Stephanie Leavitt, Regional Director of Sales & Marketing for Bardessono Hotel & Spa
In the heart of Napa Valley, Bardessono Hotel offers a luxury spa resort experience and celebrates the local community of artisans, chefs and wine makers. It places a high value on conscious living and models hospitality with enduring expressions of land and family that fostered and sustained the original Bardessono family farmstead.
In what ways is your business considered eco-friendly? We strive to be eco-friendly in all aspects of hotel management through reduce and reuse practices, energy consumption and low water usage. Bardessono is constructed upon repurposed Tufa stone quarried in Napa County 80 years ago for the original Bardessono family wine cellar. These eco-friendly practices extend to the guest rooms with motion sensors for thermostat control and all paints, glues and carpeting being required to meet low volatile compounds (VOC) standards to improve in-door air quality. Organic linens and cleaning supplies go through recycling and compost programs, and the use of 200 square feet of glass in each room reduces daytime lighting requirements. Low water-flow fixtures, dual-flush toilets and waterless urinals are also used.
What inspired you to become an eco-minded entrepreneur? The eco-spirit of Bardessono was originally instilled by the matriarch of the Bardessono family, Lucy Bardessono, who had a penchant for farming, a passion she cultivated on the historic Bardessono grounds in the 1920s. This eco-minded thought process extended to the building of the hotel to be LEED Platinum certified. From the up-cycled materials used by the building developer, to more than 93 percent of design waste being recycled while refining the aesthetic, Bardessono inspires its current employees and guests to continue the legacy.
For readers who want to be more eco-conscious in their everyday lives, what do you recommend? How about for those looking to launch a green business? Research how you can contribute to the cause in your local community. Purchase produce at your local farmers’ markets, shop local and support companies that have a strong eco focus into the creation of their goods and services. Also, be conscious of eco-friendly practices in your daily tasks; use less water, turn the lights off and recycle in your own home. Start by reaching out to your local chamber of commerce or tourism board for best practices and to assist with awareness of your new business in your community before starting your own green business. Look for needs in your community.
What are your long-term goals for Bardessono Hotel & Spa and its impact? We hope to continue to inspire others to be mindful of the products they purchase and how they live to lessen our carbon footprints. We strive to be good stewards of the land we occupy and set a positive example in our community with our green practices.