ReNewport

Newport Harbor Corporation is an employee-owned (ESOP) hospitality company located in Newport, Rhode Island, that owns and/or operates Newport Restaurant Group (Trio, The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar, 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar & Grille, Waterman Grille, The Boat House Restaurant and The Smokehouse Café), Castle Hill Inn & Resort , Blackstone Caterers and the Newport Yachting Center Marina & Special Events . In the First Annual Green Hospitality Certification Awards Program on Earth Day, 22 Bowen's Bar & Grille, The Boat House Restaurant and The Mooring Seafood Kitchen & Bar were among 13 Rhode Island restaurants to receive DEM Green Certification. 

The Newport Harbor Corporations attributes  part of their success to the natural beauty around which their businesses are located. Not only do they rely on the Rhode Island ’s natural resources to bring guests to there businesses, but they mention that they also pride themselves on the fresh ingredients that local fishermen and farmers are able to procure from this region. For these reasons, preserving the environment and being conscious of their environmental impact is extremely important to the Newport Harbor Corporation.

As they work towards becoming a more sustainable company they strive to minimize the ecological impacts of their products and actions, and to find ways to improve profitability thru environmentally conscious initiatives. For example, the “Green Committee” was established to identify and act on opportunities for NHC to positively and proactively impact the environment. They are currently analyzing their energy consumption at all of their businesses to understand more about their carbon footprint and how they may reduce it. During 2007 they offset 100% of their electrical energy through the use of renewable wind energy credits. Their restaurants have begun to participate in sustainable programs such as donating their cooking oil to be used to create Bio Diesel, which can then fuel any machine or automobile that is fueled by diesel. In the effort to cut back on less food waste, Blackstone Caterers participates in a relationship with a local pig farmer who uses all the food waste from their catered events to feed his pigs.

It is through these initiatives and those to come that they hope to inspire others in this journey, one step at a time.

The Newport Harbor Hotel, located in downtown Newport, right on the harborfront, has quite a bit to offer their guests. There are 12 Metre America's Cup yachts steps from their doors and all 133 of their rooms either look over the harbor front or Queen Anne Square, but now the Newport Harbor Hotel has one more enticing amenity to offer their guests - a stay at a Certified Green Hotel.

In the past year they have worked with their staff to take a big step in becoming a more sustainable hotel. The building was constructed in 1972 at a time when the words 'eco' and 'green' were not frequently used on a building site. So they started in the rooms, they installed an Energy Eye system in HVAC, this system allows the unit to run only when the room is occupied by a guest. When guests leave the room the unit sets itself back to a temperature that is preprogrammed. Also in all of the rooms they have installed CFL's (compact florescent bulbs) to bring the wattage down from a sixty watt bulb to a thirteen watt, which drastically reduces electricity use. The Harbor Hotel also use a Planet Green system of cleaning towels and sheets, as a request from their guests.

They have also implemented a recycling program which includes paper, cans bottles and plastic. Newport Bio diesel takes the used oil from the kitchen to be processed into an alternative fuel source. The Newport Harbor Hotel tells me that they are always finding new ways to run the hotel and new products to use that will impress even the most discerning green guest.

Don't miss this valuable information session on how to receive your Green Hospitality & Tourism Certification . Learn how to attain green performance standards, implement best management practices, and comply with environmental regulatory requirements.

Thursday , April 3, 2008
1:30 to 3 p.m.
Sheraton Providence Airport Hotel
1850 Post Road
Warwick , RI

Why should I participate?

• It's good business. Consumers are increasingly more eco-conscious, which affects their buying decisions.
• Your restaurant can save money by conserving resources.
• Certified restaurants will be featured on the Department of Environmental Management's and Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association's Web sites.
• Your restaurant will be recognized at the Green Certification awards ceremony in April and receive a decal and plaque.

The session will cover:

· An overview of program goals and the Certification Workbook

· A review of the following focus areas for scoring:

o Waste minimization and recycling

o Energy conservation

o Water conservation and landscaping

o Sustainability and the use and value of locally grown food

· Q & A

This session is free. RSVP to Jessica Caparco at jcaparco@pwcvb.com or call 401-456-0230.

Green Hospitality & Tourism Leadership Council
RI Hospitality and Tourism Association, Providence Warwick CVB, Newport County CVB, Newport Harbor Corporation, The Procaccianti Group, RI Airport Corporation, RI Convention Center Authority, RI Department of Environmental Management, RI Resource Recovery Corporation, RI Tourism Division and the Warwick Department of Tourism, Culture and Development

Providence, RI –February 14, 2008– More than 30 representatives from 15 hotels across Rhode Island gathered at The Sheraton Providence Airport Hotel in Warwick recently, for a Green Hospitality Certification Workshop. The session outlined the steps necessary to attain DEM approved Green Certification, and provided an overview of the program goals and a review of focus areas for scoring the certification workbook.

Representatives from the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RI DEM), the Rhode Island Resource Recovery Corporation, National Grid, the Narragansett Bay Commission and Farm Fresh Rhode Island gave presentations to aid the participating hotels in completing the provided certification workbooks, which must be completed and submitted to DEM for review. Certified hotels will be recognized at the Green Certification awards ceremony in April and receive a decal and plaque.

The Green Hospitality and Tourism Certification program was developed through a partnership between RI DEM, the Rhode Island Hospitality and Tourism Association , the Providence Warwick CVB, the Newport County CVB, Newport Harbor Corporation, The Procaccianti Group, RI Airport Corporation, RI Convention Center Authority, RI Resource Recovery Corporation, RI Tourism Division, and the Warwick Department of Tourism, Culture and Development.

Information courtesy of Rhode Island Hospitality.

Along with the states other tourism regions and Rhode Island Hospitality we're in the process of planning a training session for the Rhode Island Hospitality Green Certification Program. The goal of the training is to assist our hotel partners with attaining green performance standards, implementing best management practices, and complying with environmental regulatory requirements.

We would like your hotel's engineers and/or purchasing agents to attend this session. If you would like to attend please forward me your contact information when you have a moment.

Learn more about the program here.