Florida Tourism and Travel

Key West, Florida Keys - The Banyan Resort and the Gardens Hotel Thursday became the Florida Keys’ first certified members of the Green Lodging Program, created by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection to recognize and reward environmentally conscious lodging facilities in the state.

The two Old Town Key West properties were awarded “one-palm” certification for their environmental commitment in ceremonies attended by State Representative Ron Saunders, Key West Mayor Morgan McPherson, Stacey Mitchell, director of sales for the Monroe County Tourist Development Council (TDC) and Laura Comer and Gus Rios of the DEP.

“These businesses are stepping up to recognize how important our environment is to the Florida Keys, and how important it is to protect what we have,” said Saunders.

The Green Lodging Program establishes environmental guidelines for hotels and motels to adopt cost-saving practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources. Properties are evaluated in categories including water and energy conservation, waste reduction, indoor air quality and communication of green practices to guests. They must also have goals for continued improvements that can earn them “two-palm” and “three-palm” certification.

At the ceremonies, McPherson, who is also a TDC board member, encouraged implementing green initiatives to safeguard Key West’s environment for future generations.

“I’m excited about businesses taking part in these initiatives,” he said.

Environmentally friendly aspects of the Banyan Resort, a 38-suite property at 323 Whitehead St., include a towel and linen reuse program, a recycling program, energy conservation through solar roof panels for pool heating and high-efficiency compact fluorescent lighting, and purchasing products with recycled content such as plastic lumber used for courtyard decking.

The Gardens Hotel, an 18-room property at 526 Angela St., has implemented an environmental policy to communicate green living to guests as well as elements including low-flow faucets to conserve water and energy, a linen and towel reuse program, an automatic door closer and energy-efficient garden pump, a recycling program and purchasing products with recycled content and reduced packaging. In addition, four electric cars were purchased for staff errands around Key West.

“In working with the Green Lodging program and getting more lodging properties certified, we are encouraging sustainable and responsible environmental practices throughout the tourism industry,” said Mitchell. “We’re not doing this for ourselves - we’re doing this so future generations will benefit from practices we put in place today.”

Ave Maria, FL — When thousands of visitors flocked to the official opening of Ave Maria, Fla., in late July, many of their most enthusiastic comments were about the brand new town’s appealing architecture, which evokes the charm of Italy’s hill towns with a soaring 100-foot oratory overlooking a central piazza. Yet despite their historic feel and Old World charm, Ave Maria’s public buildings are actually highly advanced, taking advantage of some of today’s most innovative technology including a remarkable energy-saving wall coating system.

“The look is clean, classic and beautiful, but the technology is cutting edge in terms of energy savings,” said Jay Haines, president and chief executive officer of Textured Coatings of America, Inc., which supplied the TEX•COTE® SUPER•COTE™ COOLWALL Systems® for the new town’s public buildings. “The COOLWALL System® is an innovative infrared reflective wall coating that takes advantage of some of today’s most advanced energy-saving technology,” Haines said. “While the new town of Ave Maria has a very traditional and charming atmosphere, it is actually one of the most environmentally innovative communities in the country.”

When thousands of visitors flocked to the official opening of Ave Maria, Fla., in late July, many of their most enthusiastic comments were about the brand new town’s appealing architecture, which evokes the charm of Italy’s hill towns with a soaring 100-foot oratory overlooking a central piazza. Yet despite their historic feel and Old World charm, Ave Maria’s public buildings are actually highly advanced, taking advantage of some of today’s most innovative technology including a remarkable energy-saving wall coating system.

While the new town of Ave Maria has a very traditional and charming atmosphere, it is actually one of the most environmentally innovative communities in the country.
That innovation is consistent with the vision that was the original inspiration for Ave Maria, which is not only Florida’s newest town but also the permanent home of the first Catholic University to be built in the U.S. in more than 40 years. From the outset, the university’s founder, Thomas G. Monaghan, envisioned the surrounding town as an environmentally responsible, self-sustaining community. The new coating technology offers significant long-term advantages to the town, ranging from reduced air-conditioning costs to extended life span with minimal maintenance. The heat-reflective coating system has been applied to a variety of new buildings in Ave Maria, including the university library, gymnasium and physical plant, as well as a variety of other public and commercial buildings. “As Ave Maria continues to grow and add new structures, the designers are continuing to specify the COOLWALL System® for their buildings,” said Haines.

A recent series of tests by the U.S. Department of Energy spanning a two-year period found the COOLWALL® coating’s heat reflective finish can reduce exterior wall temperatures and therefore decrease interior cooling costs by up to 22 percent when compared to traditional paints and coatings in the same color.

Textured Coatings of America’s COOLWALL Systems® can be applied to virtually any type of surface including stucco, wood, masonry and fiber cement. The coatings are offered in 570 heat reflective colors, which sold exclusively through qualified dealers and contractors throughout the United States.