Amelia Island Hotels Gain Green Lodging Status

Fivehotels on northeast Florida’s Amelia Island earned their certification for the Audubon International Green Lodging Program this spring.

After the annual Keep Nassau Beautiful Downtown to Dunes Cleanup in early May, Audubon International Chief Operating Officer Fred Realbuto presented the awards to Comfort Inn, Amelia Hotel at the Beach, Ocean Coast Hotel at the Beach, Sea Cottages of Amelia and The Ritz-Carlton, Amelia Island. The venue for the ceremony, SpringHill Suites by Marriott, was awarded its certification last year in the first such award ceremony on Amelia Island.

“This takes quite a bit of effort,” Realbuto said. “And when you get your certification, you’ve earned it.”

Audubon International works hand-in-hand with the Amelia Island Convention and Visitors Bureau to bring this program to the island’s hospitality industry.

“I would like to please have a round of applause for the community, the folks who live in Amelia Island?” Realbuto said at the ceremony. “You guys are really amazing. Amelia Island gets it … The CVB has been tremendously supportive.

They enrolled in the Sustainable Communities Program in the last couple years to do major projects, and they’ve also been the sponsors of the Green Lodging Program … We are thrilled and honored to be a part of this.”

Green Lodging Certification from Audubon International ranks among the most respected stewardship achievements in the hospitality industry.

“The Green Lodging Program provides third-party verification that lodging facilities meet environmental best practice standards and demonstrate a strong commitment to water quality, water conservation, waste minimization, resource conservation and energy efficiency,” reads the organization’s website. “Through a comprehensive and credible method for assessing the extent of the environmental measures undertaken, participating facilities can reduce environment-related costs and gain a marketing advantage.”

To become certified, hotels must complete an initial selfevaluation when applying. Afterwards, Audubon International staff conduct an onsite visit to verify the measures being taken.