The Greenest Hotel in San Francisco!

Greetings, fair readers! It's a beautiful late summer day in downtown San Francisco. Our 105 solar panels are hard at work providing clean energy for Hotel Carlton's 161 guest rooms!

It can be downright dizzying trying to keep track of all of the Carlton's green initiatives and the corresponding recognition and awards from the hospitality community and the federal/municipal government, so this post will be about what makes us the "Greenest" Hotel in San Francisco!

Hotel Carlton strives to incorporate sustainability into our core business operations. Specifically, we use the following policies and practices to be completely carbon neutral:

• Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle
• Purchase environmentally-friendly products
• Conserve energy, water, and natural resources
• Generate clean energy through on-site solar production

We increase waste diversion by recycling all paper, bottles, and cans and composting all food and landscape waste. We reduce the waste generated by donating reusable items (furniture, stationary) to charitable organizations.

We minimize the use of toxic materials to protect employee health and the environment. Specifically, we dispose of or recycle toxic products safely, choose less-toxic janitorial cleaning products, recycle waste (lamps, batteries, aerosol cans, and other universal waste), and purchase rechargeable batteries and low-mercury fluorescent lamps when possible.

We purchase/use remanufactured toner cartridges, office and toilet paper with 35% - 100% recycled content, products with minimal packaging (no plastic, styrofoam, or aerosol), Energy Star rated appliances and office equipment, and water-efficient toilets, showerheads, and faucet aerators.

We conserve fossil fuels by promoting the use of public transit, offer telecommuting options, and participate in Spare the Air campaigns (partnering with carbonfund.org).

Operationally, we strive to keep our carbon footprint as small as possible. The Carlton does not have any vending machines in the hotel. Instead, we offer water pitchers in each room and encourage guests to use the filtered water machines on the first and ninth floors. Each shower/bathtub is equipped with dispensers for body wash, shampoo, and conditioner (as opposed to the traditional small bottles). We have a towel/linen re-use program, as we do not automatically wash sheets and towels each day, leaving our guests staying multiple nights the option to use the same sheets and towels until they would like clean replacements. Each guest room also has a blue recycling container, as we encourage our guests to deposit paper and other recyclables in these containers to aid us in our environmentally-responsible efforts.

In recognition for our green initiatives and practices, the Carlton has received several awards:

2007 Certified Green Business by the City of San Francisco
2008 Energy Star Award from the US Environmental Protection Agency
2008 Good Earthkeeping Award from the California Hotel & Lodging Association Stars of the Industry
2009 Hotel Hero Award for Innovation from the Hotel Council of San Francisco
2009 LEED EB Gold Certification from the US Green Building Council
2009 Magellan Award for being an eco-friendly hotel/resort from Travel Weekly

These are listed in the order they were received, but we are most proud of our LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) Gold Certification because we were the first hotel in the United States to earn the rigorous Gold certification.

Hotel Carlton’s general manager, Pam Janusz, is also a YouTube sensation, as she recently gave an interview and tour of the hotel to San Francisco Green Business HQ. Click here to check it out!

Thanks for reading!

Saha, Hotel Carlton's restaurant

Hi bloggers! It's Scotty, the intern at Hotel Carlton. Here's a little summary of my meal at the hotel's restaurant, Saha.

I have always been a foodie, constantly searching for a new dining experience - whether an off the beaten path neighborhood restaurant or the Chronicle's latest favorite. My friends claim my expectations can be high, but to me, nothing beats a fantastic meal. Two dining companions joined me on my latest adventure, for which I didn't have to venture far: Saha, Hotel Carlton's very own Arabic/California-fusion restaurant. On a lively Thursday night, my so-called "high expectations" were not only met, but exceeded.

The exotic decor immediately envelops you in when you enter the restaurant. You feel as if you have landed in another world (and in some ways, you have), surrounded by bright colors, artwork, and a mix of hotel guests and locals. After spending several minutes perusing the lengthy menu, all three of us decided to go with the steal of the Prix Fixe: a soup or salad, small plate, and entree, all for $40.

My warm asparagus, goat cheese and papaya salad was great, and the mushroom ravioli in a creamy mango-pepper sauce was absolutely divine - the perfect balance of sweet and savory. For my main course, I went with the lamb tagine (lamb stew with a mix of veggies and large, doughy couscous), which was also very good. Even though we were all pretty full by the end of the meal, we couldn't pass up dessert, and ordered three (warm chocolate cake, bisbusa, and gelato) - all of which were excellent. Service was attentive and prompt without being overbearing. Our water glasses were always refilled quickly, and our server had excellent recommendations.

I cannot gush about Saha enough. No wonder it's rated "Excellent" in the Zagat Guide! I can't wait to try their breakfast. The only complaint I have is that it's not close enough to my house, so I can't go every day! :)

http://www.jdvhotels.com/dining/saha

Monday Special...next week's concerts!

Sorry for the absence of Monday Specials recently! Here is the list of next week's concerts in San Francisco.

Sunday 7/26
Spencer Day @ Yoshi's SF
The Lyrics Born Re-View @ Stern Grove

Monday 7/27
American Spellbound Tour @ Slim's
Spinnerette @ The Great American Music Hall
Kofy Brown @ Yoshi's SF
Panique @ SoCha
Glasvegas @ Regency Ballroom

Tuesday 7/28
Alvon @ Biscuits & Blues
Mekons @ The Great American Music Hall
Jewel @ The Warfield
Jarvis Cocker @ The Fillmore

Wednesday 7/29
Kottonmouth Kings @ Regency Ballroom
Kenny Neal @ Biscuits & Blues
SFTV Unplugged XIV @ Red Devil Lounge
Etienne de Crecy @ The Independent
The Waiting Souls @ Slim's

Thursday 7/30
Alan Iglesias @ Biscuits & Blues
N.E.R.D. @ The Warfield
North Beach Music & Heritage Festival @ Bimbo's 365
One Eff, Mosshead @ Boom Boom Room

Friday 7/31
Wall of Voodoo's Stan Ridgway & Band @ The Great American Music Hall
Zakiya Hooker @ Biscuits & Blues
Cross Canadian Ragweed @ The Independent
Death by Stereo @ Thee Parkside
Lou Dog Trio @ Slim's
Zigaboo Modeliste @ Red Devil Lounge
Stan Ridgway & Band @ The Great American Music Hall
Martin Roth @ Ruby Skye

Saturday 8/1
Sista Monica @ Biscuits & Blues
Colin Hay @ The Independent
Dimitris Mykonos, Trevor Simpson, DJ Nik, Trapeze World @ Ruby Skye
The Script @ The Great American Music Hall

Are there any others we missed? Favorite regular shows or venues? Leave a comment!

Friday Special

Next week's opera and symphony performances in San Francisco:

Sunday 7/19
Free Symphony Concert in Dolores Park, 2pm

Thursday 7/23
my classic Russian Composers, 8pm

Friday 7/24
Summer & the Symphony Grand Finale, 8pm
L'Amico Fritz Opera, 8pm

Saturday 7/25
Opera Guild: East Bay Chapter Annual Garden Party, 4:30pm

Friday Special

Not much Opera/Symphony action going on next week, but here's the schedule of performances:

Sunday July 12
Symphony: Chris Botti w/ SF Symphony - 12pm
Opera: Schwabacher Summer Concert - 2pm

Thursday July 16
Symphony: my classic Vivaldi - 8pm

Friday July 17
Symphony: Warner Bros. Studios presents "Bugs Bunny on Broadway" - 8pm

Saturday July 18
Symphony: Distant Worlds - Music from Final Fantasy - 8pm

Dog Days of Summer...

Hello, bloggers!

Can you believe the 4th of July weekend is already over? Summer is flying by, which means the San Francisco Giants' Annual Dog Days of Summer game is fast approaching! This year, the game will be on Saturday, August 1st at 6:05pm vs. The Philadelphia Phillies.

This is a great opportunity to spend the evening at AT&T Park cheering for the Giants with your beloved pooch! The package includes a ticket for you and your furry friend in the designated doggie section and the opportunity to walk in the dog parade. Last year, there was even a costume contest!

The event is always a sell-out, and a special ticket is required. Email promotions@sfgiants.com or call 415.972.2356 to make your reservation.

Do you need accomodations? Don't feel like traveling all the way home after the game? Come stay with us at Hotel Carlton -- we're pet-friendly with NO additional fee. Check out the picture of our doggie set up.
http://www.hotelcarltonsf.com/

See you at the game!

Monday Special

Hi everyone! Here is the Monday post of SF concerts.

Sunday 7/5
Fillmore Jazz Festival, Fillmore Street (Jackson to Eddy)
Gerald Albright @ Yoshi's SF
The Golden Gate Park Band @ Golden Gate Park Bandshell
Leslie Jordan's "Full of Gin and Regret" @ Rrazz Room - Hotel Nikko
Dub Mission @ Elbo Room
Bohemian Knuckle Boogie @ Boom Boom Room

Monday 7/6
Lavay Smith Trio @ Enrico's
Isabellas @ El Rio
The Cocker Spaniels @ El Rio
The Five Deadly Venoms @ Amnesia
Duit On Mon Dei @ Blondie's Bar & No Grill

Tuesday 7/7
Duran Duran @ The Fillmore
The Five Deadly Venoms @ Amoeba Music
Miniature Tigers @ Cafe du Nord
Young Livers @ The Knockout
Dirty Projectors @ The Independent
The British @ Elbo Room
Suspect @ Icon Ultra Lounge

Wednesday 7/8
Mad Karma; Crosscut Band in Union Square
Acoustic Alchemy @ Bimbo's 365 Club
The Crushing Spiral Ensemble @ Yoshi's Restaurant & Jazz Club
Marga Gomez and Michele Balan @ Rrazz Room - Hotel Nikko
Ace Enders @ Bottom of the Hill
Dynamite Eight @ Thee Parkside
Sharrie Williams @ Biscuits & Blues
Robin Trower @ The Fillmore
Hot Challenge @ Elbo Room
David M'Ore and The Bluesdrivers @ Boom Boom Room
Shotgun Wedding Hip Hop Symphony @ Yoshi's Restaurant & Jazz Club

Thursday 7/9
16 volt @ DNA Lounge
Kurt Elling @ Yoshi's
Montana Slim String Band, Head for the Hills, Buxter Hoot'n @ Great American Music Hall
Pro Pain, Sworn Enemy, Mantic Ritual @ Slim's
Curtis Salgado @ Biscuits & Blues
The Five Deadly Venoms @ BlueSix
Afrolicious @ Elbo Room
Old 97s @ The Fillmore

Friday 7/10
Damn Handsome & the Birthday Suits @ Slim's
Lavay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet Lickers @ Biscuits & Blues
Bag of Toys @ Great American Music Hall
Andre Nickatina @ DNA Lounge
Stung: A Tribute to The Police @ Slim's
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones @ The Fillmore
Cracker @ The Independent
Bag of Toys, Diego's Umbrella, and Sean Tabor @ Great American Music Hall
Steve Aoki and Joachim Garraud @ Ruby Skye
Orgone, DJ Kos @ Boom Boom Room
The Zapp Band @ Rrazz Room - Hotel Nikko

Saturday 7/11
Frank Bey @ Biscuits & Blues
Neverland: A Tribute to the King of Pop, Michael Jackson @ Slim's
Luce, Gun and Doll Show, Pollux triple CD release party @ Great American Music Hall