Kermit the Frog is right: it’s not always easy being green (but it’s worth it)

Our Inn at Laurel Point is a lean, mean, green, sustainability-fighting machine – but don’t just take my word for it!

 For this year’s Business Excellence Awards (an annual event put on by Vancouver Island’s Business Examiner publication), the Inn was honoured with a nomination in the category of Be Green. But in the company of five other top-notch (and highly-sustainable) Vancouver Island businesses, what would be the odds of us coming out on top? Turns out, pretty good!

Here at this downtown Victoria Inn, being green is just a way of (hotel) life. And we’ve done such a good job of streamlining luxury and sustainability (who says they can’t go hand-in-hand?), that many of our guests and partners aren’t even aware of the little things we do to better our corner of the planet. So, for just a minute, let me toot the Inn’s own horn while I share 10 eco-friendly, socially-conscious, betcha-didn’t-knows about the Inn:

10.          We offer our guests biodegradable room keys, pens and dry-cleaning bags.

 9.  We’ve partnered with the BC Cancer Society to offer cancer patients a year- round discounted Courage Rate. 

8.   We have an in-house Green Committee that’s made up of (and accessible to) all staff.

 7.  We donate lost-and-found items to local charities and shelters.

 6.  Our housekeepers use ecoSafe cleaners and recycled-content paper towels.

 5.  In AURA, our chefs cook with locally sourced and organic ingredients as well as herbs from our on-site garden. (We have plans to expand this garden, too!)

 4.  Whenever possible, we use hydrothermal technology to heat and cool the hotel. (Can you say that 10-times-fast?)

 3.  You name it, we recycle it: paper, glass, aluminum, tin, plastic, cardboard, cooking fat, batteries, toner cartridges… The list goes on.

 2.  We’re BC’s first carbon-neutral hotel.

 1.    Our guest amenities are Earth-friendly and socially responsible! The products are created by using tree bough oils, sustainably harvested from BC’s Great Bear Rainforest by members of the Coastal First Nations – Great Bear Initiative (a collective that works to create meaningful employment for First Nations communities in BC) and blended by Victoria’s Silk Road.

Other businesses named Be Green finalists include Wetlands Pacific Corp. (a Nanaimo-based wastewater management system); Blue Toque Sports Swap (a used and consignment sports store set in Courtenay); Canada Laminate and Hardwood (a flooring shop located in Victoria); Island West Coast Developments Ltd. (a medium-sized commercial construction company in Nanaimo); and The Beach Club Resort.

Treat our planet different,
Avril

 Inn at Laurel Point is the premiere harbour side hotel in Victoria, BC. Overlooking the waterfront, the pet friendly Victoria hotel is perfect for business meetings, conferences, weddings and your Vancouver Island getaway. To reserve your Victoria waterfront hotel accommodation, call 1-800-663-7667.

Things are getting spicy ’round here

Our little Victoria BC Hotel has sure gotten alot spicier over the last couple of day with the move in of 25 amazing gingerbread creations.  Not just houses either we have everything from blue crabs, to a clock that actually keeps time!

These creations are made by some very inn-spired bakers, both professional and amateur.  Some start in August, if you can believe that, and others put their creation together over a long weekend. 

All of this hard work and artistic focus comes together to raise awareness and funds for Habitat for Humanity Victoria.  This amazing organization believes in housing for all, human dignity, partnership, diversity, and inclusiveness.  And in the end, they work with community partners to help build affordable homes for purchase by local hard working, low-income families.  Seriously does it get any better than that?

We are very proud to be able to support this amazing charity and continue our community give back in our own special way. As an independant and locally owned hotel this fits right in with our core values and fits with our appetite for fun!

Check out our Facebook album, I put up lots more photos of these amazing creations.  Have a look and let us know which is your favorite.

Stay spicy!

Avril

Is it just me or has time really flown by this fall?

I don’t know about you but I am still wondering what happened to August, how could the kids already be back at school and when did we start wearing coats? 

But none-the-less we are in all cases hurtling toward another busy  holiday season and just like everyone else we are pulling out last years’ decor items , dusting them off and spruce them up for another awesome season of comfort and joy.  And you know what? Even though I am not convinced its time – it is and as soon as I see that first wreath or a glittering  ribbon I am reminded that I am ready for another holiday season – we all are.

So here I sit here in this wonderful Victoria BC Hotel and contemplate all that is possible this year I can’t help but want to share it with you too.

Take a look through some of what we have going on this year by clicking through this Holiday Magic Link and who knows maybe you will be inspired too!

Stay inn touch

Avril

Things are about to smell a bit different here at the Inn.

What does BC’s pristine Great Bear Rainforest, the Coastal First Nations and Silk Road all have in common? Well, they’re the masterminds behind our new line of guest amenities that includes great-smelling and eco-friendly shampoo and conditioner, soap, bath foam and salt, body lotion, massage oil and face mist.

One of the awesome products in our new line of guest amenities!

Our new exclusive products are just as unique as all of us who work here at the Inn and feature great-smelling tree bough oils (harvested by members of the Coastal First Nations – Great Bear Initiative from BC’s pristine Great Bear Rainforest). If you close your eyes and take a whiff, you just might, for a second, think that you’re walking through a West Coast rainforest just after a rainstorm – yum! The products are also blended by our very own Silk Road (the same local company that also creates our signature hotel tea).

Daniela Cubelic, owner of Silk Road, poses with one of her great-smelling products.

So why did we make the switch to these products? In two words – Guest Experience. We believe that our guests deserve the most authenitically local experience possible. And of course they’re good for the environment by being both plant-based and biodegradable (as BC’s first carbon-neutral hotel, this one is a biggie for us).

Next, they support other local businesses, such as the Coastal First Nations – Great Bear Initiative and Silk Road. The Great Bear Initiative does great work in our community, helping to create meaningful (and conservation-based) employment for our First Nations people – we’re so proud to become the first commercial client for this awesome group of people!

We were joined this morning by Harold Yeltatzie, president of the Coastal First Nations – Great Bear Initiative.

Lastly, these products smell and feel awesome and we’re pretty positive you’re going to love them as much as we do. To appeal to all our guests, the scent is gender neutral and the products mild on the skin.

So next time you’re staying in our Erickson Wing, throw your cares to the wind and take a hike through our beautiful BC wilderness… all without having to leave your room. (Not visiting us anytime soon? You can also buy them off our website!)

Smell different,
Avril

Inn at Laurel Point is the premiere harbour side hotel in Victoria, BC. Overlooking the waterfront, the pet friendly BC hotel is perfect for business meetings, conferences, meetings and your Vancouver Island getaway. To reserve your Victoria waterfront hotel accommodation, call 1-800-663-7667.

Uncork what BC has to offer at this year’s Sips and Seafood

With just two weeks to go until the third-annual Sips and Seafood hits this waterfront hotel, now’s the time I get to blog about one of my favourite subjects – adult beverages.

We have an awesome number of beverage supporters for this year’s Sips and Seafood, so if you’re wacko for wine, gunnin’ for gin, bonzo for beer or have a taste for tea, mark your calendars for July 22 from 6:30 – 9:30 p.m. and come down for the top tasting/culinary event of the summer. And in addition to all the great “sips” you’ll sample at our flagship event, there’s also a ton of seafood delicacies (thanks to Finest at Sea) and great, local entertainment.

To whet your whistle, here’s a rundown of the rock star beverage suppliers for this year’s Sips and Seafood:

• Using 100 per cent Naramata fruit, Nichol offers top of the line wines, including limited vintage. A new release is 9 Mile, a St. Laurent/Pinot Noir blend that displays vanilla and plum with crisp, vibrant dark cherry and earthiness.
• In 2005, Judy, the owner and operator of Serendipity Winery, fell in love with an old Okanagan apple and cherry orchard. Today, she runs a thriving vineyard, specializing in Syrah and Merlot for the main reds and Viognier and Sauvignon Blanc for the whites.
• Therapy Vineyards, a combination vineyard/guesthouse in the Okanagan, specializes in playful wines. One is Freudian Sip, a varietal blend of Riesling, Pinot Gris, Viognier, Kerner, Chardonnay, Muscat, Sauvignon Blanc and Gewürztraminer.
• The legacy of Hillside Estate Winery began in 1984 when Bohumir and Vera Klokocka replaced an old apricot orchard with grapevines, including Pinot Gris, Gewürztraminer, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Syrah, to build a successful winery.
• Red Rooster Winery might be a bit quirky, but their Okanagan wines are anything but. Since 1990, the winery has won a slew of awards for its whites and reds, including the 2011 Lieutenant Governor’s Award of Excellence.
• As an estate winery located in the Cowichan Valley, Averill Creek Vineyards is the result of one man’s passion for wine. Owner Andy Johnston is working on a unique Foch-Eh, a bold wine made from 100 per cent estate-grown Marechal Foch.
• Phillips Beer, the brainchild of Victoria-boy Matt Phillips, has grown into an award-winning Canadian brewery. Some current faves include GrowHop, a unique beer that uses freshly picked Chinook hops, and Longboat Chocolate Porter, a rich dark ale.
• As a retail store, spa and tea bar facility located in Victoria’s historic Chinatown, there’s no better place to get organic teas than at Silk Road. To boot, owner Daniela Cubelic is a certified tea master!
• Victoria Spirits’ specialty gin balances the characteristic evergreen flavour of juniper with notes of citrus, floral and spice, distilling in small batches in a handmade copper potstill with only the hearts (middle part of each run) saved for bottling. 

Have I sold you yet? Tickets to Sips and Seafood are $99 each (all proceeds go to the BC Guide Dog Services and Autism Support Dogs) and can be purchased by stopping by our hotel front desk or by visiting www.victoriataste.com (be sure to check out this website to learn more about Taste: Victoria’s Festival of Food and Wine ­– an annual food and wine festival that includes many great Vancouver Island culinary-related events, including Sips and Seafood).

To learn more about our awesome Sips and Seafood event, check out our website at www.laurelpoint.com/news/events/.

Sip different,
Avril

Inn at Laurel Point is the premiere harbour side hotel in Victoria, BC. Overlooking the waterfront, the pet friendly BC hotel is perfect for business meetings, conferences, meetings and your Vancouver Island getaway. To reserve your Victoria waterfront hotel accommodation, call 1-800-663-7667.