“Choose the ‘Green’ Accommodations, Like Inn Marin” — by Susan Alcorn

Inn Marin in Novato, CA (photos by Susan Alcorn)

When BATW met in Novato in June we were hosted at Inn Marin, which is just off Hwy 101, a couple of exits south of Novato’s downtown. What especially impressed me about Inn Marin was the manner in which they decided to compete in a difficult market. Some of their competition is motels or hotels that are part of large chains with much larger budgets for such things as remodeling. When Inn Marin decided to make the updates to their property last year, they put the emphasis on “Go Green.”

According to Robert Marshall, co-owner and Director of Operations, Inn Marin spent two million dollars to renovate, and have made a commitment to environmentally sound operations. Recently they became the first recipients of California’s new Green Hotel Certification Program at the leadership level.

Some changes they made include:

• Installing Sustainable Bamboo floors and using bamboo coverlets and dust ruffles.
• Cleaning guest rooms with environmentally-friendly cleaning products.
• Painting all guest rooms with Low Voc Paint.
• Eliminating the use of bleach for linens
• Installing low flow shower heads and florescent bulbs in guest rooms.
• Using soy ink in the front office’s printer and using recycled paper.

Inn Marin is green.

I could continue on, but you can find the details elsewhere. My point is that it’s possible to make environmentally better choices when traveling and it’s up to us to support business that make a difference. Inn Marin is a very good choice for visitors to the area – both because of its mission to be “Green” and because it’s a comfortable, clean, and pleasant place to stay.

– Susan Alcorn
BATW Treasurer