Vacation trips often are the highlight of the summer. Now more than ever, summer travel can be green. With a little research, it is possible to find great travel destinations with Eco-friendly amenities.
One such destination is the Hilton New York. Located in Manhattan, the Hilton New York is Manhattan’s largest hotel. It boasts 1,981 rooms plus common areas. It has a 16,000 square feet green roof system that is planted with vegetation from upstate New York. This remarkable system serves several purposes. The foliage absorbs airborne pollutants which prevent the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Secondly, it deflects solar radiation, thereby reducing the amount of energy needed to cool the air. The incorporation of this roof top garden has resulted in a significant decrease in the high temperatures in Manhattan from dense cityscapes and lack of vegetation.
The New York Hilton also uses an Eco-friendly natural gas to produce electricity and hot water. This system is expected to produce more than half of the hotel’s required electrical power, thereby reducing its carbon footprint by more than 30 percent. Additionally, visitors to all Hilton hotels, including the Hilton New York, benefit from LightStay, which is the chain’s worldwide system for improving its sustainability program. There is a constant analysis of all functions at Hilton hotels, including but not limited to housekeeping, waste management and use of paper products, to measure their impact on the environment and to make changes necessary to improve the ecosystem, all without cost to the customers. All eco-conscious visitors are encouraged to participate in the Global Soap Project which encourages everyone to donate discarded soap to be reprocessed and given to needy people all over the world.
The Hilton New York has set the benchmark for providing excellent service to its visitors while at the same time maintaining green standards and promoting sustainability and introducing customers to programs and efforts to help the green movement. This hotel truly allows you to vacation green, live green and be green.