Destination Hotels & Resorts Launches 'Read & Reuse' Program in October to Support National Book Month

Recycled Book Program Supports Local Organizations and Company Sustainability Effort

Englewood, Colo. – September 2009 – From coast-to-coast, Destination Hotels & Resorts properties will be supporting National Book Month in October with the launch of a new company-wide initiative called Read & Reuse. The program was designed by the company’s Destination Earth “Green Teams” to address the thousands of pounds of books travelers leave at hotels and resorts each year. Properties will collect books throughout the month of October and donate these recycled books to local libraries, schools and non-profit organizations in need of reading materials.

“We launched Destination Earth over a year ago and our Green Teams continually challenge themselves to look for new and unique ways in which we can improve our operations and support our local communities through sustainability efforts,” said Mark Hickey, senior vice president of U.S. Hospitality operations. “Our teams identified that travelers constantly were leaving reading materials at our properties, so we developed a program to recycle these books while supporting local schools, libraries and other organizations.”

According to the Green Press Initiative, the United States is responsible for using more than 20 million pounds of trees to produce books each year.

“Read & Reuse is just one way we can continually elevate our ‘recycling’ message with travelers on a regular basis,” commented Hickey. “By launching this in October during National Book Month we hope to educate our guests on this new program and donate thousands of books throughout the year in our local communities.”

Throughout the month of October, Destination Hotels & Resorts properties will be promoting the Read & Reuse program through unique property-based activities. Travelers are recommended to inquire about Read & Reuse activities at their local Destination property or when staying at a property in the collection.  

Destination Earth creates a baseline standard of sustainable practices for the company’s hotels, resorts, conference centers and condominium properties while encouraging individual properties to be innovative in their operations. As properties reach various stages in their implementation of sustainable practices, new levels of green business practices are identified and outlined for the collection. All properties are encouraged to be resourceful in indentifying and implementing green practices that are relevant to their operation and community.

Destination Earth was developed in recognition of the need to preserve the world in which Destination Hotels & Resorts operates and serves its guests. The company is dedicated to practices and programs that pay respect to and lessen its footprint on the changing environment. Destination Hotels & Resorts recognizes that its customers, owners and associates all benefit from and desire a healthy, sustainable environment. As the company continues on the journey of environmental stewardship, it is committed to maintaining the superior guest experience that customers have come to expect while reducing impact on the earth’s natural resources.

For more information on the company’s environmental efforts or a list of all properties in the collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com.

Destination Hotels & Resorts is the seventh largest independent hospitality management company in the country with more than 30 luxury and upscale hotels, resorts and conference centers. To protect and preserve the unique communities in which the company operates, Destination launched Destination Earth, an environmental sustainability program in 2008. New for 2009 is the 582-room Terranea Resort situated on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in southern California. The 102-acre ocean front resort will feature a 25,000-square-foot destination spa, three swimming pools, three restaurants and a Todd Eckenrode-designed par three golf course. In addition to Terranea in the greater Los Angeles area, Destination operates properties in key metropolitan areas and resort markets including Washington, D.C., Denver, San Diego, Santa Fe, Aspen, Palm Springs, Houston and Lake Tahoe. Destination is a subsidiary of Los Angeles-based investment, development and management firm Lowe Enterprises.  For more information on the properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.destinationhotels.com.

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For high resolution, downloadable pictures of properties in the Destination Hotels & Resorts collection, please visit www.leonardo.com.

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