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Conscious Future

Our Conscious Eye On
- Harmon Guest House

Conscious Hotel

Sustainable Hotel Harmon Guest House 01
Sustainable Hotel Harmon Guest House 02

Location

Healdsburg, USA


Nearest train station

The Healdsburg Station


Architecture

David Baker Architects


The Originals

Circe Sher & Paolo Petrone


Certifications

LEED Gold

Set in Healdsburg, California, Harmon Guest House prides itself on being a steward of its surrounding land and community. David Baker Architects used natural, durable materials—such as reclaimed redwood sun-shading—to create the hotel’s signature “modern organic” atmosphere. The roof features a highly reflective surface that reduces the amount of heat that the building emits as well as solar thermal panels that are used to heat water. Despite the small footprint, 43% of the site has been allocated to outdoor spaces. Nearly half of this land has been landscaped with a variety of native plant species that help restore the neighboring Foss Creek riverbed. Guests are invited to use the fleet of bicycles to explore local wineries, restaurants, and nature. The hotel’s Elevated Talks series provides a forum for locals and visitors to gather and discuss such topics as art, architecture, and design.

Architecture

Architecture

Harmon Guest House is a LEED Gold Certified construction with FSC certified wood, slats for sun-shading, natural lighting, a garden courtyard, and more.

Waste

Waste

Recycling is offered the rooms. Sustainable, often reclaimed materials were used during construction. Low-flow fixtures cut water use by up to 35%.

Energy

Energy

The hotel uses solar power, LED lights, and key card-activated lighting, heat, and cooling. Shade slats cover exterior to keep the building cool in the summer months.

Water

Water

Water bars on each floor provide purified flat and sparkling water with refillable glass bottles. There are water-saving fixtures and features throughout the property.

Products

Products & Produce

The hotel sources produce from surrounding farms weekly. Blankets, concrete countertops and tubs, custom tiles, and more have been locally sourced.

Culture

Culture

Harmon Guest House often hosts events open to the public, such as poetry readings, town meetings, and California Indian basket weaving demonstrations.

Recreation

Recreation

The hotel offers a fleet of bicycles to explore the surrounding town and nature. Cycling excursions, local wine tastings, ecological river trips, and more are on offer.

Accessability

Accessibility 

In addition to offering bikes to guests, there is hyper-efficient stackable parking. Guests can walk to the downtown area to explore wineries, galleries, and restaurants.

Healthyworkplace

Healthy Workplace

Harmon Guest House offers a scholarship fund ti employees and their children as well as an emergency fund if they need help beyond their own means.

Communication

Measure & Communication

Details on LEED certification and ongoing sustainability efforts are shared on the website, blog, social media accounts, and in guestrooms.

Learn about our Conscious Hotel Principles

We spoke with Circe Sher, one of the Originals behind Harmon Guest House, to learn the latest on the hotel’s conscious journey.

 

What is your sustainability philosophy?

We are deeply committed to being stewards of the land and the communities that surround us. We promote and source locally and aim to be sustainable in all aspects of the hotel experience. We use a green lens to govern our choices, from construction and materials to state-of-the-art environmental technology, operational practices, and dining offerings. Our approach to sustainability makes us more resilient to economic and environmental challenges.

 

How do you forge a connection to the local community and cultural surroundings?

We are deeply connected to the community at Harmon Guest House. The name itself is based on the founder of the town. We have worked with the Russian Riverkeepers to restore the creek that runs behind the hotel through the town center. Our restaurants and spaces are open to locals as well as guests and we are in constant partnership with members of the community, including artists, non-profits, winemakers, farmers, and independent small merchants and artisans. Through these partnerships, we are able to create truly unique experiences for our guests.

 

What do you see as the biggest sustainability hurdle for hotels? How are you combating that?

In our region the challenge is water. We have experienced severe droughts lately. Through innovation and messaging we have worked with guests to limit water usage. As we developed Harmon Guest House during a previous drought period, we had the foresight to install high-experience low-flow fixtures and a 16,000-gallon cistern beneath the hotel to collect winter rainwater that is then filtered and used to water drought-tolerant landscaping throughout the entire summer and into the fall.

The Harmon Guesthouse Made By Originals Paolo Petrone Circe Sher A 01 X2

The Originals Circe Sher & Paolo Petrone

“The community has given us the warmest welcome, and we want to give something back.”
Paolo Petrone

Read their story

Featured Hotels

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Harmon Guest House

California, Healdsburg, USA

Featured Hotels

HarmonGuestHouse-Healdsburg-USA-T.jpg

Harmon Guest House

USA, Healdsburg, California
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