The Palms Hotel in South Beach, Miami is an ode to the new and old, without being forced or compromised. All the while, eco-friendliness is subtly weaved into the details without being obvious. Their philanthropy efforts support several organizations and at times, even the employees.
One of the 10 core values of the Palms is environmental friendliness, which is evident in the hotel, restaurant, and spa. The property is surrounded by palms trees, clean beach property, and just an overall ease, which is what you want on vacation.
Palms Hotel & Spa is one of only 14 Miami Beach hotels to achieve an honorable designation from the state of Florida’s Green Lodging Program. That is an achievement in itself. The hotel’s commitment to eco-friendliness is exhibited through the eyes of their Inspired by Nature initiatives.
Our Inspired by Nature Program is our commitment to preserving the environment and caring for the world we live in. It was created to help The Palms continue to elevate its status of a responsible corporate citizen in the Miami Beach community.
Our Inspired by Nature Program encompasses many environmentally conscious initiatives. Every day we strive to become greener, constantly reminding our team members to act with the environment in mind. The goal is to challenge the status quo to find greener solutions. This program is a work-in-progress, evolving and improving on a daily basis.
One third of their toilets are the eco-friendly commodes that use hand wash water to flush. The sink/toilet combo has a sink on top of the back base of the toilet. When the toilet is flushed the water pumps up through the pipe to the sink, automatically turning the sink on and drains down to the bowl. How cool is that? All their showerheads and faucets are low flow at 1.5 GPM. Amenities are provided by Aveda.
Water consumption is reduced through their Linen and Towel re-use program. Guests can have the option to decide to re-use their towels and linens. Approximately 3 gallons of water are conserved for each towel that is reused and 4 gallons of water are conserved for each sheet that is reused.
Recycling bins are available in all rooms, outside areas, in the spa, offices and back-of-the-house areas. All cardboard, plastic, paper and metal is recycled
Batteries and fluorescent bulbs are on a special disposal program which does not go to a landfill
Mildly used office material and toiletries are donated to Camillus House shelter and mildly used towels and linens are given to employees or also donated to Camillus House shelter
Palms Hotel & Spa adopted a beach between 29th and 32nd streets and hosts clean-up events several times a year. The adopt-a-beach program is a partnership project between the City of Miami Beach and ECOMB (Environmental Coalition of Miami & the Beaches).
Essencia restaurant, launched May 2009, focuses on green and farm to table dining. The hotel’s Executive Chef Frank Jeannetti is great. He was able to accommodate my diet and make lots of recommendations. I comment him for not only being the having the first green catering business in Miami prior to joining the Palms, but he also gives back to the community, especially children.
Chef Frank Jeannetti teaches cooking classes at http://www.commonthreads.org, an organization that teaches low-income children to cook wholesome and affordable meals, and the hotel supports the charity with fundraisers and donations. They are currently working on an extensive composting program for the kitchen.
The menu focusing on providing fresh fare utilizing local, organic, and seasonal ingredients. For you wine lovers, Essensia’s exclusive wine list is committed to being completely 100% sustainable, organic or bio dynamic.
The best part of my stay besides the beautiful beach property was their amazing in-hotel Aveda spa also known as the spa mecca. The Palms Aveda Spa was voted “Top Ten for Favorite New Getaway Spas” in SpaFinder Readers’ Choice Awards.
This award winning spa is a 5,000-square foot facility features five multi-purpose treatment rooms. The entrance space is brightly lit with lots of high end and eco-friendly products that are used at the spa and available for purchase. I was escorted to the locker room where I changed into a deluxe robe and flip flops then to their indoor/outdoor relaxation area with steam room. It is a beautiful space providing tea, water, fruit to munch on before, between, or after treatments. I received a hydrotherapy body treatment in their state-of-the-art HydroCapsule, which is combines body treatments with aroma-steam, Vichy-shower and hyrdro-color lighting therapy. What an amazing and relaxing experience that all my spa gals and guys should try at least once!
For my manicure, the esthetician was incredibly friendly and did a wonderful job. I was further impressed by their selection of SpaRitual nail products, an eco-friendly line whose products and packaging use vegan ingredients including plant essences that are wild-crafted or organic. The formulations are naturally colored and free of synthetic dyes.
The hotel also has vast grounds for socially conscious wedding and catering. I was able to see one of the setups for an upcoming wedding with their gazebo and it was absolutely gorgeous.
While may stay was short, I was able to conclude that luxury doesn’t mean wasteful, even on vacation. The Palms Hotel proves that. The subtlety of the in-room eco options and the vast behind the scenes “Inspired by nature” initiatives make this hotel a green go-to. Old world aesthetics combined with an authentic commitment to new world eco sensibilities makes the Palms a great stay for everyone.
Disclosure: Complimentary hotel stay and services were courtesy of The Palms Hotel. I received no other compensation and no requirements that I express a particular point of view.
