Best Western Plus Wine Country Inn & Suites joins the EcoStay(TM) Program and takes action against climate change

SANTA ROSA, CALIFORNIA, Feb 01, 2012 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) -- Your visit to Best Western Plus Wine Country Inn & Suites just got a little greener. Today, the recently renovated upper mid-scale hotel officially joined the EcoStay(TM) program. EcoStay(TM) 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.

"We're very excited to be part of the EcoStay Program," said Todd Anderson, General Manager of Best Western Plus Wine Country Inn & Suites. "It's a meaningful and effective way of demonstrating our concern for the environment."

Under the program, Best Western Plus Wine Country Inn & Suites will collect two dollars per night from hotel guests. Funds will be used to purchase carbon offsets in support of emission-reducing projects across the country such as renewable energy from landfill, energy efficiency, composting and recycling - making each hotel night completely 'carbon neutral'. The guest's contribution offsets 128kg of CO2-e (or carbon equivalents). That's about the same as taking 11 cars off the road for the day. All EcoStay(TM) Carbon Offset Projects are registered on the Markit Environmental Registry to provide transparency. In addition, each offset tonne is uniquely serialized to ensure proper retirement and avoid double counting.

But that's not all. The program also supports on-site environmental upgrades and renovations, further reducing the hotel's impact. A typical 150 room hotel can produce three tonnes of greenhouses gases each day. That's the same as driving 200 cars, heating and lighting 100 homes or taking 5,000 airplane flights. Guests at Best Western Plus Wine Country Inn & Suites now know they are helping to significantly reduce these emissions caused by their stay.

"EcoStay is a terrific program," Todd Anderson continued, "we're seeing both leisure and business travelers these days that are seriously concerned about their carbon footprint. This is our way of letting guests know that we share those concerns and we're doing something about it."

"We're very proud of the EcoStay program, and the hotels who have embraced it," said Christina deVries, Director of EcoStay. "These hotels are leaders in environmental consciousness and responsibility. They aren't just talking about reducing green house gases - they're doing it."

Details of Best Western Plus Wine Country Inn & Suite's carbon footprint, in-house initiatives and carbon offset purchases are available on-line at www.ecostayprogram.com

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Source: Best Western Plus Wine Country Inn & Suites and EcoStay Program