An outside view of the Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites in Denton, TX.
The City of Denton’s numerous initiatives and programs that promote environmental awareness and protection are the catalyst to encouraging its citizens and businesses to eagerly participate and go green. While Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites in Denton was already recycling, they recently became the first Denton hotel to offer free Electronic Vehicle (EV) charging to guests.
At the beginning of February, while celebrating the hotel’s 5 year anniversary, Vice President of Helm Hotels Group Zach Glenn shared how the opportunity gained momentum and what it means for this upscale property.
“A few years ago, we discovered how easy it was to recycle with the City of Denton. We were very excited, because it not only offset the cost of additional trash pickup, but we realized we were contributing to environmental stewardship,” Glenn said.
The hotel property was on a very green path adding energy-efficient light bulbs and minimizing electricity and water usage.
It seemed like a natural step when the property was approached by Sun Country Highway, a Canadian company seeking to create a more sustainable future by accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles. With Sun Country Highway’s guidance Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites determined which chargers would be used, where to place them and how to get electricity to the parking lot. The chargers were installed last Fall and are accessible via a regular and handicapped parking space.
One of the City of Denton electric vehicles charging at the Best Western station.
But what does this mean for the property, its guests and our local community? For starters, I took a look around and discovered the distance an electronic vehicle can drive is determined by how you drive. In most cases compact electric vehicles can travel anywhere from 40 to 100 miles before needing to charge. And a charge can take anywhere from 3-8 hours. So if I own an electric vehicle, how do I know where I can charge? Most EV owners, when taking a trip, determine their route based on where they can plug. According to Glenn most users rely on apps such as Plug Share to help them navigate and discover their electric highway. The app allows the users to plan according to charger options and availability.
Denton is in good shape when it comes to charging availability. North Branch Library, North Lakes Park, South Lakes Park, UNT’s EESAT and RTFP buildings, as well as Bill Utter Ford all are listed as opportunities where travelers can plug. But Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites is the only location that has a dedicated Tesla Charger and an EV plug. With this new amenity, the hotel hopes to attract 4-6 new customers that would not have come otherwise. And that is huge as we put Denton’s name out in today’s Eco-tourism world.
Best Western Premier had already recieved the 2013 Green award prior to this launch, proving their committment to ‘going green’.
However, Best Western claiming themselves as an eco-friendly hotel will not stop with just following the 14 minimum guidelines from the American Hotel & Lodging Association. Looking at everything from exterior lighting, recycle bins in all rooms, to recycling batteries, Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites has only started to scratch the surface in decreasing their carbon footprint. The hotel has also launched its Ecostay initiative, which is designed to measure its carbon footprint, fund on-site environmental initiatives and offset unavoidable carbon emissions, while making a guest’s stay completely carbon neutral. During its Green Initiative Launch, the hotel partnered with the Denton Chamber of Commerce and the City of Denton to introduce its plan and future projects. The group in attendance had opportunities to ask questions about the projects the hotel was taking on to be more environmentally friendly. The group also tossed around a few ideas while Glenn gladly took notes.
“We can’t get complacent, and we can never feel like we’re doing enough. We must always be looking to improve. Guest expectations get higher and higher every day, so we have to put ourselves in the position to meet and exceed those expectations,” Glenn said.
Driving or overnighting without a carbon footprint. Is it possible? Absolutely. Best Western Premier Crown Chase Inn & Suites in Denton declares it is here and encourages us all to help ‘Green’ all of America’s Highways!
Veronica Maldonado is the Communications Director for the Denton Convention & Visitors Bureau. Veronica’s concentration is customer service, local awareness and social media. From the moment she discovered the tourism industry she was an eager and quick learner and she immediately became passionate about Denton.
DENTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 