A LEEDING Choice

Some hotels ask you not to have your towels laundered every day – and that’s an admirable gesture.  At The Inn at Dos Brisas, an oasis of Relais & Châteaux luxury in the great Texasplains, environmental responsibility operates on all levels, and in a very serious way. Here are some of the measures implemented to support his commitment to environmental conservation:

·         The new greenhouse and the eight additional casita guest accommodations that are under construction adhere to the highest LEED standards.  They will all also make use of a newly constructed geothermal system for heating and cooling, involving a series of sunken heat exchangers in the on-site ponds.  When all the construction is complete next year, the carbon footprint for both the casitas and greenhouse will be about 80% less than under a conventional HVAC system.  Use of solar energy at Dos Brisas will further enhance both cost savings and reduction of its carbon footprint.

·         Since its founding in 2004, The Inn at Dos Brisas has emphasized the importance of growing its own vegetable crops.  Four years ago, it committed to growing entirely certified organic crops.  Utilizing its own manure sources, and those of neighbors (thank you, horses!) it manufactures its own compost on site for soil enrichment.  Beyond the healthful impact of eating organic, growing organic tremendously reduces the consumption of fossil fuels on a farm, as well as virtually eliminating the carbon output associated with conventional food shipping and distribution.  With the addition of a brand-new on-site organic greenhouse, Dos Brisas will be in a position to supply other local restaurants with its organic produce, on a year-round basis.

·         Prior to 2008, Dos Brisas annually purchased nearly 5,000 bottles of imported water.  Now it filters, conditions, and bottles all its own still and sparkling waters, drawn from on-site wells, saving a huge amount in the shipping and disposal of bottle waste. 

·         On-campus employee housing constructed earlier this year provides compact housing for a maximum number of employees; it also employs the latest design in hurricane proof building techniques.  The offset from having staff drive an electric cart to work, versus driving in from 30 minutes away, can be estimated at a savings of nearly 75 gallons of gasoline a day.