Southernmost on the Beach: A Truly Green Key West Resort
Lots of hotels try to pass themselves off as friends of the environment, but for the vast majority, all that means is that they don’t change your towels daily. Sure, that helps conserve energy and water, but this policy requires absolutely no effort on the part of the hotel. It’s nice to see more hotels that are environmentally conscious, but I don’t consider a resort to be green unless I see proactive environmental policies in place.
Southernmost on the Beach, a luxury resort in Key West, Florida, embraces the latest in green technology, setting an example I’d like to see other hotels follow.
When we checked in, the front desk clerk explained one of the green features of our room — the keycard-activated electricity. Right next to the door is the keycard slot pictured here. In order to adjust your thermostat, you have to insert your key. When you leave the room, remove your key, and the thermostat goes into “efficiency mode.” It’s ridiculous for an air conditioner to work at full blast all day when most hotel guests aren’t in their rooms at all — this simple innovation is a major energy saver, and you get the added bonus of not losing your key somewhere in the room — it’s always right by the door for you.
I found several more green touches in the bathroom. The complimentary toiletries are from the BeeKind line by Gilchrist & Soames — organic products packaged in eco-friendly paper bottles that reduce waste by up to 92% compared to hotel toiletries packaged in standard plastic bottles.
Southernmost on the Beach conserves water with dual-flush toilets in the guest rooms. Most of the time, all you need is a light, low-water flush. These commodes let you use only the water you need. And of course, the towels are only replaced if you ask.
When a hotel embraces green policies and technology, that’s great for the environment, but it’s also great for the bottom line. Saving energy and water means lower utility bills for the hotel — savings that they can pass on to guests with lower room rates. Southernmost on the Beach is constantly updating its guest rooms and facilities to include more green innovations. It’s a beautiful resort, and true friend of the environment.
