Sustainability Moments

From no plastic policies, LEED & B Corp women-owned and women-led hotels, and wandering sheep as natural fertilizers, find inspiration amongst these seven West Coast Kind Hotels ready to kindly and safely welcome you through their doors as they share their proudest sustainability moments. 

From saying no to plastic, reducing or eliminating your carbon footprint, choosing to embrace a more plant-based lifestyle, supporting businesses and destinations that advance local community impact, it can sometimes feel challenging to travel sustainably and responsibly. To make sustainable and responsible travel easier, we've rounded up seven West Coast Kind Hotels that embed sustainability into their everyday operations and ethos.

From a woman-owned and women-led B Corp boutique hotel committed to social justice and sustainability on the Washington Coast, a LEED Lake Tahoe lodge reducing its carbon footprint using a lake-sourced cooling system, a Sonoma County resort welcoming wandering sheep as fertilizer, and a modern Healdsburg hotel committed to a no plastic policy and creek restoration, find inspiration amongst these seven eco-beauties ready to kindly and safely welcome you through their doors as they share their proudest sustainability moments. 

1. Adrift Hospitality: Ashore Hotel: Seaside, Oregon; Inn at Discovery Coast: Long Beach, Washington; and Adrift Hotel & Spa: Long Beach, Washington

Proudest Moment: B-Corp Status

“In Spring 2019, after months of work and planning, Adrift Hospitality was granted B Corporation status. From our very first hotel, we have been committed to community values, social justice, and environmental stewardship. We believe that through fair employment, sustainable practices, and close collaboration with local partners who share our values, business and hospitality can be a force for good in the world. 

3. H2hotel: Healdsburg, California (Sonoma Wine Country)

Proudest Moment: Foss Creek Restoration Project 

“H2hotel in downtown Healdsburg was our first LEED construction project, and from its inception, it represented the environmentally-conscious values that we have put into all our projects going forward. We took land that was a former gas station, remediated the soil, and built a LEED Gold hotel, one of the very first in California with solar panels, a living roof planted in succulents, and a warm modern design with mostly reclaimed and sustainable materials. 

The Ranch at Laguna Beach, a leader in sustainable hospitality, has found a creative solution to this problem with its Bottles to Bunkers program. The Ranch at Laguna Beach is the first hotel in North America to operate a GLSand glass bottle crusher. This compact machine creates a sand-like product from glass bottles. The sand, which is completely safe to handle, is used to replenish the bunkers of the Ranch’s golf course, as well as for pavement repairs and pool filtration, and reducing glass waste by 90%. The Ranch at Laguna Beach recycled 50 tons of glass in 2019 alone, keeping waste out of landfills and its golf course bunkers sustainably filled for guests to enjoy.” 

- Kurt Bjorkman, General Manager of The Ranch at Laguna Beach

Related: How The Ranch at Laguna Beach Empowers You to Eat Sustainably

5. Vintners Resort: Santa Rosa, California

By using the sheep to graze in the vineyards, Vintners Resort has decreased the use of harsh pesticides to eradicate weeds and grasses, as well as the cutting down of emissions in the air.

Water conservation is also a primary concern for Vintners Resort, and a few ways by which the property is making an impact in this regard is with the onsite wastewater treatment plant – wastewater is treated to be reused on the property’s vineyards irrigation through a sub-surface drip. Additionally, updated sprinkler irrigation systems have reduced water usage by 60%, as well as the installation of low flow faucets and toilets in 34 new guest rooms and the new Spa, as well as energy-efficient devices in the laundry facilities.”

- Cheryl McMillan, Director of Marketing Communications at Ferrari-Carano Vineyards & Winery

Related: 11 Sustainable Stays in Sonoma 

6. SCP (Soul Community Planet) Depoe Bay: Depoe Bay, Oregon

Coming Soon to Kind Traveler: sister properties SCP Colorado Springs, SCP Redmond & Salishan Resort (Oregon)

Proudest Moment: Eco Rooms from Beginning to End

“Each SCP venue uniquely embodies the values of Soul, Community, and Planet. Soul Community Planet was born out of a vision to provide holistic hospitality experiences for individuals desiring to make positive choices for themselves, society, and the planet. Soul Community Planet donates five percent of its profits to charitable causes that share its core values. Our most recent SCP property in Depoe Bay, OR transformed a former inn into a surfing and fishing-style lodge with a casual bohemian, eco-friendly vibe.