Wickaninnish Inn takes environment to heart with leading green initiatives
June 14, 2011, Tofino BC. The iconic Wickaninnish Inn is pleased to announce that it has achieved a 5 Green Key rating through the Green Key Eco-Rating Program. The Inn is the sole Tofino property and one of only eight hotels in BC to achieve this rating, including the Four Seasons Vancouver and Victoria’s Fairmont Empress.
A 5 Green Key rating demonstrates that the Wickaninnish Inn exemplifies the highest standards of environmental and social responsibility throughout all areas of operations. The hotel employs cutting edge technologies, policies, and programs that set the international standard for sustainable hotel operations.
The Inn’s most visually striking environmental contribution, housed in a red cedar shelter by The Pointe building, is The Organic Temple of Transition, where most vegetable and fruit waste is composted. However, Green Team Steward Claire Macdonald also points out significant initiatives such as the use of re-usable water filters in guest rooms, the organization of a yearly community bicycle path clean-up, and the encouragement of idea sharing from all staff.
“The 5 Green Key rating recognizes the dedication of the entire team to our longstanding family vision of the Inn as a sustainable member of the global community, and within the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve of Tofino.” expresses Managing Director, Charles McDiarmid. He goes on to say “Continuing on the path toward sustainability, the Inn will be installing its second high-efficiency Viessmann boiler, this time in its Wickaninnish-On-the-Beach building in January 2012, following a 2008 retrofitting in its original Wickaninnish-At-the-Pointe.”
About the Wickaninnish Inn: The Wickaninnish Inn, perched on the rugged west coast of Vancouver Island near Tofino, has been a Relais & Châteaux member property since 1997. A year-round destination exemplifying “rustic elegance on nature’s edge”, the Inn is owned and managed by the McDiarmid family of Tofino, and is exclusively located on beautiful Chesterman Beach. All 75 oceanfront guest rooms and suites welcome guests with a gas fireplace, soaker tub, spa amenities, locally-created art, an individual balcony and a beach or ocean viewscape.
The Wickaninnish Inn is home to award-winning The Pointe Restaurant and Ancient Cedars Spa, Vancouver Island’s premiere full-service spa. Contact the Inn’s on-property reservations team 24 hours a day by calling 1.800.333.4604 or visiting www.wickinn.com. Follow the Wickaninnish Inn on Twitter at @WickInnBC
About Green Key: The Green Key Eco-Rating Program is the first of its kind to rank, certify and inspect hotels and resorts in North America based on their commitment to sustainable “green” operations. The program was originally developed for the Hotel Association of Canada by a leading environmental engineering firm. Designed specifically for hotel operations, the Green Key Eco-Rating Program is a comprehensive environmental self-assessment that will allow each participating property to benefit on several fronts – cost savings, increased bookings from environmentally conscious consumers and meeting planners and responsible corporate citizenry. Visit www.greenkeyglobal.com for more information.