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More on my Serendipitous Spa Tour 2010
Green Complements Art Deco in South Beach Feb 24, 2010
The lights in the guest room corridors of the historic Clifton Hotel in South Beach flash a soft green, blue, rose and yellow. No this isn’t hotel-style chromotherapy – it’s LED lighting and the Clifton’s way to bring attention to the fact that it is an “earth friendly” hotel.
The new 35-room Clifton, which opened early February, is a Cambean Earth Hotel, the first of four in South Beach, Florida. The Clifton and two of the others are on busy Collins Avenue just a block from the famous (and even busier) Ocean Drive where the fourth in located.
“Almost all the lights in the hotel are LED,” says Brian Scheinblum, president of the hotel chain. He’s here giving me a personal tour this late afternoon. "LED lights are extremely energy efficient, mercury free and long lasting,” he says. Works for me everywhere but in the bathroom where the single, three-watt ceiling light above the sink is way too low for my liking. Scheinblum says they know of the problem and are working on it.
“We want to be the most sustainable, eco-friendly hotel in the world,” he says, pointing out that Cambian is the only hotel group that has incorporated a carbon-neutral policy right across the chain.
It took about two-and-a-half years to source products and supplies and completely renovate this historic (circa 1940s) hotel and with final certification, expected soon, The Clifton will be the first LEED Platinum building in the state.
The interior was completely rebuilt using sustainable materials right down to the drywall, insulation and paint. Features include bamboo flooring, dual flush/water- efficient toilets, custom-made bamboo furnishings in guest rooms and public areas, bathroom tiles and guestroom carpeting made from recycled materials, guest room doors fashioned from recycled steel and, of course, biodegradable cleaning products.
Scheinblum says his family has always been eco-minded and now that he's a father, “I want my kids to inherit a planet they can enjoy.” He adds, that it's not just about being "green" but about education.
The hotel is clean, comfortable and extremely well located in this historic Art Deco district. And, while there is no outdoor swimming pool, the beach is a couple of blocks away plus guests are welcome to use the facilities at either of two sister hotels located nearby. Rates for double, king and junior suites range between $99 and $499 U.S. depending on the day and the season.
The Clifton, South Beach
