San Francisco hotel goes solar
by Caroline Wilkinson | 22 Apr 2008
Hotel Carlton, part of boutique hotel company Joie de Vivre Hospitality, is the first in San Francisco to have solar panels installed to offset its energy use.
The hotel partnered with San Francisco-based Sunlight Electric, a commercial solar power supplier to undertake the installation and has had 105 solar panels fitted covering 1,332 sq ft (124sq m) of its roof.
The panels will reduce the hotel’s electricity usage by 12 per cent, its carbon emissions by 14,970 kg per year and will save 4.5 acres of trees.
The balance of energy used is being offset through the hotel’s participation with Carbonfund.org, making its operation carbon-neutral.
Guests will be able to monitor the total kilowatt energy generated by the solar power system through a computer monitor at the hotel’s front desk.
“The operational changes we have made along with the new solar panels will lessen the environmental impact of the hotel,” said Pamela Flank, general manager.
The 161-room boutique hotel has been accredited as the City’s Green Business certification for its many eco-friendly practices such as using non-chemical cleaning products, recycled paper and soy-based inks.
The hotel also has motion light detectors in guest rooms, low flow showerheads and toilets to conserve energy and water, a comprehensive recycling scheme and a employee conservation education programme.
“We are proud to have met the strict San Francisco Green Business certification standards so that we can offer an environmentally-sustainable experience to our guests, our employees and the community,” said Flank.
Hotel Carlton hosted an event on 21 April to celebrate its switch to solar power.
Hotel Carlton, part of boutique hotel company Joie de Vivre Hospitality, is the first in San Francisco to have solar panels installed to offset its energy use. The hotel partnered with San Francisco-based Sunlight Electric, a commercial solar power supplier to undertake the installation and has had 105 solar panels fitted covering 1,332 sq ft (124sq m) of its roof. The panels will reduce the hotel’s electricity usage by 12
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by Helen Andrews | 03 Jun 2026
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by Kath Hudson | 04 May 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 30 Apr 2026
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by Magali Robathan | 18 Apr 2026
The much-anticipated V&A East Museum has opened in Stratford, east London, UK. Designed by architects O’Donnell + Tuomey, the new branch of the Victoria & Albert Museum (V&A) is a cornerstone of the East Bank cultural complex in the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park Intended as a legacy for the 2012 London Olympics, the project was inspired by the cultural boom in South Kensington after the 1851 Great Exhibition and London's
David Geffen galleries open at LACMA
by Magali Robathan | 21 Apr 2026
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New venue The Lands by Capella includes a longevity centre to complement sister hotel Capella Sydney
by Helen Andrews | 20 Apr 2026
The heritage-listed Department of Lands building in Sydney, Australia, has relaunched as a major cultural and events destination, as part of a mixed-use redevelopment of two iconic buildings known collectively as the Sandstone Precinct. Singapore-based Pontiac Land Group owns the property, as well as the building next door that was the former Department of Education building. The two-phase restoration project has seen Pontiac turn the Department of Education building into
World of Frozen launches at Disneyland Paris
by Magali Robathan | 16 Apr 2026
World of Frozen has opened at Disney Adventure World in Disneyland Paris with new offerings across the entire park. The expansion almost doubles the size of Disneyland Paris, immersing guests in a life-size recreation of the Kingdom of Arendel. The World of Frozen features a Tangled -inspired attraction, 14 new dining locations and a large lake debuting a new night-time spectacular. It also features a daytime celebration, themed shopping, and
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by Helen Andrews | 14 Apr 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 13 Apr 2026
The Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group has revealed plans to expand its presence in Egypt with the renovation and operation of two historic hotel properties and the brand’s first-ever luxury river cruise. In 2022, Mandarin Oriental announced it would open its first Egyptian property, Mandarin Oriental Shepheard in Cairo. The hotel is undergoing a comprehensive renovation and is due to open in 2027. Ownership and development The river cruise, Old Cataract
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by Helen Andrews | 27 Mar 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 05 Mar 2026
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by Helen Andrews | 04 Mar 2026
Design firm 4a Architekten has shared details of the recently-completed extension to the wellness facilities at destination spa park Salinarium Bad Dürkheim Thermal Spa in Germany. The upgrades to the leisure pool facility, which has been in operation since 1984, included the addition of a thermal spa and sauna in a new building that integrated sensitively into the landscape. Commissioned by the facility’s operator, utility company Stadtwerke Bad Dürkheim, the
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