PRESS RELEASES Green Hospitality: Santa Monica's Ambrose Hotel Santa Monica's 77-room Ambrose hotel, with occupancy rates around 90 percent, makes a compelling case for green hospitality. A tranquil water fountain and koi pond in the entrance draw on Feng Shui, while craftsman-style furniture conveys a sophisticated aesthetic in the lobby. Housecleaning uses nontoxic cleaning products and rooms feature organic mattresses, Aveda body products, and healthy treats at the mini-bar. Since completing Santa Monica's Green Business Certification Plan, the Ambrose has received the Sustainable41 award from the California State Legislature. And owner Deirdre Wallace is only getting started. SustainLane: How did you get your start? Deirdre Wallace: I worked with my father. He has a hotel company. I would go to Super 8s and fix them up. It sounds surprising, but I loved doing it. SL: What were you doing that was green when you opened the Ambrose? DW: We didn't open as a green hotel, but because we were so new, we were using the most up-to-date systems. We have double-paned windows. We recycle. We have water filtration and energy efficient air conditioning. We acquired this piece of land around 1998, started developing it in 1999, and opened in 2003. This was my first construction project. I didn't know what I was doing really. I was learning about green techniques. It wasn't until a year or two ago that I determined this was the direction I wanted to take the company. SL: Talk about the aesthetic. DW: It's craftsman inspired. We worked closely with the City of Santa Monica. They consider this a residential neighborhood and wanted something to fit in. Craftsman is influenced by Asian aesthetics. We have some vintage, mission style pieces. The TV case was designed for the hotel. We wanted something home-like; we worked to bring in that balance. We did Feng Shui on the hotel as well. If you know Feng Shui, you'll see the elements. Our water fountain, with water flowing in, creates a positive energy. We chose specific colors in the guest rooms-gold in the pillows, and the red. That's all to create a positive flow of energy. It's subtle, but integrated. We want people to have a holistic experience on every level-design, feng shui, and the basic hotel experience. SL: Do you have any other hotels in the works? DW: We're building a hotel in Venice Beach. It's very, very early stages. We are hoping to attain a gold level LEED certification. Some of the innovations we are shooting for are a co-generation plant, gray water system and a green roof on 50 percent of the first floor. Those are the big green factors. We're looking into solar panels to see if that make sense. It's partially in a warehouse, and we will reuse and recycle as much of the existing structure as we can. SL: What's your long-term vision? DW: I'm looking at hotel sites in New York and Seattle. I'm working to have a hotel company that has a portfolio of green hotels, of great hotels. I think there's a niche in the market that hasn't been tapped, and I'm going to tap it. We like to work with local vendors where possible. When I have more hotels, we're going to do the same thing-that's one of the things I want to develop in my hotels, a sense of community. SL: Who inspires you? DW: On a very personal level, my father inspires me. I have a great sense of family and friends who inspire me to be the best person I can be. Art inspires me. The ocean inspires me-I'm a surfer, I like to get out in the ocean and be with nature. There are several leaders in sustainability that inspire me, like Bill McDonough, Ray Anderson, and Paul Hawken. They're leading the way for the rest of us. It sounds cheesy, but for guidance I wear a quote from Ghandi around my neck: "You must become the change you want to see."