Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle Announces Matching Incentive & Three PanEarth Program Additions to Minimize Environmental Impact
(Seattle, WA – May 25, 2011) – According to a Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle survey of top corporate clients, globally responsible practices make a significant difference when choosing a hotel for business travel or professional meetings. Developing innovative sustainability initiatives is a priority for David Sullivan, general manager for the 160-room property, located in Seattle’s South Lake Union district. In an effort to neutralize environmental impact, the hotel recently launched three initiatives or “zero impact practices” as part of its PanEarth Program. Now through August 31, 2011, the Pan Pacific Hotel Seattle will pay an offsetting fee for guests attending meetings. Offsets include electricity use for guest rooms and meeting space, as well as catering events and local travel, all valuable to meeting planners looking to minimize their event’s environmental impact.

“Our PanEarth Program isn’t just about cost saving measures like towel and linen reuse to call ourselves green,” said Sullivan. “We have a global responsibility to invest in comprehensive sustainability practices on a much larger scale that support our corporate values around exceptional, innovative service.”

Molly Phillips, manager of corporate responsibility for the hotel, says the PanEarth Program is designed to be a natural extension of everyday guest services.

“One of the goals of our PanEarth Program is to make it easier for our guests to be good stewards of the environment while enjoying the comforts of our hotel, whether it is for business travel or for leisure,” said Phillips, who has a degree in Sustainable Business.  

According to Phillips, there are three new ways guests have the opportunity to soften their impact on the environment during their stay at the Pan Pacific Seattle hotel.

1. Environmentally Balanced Hotel Stays

By working with Seattle-based OneEnergy Renewables, Pan Pacific has developed simple and innovative ways to support clean energy and help guests manage their carbon environmental footprint while traveling. For as little as fifty cents per night, guests have the option to offset the impact of their hotel stay. That small contribution supports about 25 kilowatt hours (kWh) of clean wind energy going onto the U.S. electricity grid.  If guests opt to give $1, thereby doubling their impact, Pan Pacific matches their contribution. The wind energy for this program is supported in the form of Renewable Energy Credits (RECs), which are sourced from facilities in both Washington State and North Dakota.   

2. Sustainable Travel

In addition to offsetting a hotel stay, guests also have the option to...