Programs

Several  brand-wide environmental initiatives are in place to focus on enhancing the guest experience and upholding the RockResorts standard of luxury while balancing environmental impacts.  Targeted areas of our resort operations include:

• Guest Rooms and Healthier Housekeeping
• Green Meetings and "Environmentally Engaged" Weddings
• Appetite For Life - Sustainable Cuisine
• Renewable Energy
• Water Conservation
• National Forest Foundation and Local Forest Conservation
• Green Golf
• "Give & Getaway" Volunteer Vacations

Guest Rooms & Healthier Housekeeping

RockResorts is committed to transitioning its current guestrooms to be safer for our guests and the natural environment. We are proud that all RockResorts are 100% smoke free. At each hotel we are building on a 10-point program that feature the following components:

• In-room recycling for items such as newspapers and beverage containers
• Terry (towel) and linen reuse offering our guests the opportunity to support energy and water conservation efforts
• Safer, environmentally preferable cleaning productslower toxic products made with bio-based cleaners
• Custom formulated natural and essential oil amenities based with lavender, lemongrass and green tea and free of preservatives such as parabens and additives like Sodium Laureth Sulfate and derivatives and packaged in recyclable packaging
• Energy efficient lighting and additional focus on electronics
• Water conserving fixtures - lower flow, high performance showerheads and faucets
• Recycled content personal paper products
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified and recycled content in-room collateral and stationary
• Paints and finishes with no or low volatile organic compounds (VOCs)
• Reusable and renewable jute newspaper bag and daily newspaper opt out programs

At several of our properties you will also see other commitments that are emerging brand standards such as:

• Paperless check-in/check-out
• Bio plastic (PLA) key cards and jackets printed on Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified 100% post-consumer recycled content paper.
• Utilization of sustainable and efficient building and remodeling products including windows, decking, flooring and other finishing products.
• Organic/natural/regional snacks and beverages in honor bar (where applicable)
• Donation of retired hard and soft goods to local charities

Green Meetings

Meeting planners have the opportunity to arrange events that will incorporate sustainable practices in every facet of their group’s experience.   From the initial planning stages to final meeting session, RockResorts meetings and conventions staff assist meeting planners every step of the way. At the resort, RockResorts will offer sustainable food and beverage options, environmentally friendly and sustainable décor, recycling, and resources for carbon-offset programs to minimize travel impacts for groups of any size. Learn More. 

As part of our Green Meetings & Weddings program and as a voluntary resource to leisure and business travelers, we are proud to offer you a resource  to offset your  carbon footprint.

In addition to the ability to offset your travel, we offer several resources through our online booking sources and our reservations staff to enhance your travel experience and support more sustainable travel. Ask about Colorado Mountain Express and other resort area transportation options.

Green Meetings Resources:
Green Equals Growth
How to get Green "To Go"

"Environmentally Engaged" Weddings

From the majestic mountains of Vail to the authentic adobes of Santa Fe, couples can now say "I Do" at a RockResort without saying "I Don’t" to Mother Nature. Couples can celebrate their special day with an “Environmentally Engaged” wedding.  A RockResorts event planner will work with the bride and groom to incorporate more personal sustainability practices into their special occasion that go far beyond simply recycling the cans from the "Just Married" sign.

Custom touches that are as unique as the bride and groom can put a touch of green in every aspect of the wedding.  Features include organic, natural and regional cuisine and beverages, organic flower and sustainable décor and carbon friendly transportation options. Our team is also prepared to offer the bride and groom other helpful green planning tips. Learn More

Appetite for Life - Sustainable Cuisine

We believe good food is fuel for a life well lived and we're on a path to source ingredients of the highest quality, produced in a healthy and sustainable way. To this end, RockResorts is committed to expanding it use of  of sustainable cuisine and continues to integrateadditional organic and natural products, including meats, poultry, dairy, breads, produce and beverages such as wines and spirits.

In addition, each RockResorts property will feature numerous signature dishes with locally grown and produced ingredients sourced from local farms, regional farmers markets, and in many cases on-site gardens where our chefs grow seasonal herbs, vegetables and edible flowers.

Guests at our resorts will truly enjoy other unique tastes and treats such as homemade granolas, jams and jellies and other signature menu selections that truly connect guests to the iconic locations they are visiting and the extraordinary talent and passion of our culinary teams.

Sustainable Fish and Seafood

We are committed to do our part to support global environmental protection and to do this at our hotels and resorts, our on-mountain dining outlets offer fish and seafood selections from sustainably managed sources. We utilize several resources to guide our purchasing decisions including the Seafood Choices Alliance, Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch Program, and the Marine Stewardship Council.

For more information on choosing fish and seafood that is healthier for you and the environment visit:

Monterey Bay Aquarium
Seafood Choices Alliance
Marine Stewardship Council

Renewable Energy

In keeping with our commitment to reduce overall companywide energy use we continue to look for opportunities to invest in technologies to support the on site generation of renewable energy.  We are evaluating opportunities to utilize such technologies as solar, geothermal, and micro hydro to generate power to support our operations. To date we have invested in several projects.

In summer 2008, Vail Mountain partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and Holy Cross Electric Company to harness Colorado sunshine for its energy needs in several public buildings at the top of the Eagle Bahn gondola. Vail Mountain installed an 8.4-kilowatt photovoltaic system consisting of 42 200-watt panels on the roof of Bailey's restaurant at Adventure Ridge. This new highly efficient system provides enough solar energy to power the entire building, and the excess electricity will light other facilities at Eagle's Nest.

We also have installed solar photovoltaic panels in place at the information kiosk at River Run in Keystone and plans are underway at the Landings St. Lucia to install a solar hot water heating system.

Energy and Water Conservation

According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the lodging industry, as part of its total energy usage, spends on average nearly 60% of its budget to heat, provide water to and light its facilities. This provides all hotels and resorts with prime opportunities to reduce demands.
To more aggressively address energy conservation, in the fall of 2008, Vail Resorts launched an internal campaign, "Use Less, Do More" to reduce its energy consumption including electricity and fuels in our on-mountain facilities, hotels, chairlifts, and fleet operations to reach a companywide 10% energy reduction by 2010.  As of August 1, 2009 companywide we have reduced energy use by approximately 6% over a 2008 baseline. 

Several efforts are underway, including:

• Lighting retrofits
• Installation of timers and motion sensors to power down lighting and heating, cooling and ventilation systems and other equipment
• Employee carpool incentives for business travel
• Idlewise vehicle idling for never more than five minutes or carpooling
• Installation of EnergyStar rated equipment and electronics
• Window replacements
• Employee and guest education

To reduce water usage we continue to install  low-flow faucets, showerheads, toilets, kitchen sprayers and water efficient laundry equipment, as well as the integration of EPA EnergyStar™ rated appliances is becoming common practice throughout all of our properties.

Our resorts actively engage our guests in conservation efforts, such as offering visitors the choice to reuse their daily linens and towels to reduce water and energy usage.

Waste Reduction and Recycling

From food and beverage operations to guest rooms to administrative operations we continue to look for opportunities to reduce waste generated and increase recycling and reuse efforts.  We work actively with our procurement team, vendors and suppliers, and our local communities to look for opportunities to reduce waste on the front end of our operations and to source products that are made with recyclable, renewable, resource efficient, and local and regional materials whenever possible.

At nearly all of our operations at least basic level recycling programs are in place to manage paper, plastics, glass and metals. In some of our operations including Keystone and Breckenridge resorts we participate in food waste composting programs. In fact, through our Keystone operations more than five tons each month of food waste is being diverted to the Summit County composting facility.

To reduce the amount of partially used shampoo, shower gels, lotions, and conditioners sent to the landfill each year, we are partnering with Clean the World (CTW), a non-profit organization  committed to the prevention of illness and death caused by acute respiratory infection and diarrheal disease in countries across the globe. Each year over 5 million lives are lost to these diseases with the majority being children under five.

Products collected at some of our RockResorts will be sent to CTW to be sanitized and repackaged and sent to developing nations to support proper health and hygiene efforts. For more information www.cleantheworld.org.

To support local efforts, products from Keystone Hospitality properties are being donated to The Gathering Place located in Denver.

National Forest Foundation and Local Forest Conservation

Projects include trail and forest recreation improvements, wildlife habitat and watershed restoration and community-based forestry programs.  The largest program of its kind in the country, this initiative is has raised nearly $1 million.

Since September 2006, RockResorts, its parent company Vail Resorts and the National Forest Foundation (the non-profit partner of the U.S. Forest Service) are partnering to support projects that improve and enhance the White River National Forest and the national forests of Lake Tahoe Basin in California and Nevada, where we operate our five mountain resorts of Vail, Beaver Creek, Breckenridge, Keystone and Heavenly.

An essential investment.
We offer guests at our mountain resorts the opportunity to participate in this special fundraising effort by contributing $1 on season passes, $1 on online lift ticket transactions and $1 per room night at our Colorado-based lodging properties.

Proceeds collected by our Company are matched with additional funds by the National Forest Foundation and donated to fund conservation projects in the two forest areas, which total more than 2.3 million acres. These projects include trail and forest recreation improvements, wildlife habitat and watershed restoration, and community-based forestry programs.

In 2009, similar voluntary donation programs have been implemented at all RockResort properties to support local environmental conservation efforts.

Making a difference.
In April 2008, Vail Resorts was awarded by the National Forest Foundation for making conservation a priority and for our commitment to engage communities in natural resource stewardship. To date, Vail Resorts has generated guest contributions totaling $711,729. With matched funds, the total amount is more than $1 million ($1,067,593) that has been raised for projects to restore and improve our neighboring national forests in Colorado and California.

Proceeds raised through this program has helped to accomplish more than 50 on-the-ground conservation projects in our national forests for future generations to enjoy. We salute the many organizations and hundreds of volunteers for their tireless work and countless hours improving the health of our national forests. Here are just a few of those projects.

• Young adolescents from the Rocky Mountain Youth Corps performed trail maintenance and and undertook forest rehabilitation on areas in Summit County, Golden Horseshoe in the Dillon Ranger District and Holy Cross Wilderness in the Eagle Ranger District. They also completed critical alpine restoration work on Pyramid Peak and trail maintenance work on all 14,000-foot peaks in the White River National Forest.
• The Wilderness Volunteers constructed waterbars, checkdams, turnpikes and a 20-foot double log stringer bridge to prevent erosion on the Gore Range Trail and Maroon-Snowmass Trail in the White River National Forest.
• More than 200 volunteers from the Roaring Fork Outdoor Volunteers reconstructed and performed maintenance work on four trail projects in the Aspen-Sopris Ranger District.
• Groups from the Eagle County Youth Conservation Corps built trails and abated weeds for wildfire mitigation on several forest health projects in Eagle County.
• Volunteers for Outdoor Colorado delivered 690 volunteer hours to complete six trail restoration and maintenance projects in both Summit and Eagle counties. Several of those projects included Mahan Lakes Trail, Silverthorne/Wheeler Adopt-A-Trail, Ptarmigan Adopt-A-Trail, Golden Horseshoe Adopt-A-Trail and the Mt. Royal/Masontown Trail Training Project.
  

Learn more about this contribution program, the National Forest Foundation, or join Friends of the Forest™.

Find out more about program contributions  and projects to date.

Green Development

RockResorts and its parent company, Vail Resorts, are committed to integrating sustainable building practices, wherever possible, in all construction and development activities. The $1.5 billion Ever Vail development, which will include a RockResorts hotel when completed is pre-certified at the Platinum  level, and will be the largest U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified resort project within the neighborhood development program in North America.

One Ski Hill Place, A RockResort in Breckenridge, CO, is designed using sustainable building practices and will be certified with the Green Globes standards and the recently-constructed golf clubhouse at Jackson Hole Golf and Tennis Club in Jackson Hole, Wyoming is Gold LEED-certified and one of  the first golf clubhouses and one of only a few LEED certified buildings in Wyoming. The Vail Resorts corporate offices in Broomfield, CO are also LEED certified under the commercial interiors program.

As our success rests on providing extraordinary resorts, we look to find the best of both worlds in constructing more sustainable  buildings: providing our guests with upscale facilities while respecting our obligation to protect the environment.  To support this commitment, the company is developing minimum green building standards to ensure that whether a lift shack or luxury hotel is constructed or undergoes a major renovation, we are keeping our eye on the performance and efficiency of these structures.

Green Golf

In keeping with its commitment to environmental stewardship at its iconic hotels and resorts, RockResorts will continue its success in bringing the best sustainability practices to its golf operations. Vail Resorts Inc. currently operates six courses, with four currently certified within the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary program. Vail Resorts intends to bring its remaining course into the program and look for other measures to go beyond even the Audubon standards including community stewardship projects; habitat restoration; integrating green practices into other course facilities; and supporting environmental practices with neighboring courses. 

"Give & Getaway" Volunteer Vacations

RockResorts and all our hospitality operations have  partnered with the U.S. Forest Service, the Eagle, Dillon and Roaring Fork Ranger Districts and the  White River National Forest in Colorado; Hyde Park in Santa Fe, New Mexico; Grand Teton National Park in Jackson, Wyoming; and, local organic farmers in St. Lucia  to offer a volunteer vacation package at all of it resort locations. Guests who book theGive & Getaway package - available primarily during the summer months - will participate in trail restoration, watershed and other conservation projects as well as sustainable farming and agriculture efforts and receive a discounted nightly lodging rate and exclusive gifts.

Give & Getaway package—Restoration projects offered as part of the Give & Getaway package will improve the recreational quality of nearby trails, as well as the health of the local forest and streams by controlling erosion caused by degraded trails. Volunteers, ages 16 and older are invited to participate in these enriching and fun projects in cooperation with employees at each of  our resorts while indulging in a relaxing stay at a RockResort and other resort locations.

Similar volunteer projects are a great activity for meeting and event attendees, family reunions, wedding parties, and other groups to provide a fun team building or casual get together that also gives back to the local community. Simply ask your resort event planner and we would be happy to assist you.

Environmental Awards

2007 Preferred Hotels GIFFTS Award

RockResorts is proud to have received Preferred Hotel Group's Pineapple Award for its commitment to the environment and community service. To further their support of a selected charity or program, the Ueberroth Family Foundation pledged a donation of $5,000 to RockResorts for its efforts.

• 2008 Conde Nast World Savers
• Legendary Lodging site - Grand Teton Lodge Company – ISO 14001
• Sustainable Travel International Sustainable Eco-Certification Program (STEP)