Thursday, April 22, 2010

The Davenport Hotel Historically Green-Happy Earth Day!


Our History

Long before green was fashionable, Louis Davenport brought a conservative approach to running one of America’s exceptional hotels in Spokane, Washington. His was the first hotel to condition the air so that cleaning efforts were minimized; he installed the first central vacuum system in a hotel so that one set of motors and filters cleaned all 405 rooms; he was the first to design air walls in his ballrooms so that several events could be held while heating or cooling only one space. Mr. Davenport may have been called frugal in his day. Today, he’s called a man ahead of his time and his practices Historically Green.

Our Commitment

The Davenport Hotel and Tower has been committed to environmental protection and sustainability for over 90 years, guided by it’s original proprietor Louis Davenport in 1914 and continuing today with the hotel’s owners Walt and Karen Worthy. Our Historically Green Program strives to minimize our hotel’s operational impact on the environment through resource conservation and best practices.

Our Hotel

With 611 guest rooms and suites, 33,000 sq. ft. of meeting and banquet space, three restaurants and over 500 employees, our mission is to work diligently to minimize our waste and conserve natural resources, particularly through energy and water conservation. Environmental responsibility is integral to our culture and we are eager to share with you our Historically Green Program.

Energy Efficiency Embraced

In 2002 and again in 2007 the hotel and tower received incentives from AVISTA Utilities for following the Energy Efficiency Program, approved by the Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission for electricity and natural gas conservation. These incentives were given based on building out and implementing the following energy efficiency measures:

Water: High efficiency water cooled chillers, Variable Frequency Drives (VFD’s) on chilled and heating water pumps, VFD’s on chiller tower and 10 Air Handling Units (AHU).

Natural Gas: High efficiency boilers, compressors and chiller fan coil units.

Electricity: Guest room heat pumps, elevator replacements (main hotel), fan coil units in guestrooms, VFD’s on heating and chilling pumps.

Light Bulbs: Retrofitted lighting throughout main hotel, use of compact fluorescent bulbs throughout hotel and tower, motion sensors for lights installed in all back of the house areas and public bathrooms.

Windows: Low E Windows installed in all guests' rooms and insulated 1st Floor Windows.

Elevators: Energy efficient Otis Gen2 elevators were installed in the new Tower. The special steel corded belts wrap around smaller pulleys making them lighter using up to 50% less energy then conventional elevators.

Guest Room Energy Management System: Installed with unoccupied shutdown motion and heat sensors and shut down at check out technology, which provides automated energy control in each guest room and can be controlled remotely, for optimum setbacks and start up time.

Walls and Ceilings: All walls and ceilings were insulated with vapor barrier throughout main hotel and tower.


Annual Energy Savings:
Main Hotel 3,685,759 kWh and 110,098 Natural Gas Therms
Tower 734,526 kWh and 1,006 Natural Gas Therms


Waste Reduction Practices:

Recycle white office paper, cardboard, wood pallets and newspapers

Recycle cooking oil and grease, batteries, aluminum cans and glass

Donate to local charitable organizations used hotel sheets and pillow cases

Employee break room, banquet department, and restaurants use reusable items such as cloth napkins, glass or plastic drink ware, ceramic plate ware and metal cutlery which cut down on use of Styrofoam or plastic.


Earth Friendly

Printed Materials: The vast majority of items we print are printed on paper that contains 10%-30 % post-consumer waste and from pulp that is sustainable, renewable forest. The paper company is both FCS and SFI certified.

Public Areas: We offer cloth hand towels in all of our public bathrooms, instead of paper, that are laundered. All meeting rooms’ lights are on dimmers and scene controls to give only light needed for events and have programmable HVAC systems allowing usage only when rooms are occupied and can be controlled remotely, for optimum setbacks and start up times. Elevator controls improved efficiency, as did the installation of the double sets of entry doors at both main entrances of the hotel and tower, which limit inside conditioned air loss as well as a revolving door in 1st Ave entrance (main hotel).

Guest Rooms: Refillable soap and shampoo dispensers are offered in all guest rooms; towel and linen reuse program is offered to all guests, all showers and toilets are “low flow” rated. (See guest room energy management system above).

Employees: Commuter Solutions Program, including discounted bus passes, which reward our staff for finding alternative methods to work other then driving. An extra large freight elevator was installed in both buildings to cut down on trips to guest room floors.

Coffee: Royal Cup Coffee is 100% Rainforest Alliance Certified and offered throughout the hotel.

Cleaning Products: Mt. Hood Chemical products are used throughout the hotel, which are environmentally friendly, sustainable products, which are in compliance with the EPA’s Safer Detergents Stewardship Initiative (SDSI).

Your Opportunity

As a customer of The Davenport Hotel and Tower, you can participate in helping us conserve energy by voluntarily using our linen and towel reuse program in the guest rooms. If you are planning a meeting or event with us, you may choose to donate leftover food products to a community food donation program in Spokane.


FROM FIELD TO TABLE:

A loaf of Davenport Hotel French bread says a lot about how we do business. First, we buy our flour from Shepherd’s Grain, a local farmer’s cooperative whose members employ no-till farming methods that are kinder to the soil. Second, we buy our honey from contented bees at Tate’s Honey Farm in the nearby orchard country of Greenbluff. Third, we buy our olive oil from across the street, at the Coeur d’ Alene Olive Oil Company. From field to table, the ingredients travel fewer than 50-miles. This way, we burn less diesel fuel, support local businesses and deliver a superior product to your table. Anyone can serve bread. The Davenport Hotel serves an experience that is better for you and better for our planet.

If you can’t make it to our table for a loaf of bread, we invite you to pick up one of our bread kit bags in the Davenport Hotel Signature Collection store. Packed for us by Christ Kitchen, all the ingredients are right there in the bag… just add water, knead and bake!




Wednesday, April 14, 2010

A Goat at The Davenport!

Today at the Davenport Offices we were graced with the presence of a goat! Our Marketing Director, Matt Jensen, was the lucky recipient of the cutest baby goat I have ever seen.

Why was a goat in our office, you may ask? Actually, it's for charity. Wishing Star of Spokane is going around local offices in Spokane to try and get donations to help two little boy's wishes come true.

Josiah (12 years old) and Brandon (9 years old) both suffer from major illness and health issues. Josiah has multiple heart complications and Brandon has rhabdomyo sarcoma. The two boys share in the same wish to meet Star Wars characters and the Wishing Star Foundation is trying to grant their wish by sending them to Jedi Training!

The object of "Send a Friend A Goat" is for Wishing Star to present the goat to a person and if he or she doesn't want to keep the goat, they can offer a $50 donation and pass the goat onto someone else! The donation can be a compilation of multiple people chipping in to reach $50.

But how cute is the goat!?! Here is a video of Matt receiving the goat. (He used to raise goats growing up!) BTW-The goat peed on the floor before he exited the building. I guess he was marking his territory-We are Pet Friendly!




Here is the link to "Send a Friend A Goat" http://www.sendafriendagoat.com/

and the link to Wishing Star: http://www.wishingstar.org/

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Spring Drinks at The Peacock Room

So, maybe I am biased...but I must say that the bartenders at the Peacock Room make the best drinks in town. They are always so creative, look beautiful and taste amazing on top of it! (oh, and they are always doubles!)

I was lucky enough to try the new spring drinks and take some pictures. They are quite a treat!


For all you Girl Scout Cookie Lovers out there-This is the Thin Mint. Made with Three Olives Vodka, White Creme de Cocoa and just a splash of Creme de Menthe.


The "Spring" Flirtini is made with Stoli Ohranj, X-Rated Fusion Liquer and cranberry juice.


A May and Derby Classic-the Mint Julep. Made with Woodford Reserve Bourbon (the Official Bourbon of the Kentucky Derby), Fresh Mint, Soda and Simple Syrup.

The Cherry Blossom is made with Three Olives Cherry Vodka, Sake, Cranberry Juice and House Sour Mix


A Washington Classic-The Gala Apple. Made with Stoli Applik Vodka produced from Washington's own Gala Apples

Huckleberry Heaven (on the right) is made with Fresh Huckleberrys, 44 North Huckleberry Vodka and White Cranberry Juice

Blackberry Drop is made with Stoli Blakberi Vodka, Sour Mix, Creme de Cassis and a sugar rim

And last but not least-The Lilac City made with Three Olives Grape Vodka, Sour Mix, Chambord, and Cranberry Juice

If I HAD to choose, I'd say go for the Huckleberry Heaven-It truly is to die for!

Monday, April 5, 2010

The Davenport Decorative Arts Collection


Last Friday, the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture invited Davenport Hotel employees to tour their relatively new exhibit "The Arts & Crafts Movement in the Pacific Northwest" which features "The Davenport Decorative Arts Collection". The exhibit highlights the early 20th Century Arts & Crafts movement featuring architects, furniture manufacturers, craftspeople, artists, and photographers. Lewis M. Davenport Jr., Louis Davenport's son, bequeathed his families extensive collection of decorative crafts to the Museum in 1987 and a financial gift to care for and display the collection. It was quite impressive!

Here are some of the items that are on display:



Tiffany & Co Lamp
A slideshow showcased items that the MAC didn't have enough room to display
Cocktail swords from Tiffany & Co
Silver Shot glass inscribed "Only a Thimble Full"Cordial Glasses 1890-1920Venetian Glass Compote 1920's
The Silver Presentation Cup from Gorham Co. 1906 is inscribed "LMD" "With the loving regard to your fellow trustees of Spokane and Eastern Trust Company, August 30, 1906"

It is definitely worth the trip to the MAC located in Historic Brownes Addition in Spokane. Not only is the Davenport display impressive, but the entire exhibit is quite a treat and very interesting. The exhibit runs through the 26th of June.